Programs & Projects: Current Initiatives

In 2005, the Adoption Institute identified five major strategic programming goals to which it is committed to making significant impact:

A. Improved access to adoption for every child who needs a family.
B. More equitable treatment of triad members.
C. Greater openness and ethics in adoption.
D. Healthier development of families formed through adoption.
E. Apply adoption knowledge to other social spheres.

Within each program goal there are specific projects that have been identified as a means of reaching our objectives. The following are a few specific projects currently under way (some we are seeking funding to develop further) to accomplish our goals.

More equitable treatment of triad members

Rights & Well-Being of Birth Parents

This project, to which the Institute is seeking funding, will be the broadest study to date of issues relating to birth parents, ranging from birth father registries and birth parent roles in adoptions from foster care and abroad, to the realities of pregnant women considering adoption and the relationships of birth and adoptive families after placement. The explicit intent of this project will be to inform better laws, establish "best practices" and enhance the lives of everyone involved. For more information on this project, contact Program & Project Director Susan Smith.

Healthier development of families formed through adoption

Transcultural Adoption & Identity

With initial funding from the Kellogg Foundation, this research will identify the factors that contribute to healthy identity formation (which incorporates adoption, race and culture) of adopted people, especially those adopted from other countries and raised in transracial families. It will include a comprehensive white paper involving a survey of adopted international adoptees, and current services available to multicultural families. Findings from the study will be used to recommend promising practices for practitioners and post-adoption services for parents and adopted people. For more information on this project, contact the Policy & Operations Director Hollee McGinnis.more

Improved access to adoption for every child who needs a family

Improving Knowledge & Practice in Gay & Lesbian Adoption

Expanding on our groundbreaking previous work, the Institute is conducting sweeping research for a widely disseminated white paper on the state of knowledge and recommended best practices relating to adoption by gays and lesbians. Our findings and materials will be designed for use by practitioners, prospective parents and established families. For more information on this project, contact Policy & Research Director Jeanne Howard.