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INTRODUCING INSIDE THE INSTITUTE
Welcome to the inaugural issue of Inside the Institute, an exciting and (we hope) useful new quarterly source of information about the Donaldson Adoption Institute that will bring you up-to-date about what’s going on with our work and our people. We will also continue publishing our monthly E-Newsletter, which serves as the go-to source for research, policy analysis, resources and other information about the range of issues in the world of adoption and foster care.
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▶ A NEW YEAR, A NEW NAME - AND NEW WAYS TO HEAR FROM YOU ▶ HOW OUR WORK MAKES A DIFFERENCE ▶ RUSSIA BANS ADOPTION BY AMERICANS ▶ ADOPTION INSTITUTE WELCOMES ITS NEWEST SENIOR FELLOW ▶ ANNOUNCING THE CREATION OF THE LYNN FRANKLIN FUND ▶ FINAL THOUGHTS AND THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS
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After 17 years of improving the lives of children and families, as well as informing professionals of many types, our Board of Directors has decided to update the Institute’s name. Moving ahead, we simply will be the Donaldson Adoption Institute (DAI). This change will honor the devotion, participation and generosity of the entire family of William Donaldson.
Originally named in honor of his late wife, Evan, the Institute was founded by Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children in 1996 to meet the need for an independent and unbiased adoption research and policy organization.
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Since that time, both of Bill and Evan’s children, Kim and Matt, have served on our Board of Directors and have been deeply involved in supporting the organization – while Bill and his wife, Jane, are loyal and indispensable Institute stalwarts.
In order to make our work as relevant as possible to the real lives of the people we serve, we have created a special email address – input@adoptioninstitute.org – where you can send us your suggestions for projects, your criticisms or your praise, and any other comments you think might help us improve our effectiveness.
We’ve also set up a survey with questions designed to help us better understand and respond to the needs of the adoption community and learn more about how our work is used so we can better tailor it for our stakeholders. Your input makes a huge difference to us, so please fill out the survey, send us an email, and let us know how we can serve you better!
More exciting news is coming in the weeks and months ahead, including a new logo and a complete revamping of our website, so stay tuned!
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The adoption world is changing rapidly and radically – from the steep decline in intercountry adoptions, to record levels of adoption for children and youth from foster care; from unprecedented diversity in the types of families being formed, to historic transformations being triggered by social media and the Internet. And the Adoption Institute is there at every step, providing cutting-edge research and best practices, conducting vital education and advocacy, and offering a voice of clarity and reason even when events seem less than clear or reasonable.
Visit our website, www.adoptioninstitute.org, to get a sense of the breadth and impact of our initiatives. In this first Inside the Institute, we’ll focus on just two recent programmatic activities that underscore the unique, important role that the Institute plays in its field and, most importantly, in the lives of the millions of children and families in our own country and others for whom adoption and foster care are everyday realities. |
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This groundbreaking report has been a media sensation since it was released last month, with stories appearing in outlets from coast-to-coast – including the New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, the Wall Street Journal and USA Today – as well as in publications around the world. Our Executive Director, Adam Pertman, has appeared on CNN, the BBC, NPR, and numerous other radio and television outlets in our country and others.
It is difficult to describe the extent to which the Internet is changing adoption – and the lives of the people it encompasses – without using words that sound hyperbolic. But our examination of the effects of this very new technology on a very old social institution indicates that they are systemic, profound, complex and permanent. They are transforming adoption practices, challenging current laws and policies, offering unprecedented opportunities and resources, and raising critical ethical, legal and procedural issues about which adoption professionals, policymakers and the personally affected parties have little reliable information, research or experience to guide them. |
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As it does on so many issues, the Adoption Institute is assuming a leadership role in addressing the critical issues involved – and in formulating responses, providing knowledge and resources, and working to implement safeguards against exploitation and to keep children safe.
One key goal of this initial report on the Internet is to stimulate a national discussion about its impact on adoption and how to regulate web-based adoption services to assure that they are legal and ethical. A quick check on the Internet (where else?) indicates that we are off to a great start in meeting this goal, and you should be assured that – with your help – we will keep working to achieve it. This report is only the first that will come out of our three-year study, with the next publication to be released next fall. Please visit the Institute’s website to read the report or to make a contribution toward this essential work.
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On January 1, a new law took effect in Russia banning adoption by Americans, and it’s been the subject of a media firestorm. The Adoption Institute is at the table as the U.S. State Department considers what next steps it might take, is providing information to professionals and prospective parents impacted by the Russian action, and is the go-to source for background, context and analysis for journalists seeking to understand what’s happening and its impact.
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Our Executive Director, who is considered one of the most knowledgeable experts on domestic and international adoption issues, has been featured on news programs that range from Fox News to National Public Radio to CNN, and has been interviewed by national and local newspapers including the Wall Street Journal, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Christian Science Monitor, the Omaha World-Herald and USA Today. He has appeared on Russian television, is scheduled soon to be on Chinese television, and his interview with the Associated Press has appeared in hundreds of newspapers and websites in the U.S. and around the globe.
The trend in international adoption has been steadily downward for several years now, and the new law in Russia means even more children will continue to languish in institutional care. The issues in this area are complex and there are no easy answers. But, again, we intend to keep playing our unique leadership role, in part through a current research project examining the laws and policies that shape intercountry adoption, with the aim of recommending best practices that will better serve the needs of children everywhere who need permanent, loving families. We plan to publish the first report in this initiative later this year.
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ADOPTION INSTITUTE WELCOMES ITS NEWEST SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW |
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The Institute is delighted to announce that Penelope (Penny) Maza, Ph.D., has just joined us as a Senior Research Fellow. Penny has been a champion for children –especially those in foster care – for decades, with high-level positions in government and the nonprofit sector.
Most recently, she has worked as a consultant for organizations including the National Child Welfare Resource Center on Adoption and AdoptUSKids. Previously, she was the Senior Policy Research Analyst at the Children’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; prior to that, she held various positions at HHS and was the Director of Research for the Child Welfare League of America.
Our other Senior Fellows – all among the most prominent and highly regarded researchers, lecturers, trainers and writers in the field today – are: Dr. Amanda Baden of Montclair University; Richard Barth of the University of Maryland; Dr. Devon Brooks of the University of Southern California; Professor Naomi Cahn of George Washington University Law School; Dr. Abbie Goldberg of Clark University, Dr. Harold Grotevant of the University of Massachusetts; Dr. Victor Groza of Case Western Reserve University; Dr. Dana Johnson of the International Adoption Clinic at the University of Minnesota; Dr. Ruth McRoy of Boston College; Dr. Laurie Miller of Tufts University; Dr. Ellen Pinderhughes of Tufts University; and Dr. Scott Ryan of The University of Texas at Arlington. We invite you to learn more about the Institute's Senior Fellows program and read the bios of these esteemed scholars and professionals. |
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As a part of our ongoing commitment to ensure best practices and ethical treatment for all parties to adoption, the Institute is proud to announce the creation of the Lynn Franklin Fund, established to honor one of the longest-serving and most-beloved members of our Board of Directors. The Fund will provide resources that will enable us to undertake research, education and advocacy efforts specifically intended to benefit first/birth parents (of whom Lynn is one).
The Fund was established with a one-time gift, but we are committed to raising additional revenues so that we can continue building on our pioneering work in this area. The first project it will support will be a follow-up to our landmark 2006 Safeguarding the Rights and Well-Being of Birth Parents in the Adoption Process. Please help to ensure that we’ll be able to conduct effective research and advocacy on behalf of first/birth parents by making a contribution to the Lynn Franklin Fund on our website or through the mail. |
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Please take a few moments to read our 2012 Annual Report to learn more about the breadth and depth of the Institute’s impact during the last year, and to get a preview of how we’ll further our mission in 2013. It is through your generosity that we are able to leverage a small staff and budget to achieve meaningful results for children and families, so please consider a contribution to enable us to advance ethical, effective adoption policy and practice.
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Thank you one and all. We wish you and your families a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
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If you want to keep receiving our publications, you don’t need to do anything. If you do not yet receive our E-Newsletter, please sign up here. If you do not wish to receive future issues of Inside the Institute, unsubscribe here.
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Disclaimer & Privacy Policy
Inside The Institute reports information to educate readers about issues that may impact adoption. Reports in Inside The Institute do not constitute representations of sources' accuracy or reliability or endorsement of authors' perspectives or positions. The Adoption Institute will never trade or sell your e-mail address. Our policies can be accessed at http://www.adoptioninstitute.org.
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