In This Issue:

• Message from Rachel Pratt, CEO
• May is Foster Care Month
• Help AdoptUsKids Find More Media Families Nationwide

Member News:

• CAP Kicks Off Summer with its Fun Fest!
• Member Highlights

Message from Rachel Pratt, CEO

Last week I attended a conference in New York City held by the Justice Action Center and New York Law School.  Entitled “Waiting in America:  Foster Care to Adoption,” this small conference was packed with interesting, relevant, and useful information.  Speakers included social workers, attorneys, researchers, program administrators, and parents—many speaker wore several hats concurrently.  While there was a focus on New York State and New York City, much of the conversation was national and even international. 

I brought away with me several research-based thoughts about increasing the number of adoptions of waiting children, and improving the experience of both children and families.

• Answer the phone.  Sounds simple but, in fact, research has shown time and time again that improving customer service can dramatically improve our ability to retain families through the adoption process.1 Good customer service must also be modeled with our agency partners.
• Pay foster parents.  No other type of spending in child welfare so directly correlates with an increase in adoption rates.  The states that pay foster parents higher subsidy rates see more of their children adopted. 2
• Use private agencies to recruit and provide orientation to prospective parents.  Training by government agencies was rated highly, but research showed that state agencies that contract with private agencies for the initial phases of recruitment retained more families and achieved more adoptions as a result.3

If you would like more information about this conference, its speakers and themes, or the studies cited, please contact me at rpratt@adoptea.org

1. Wilson, Julie Boatright, Jeff Katz, Rob Geen.  Listening to Parents:  Overcoming Barriers to the Adoption of Children from Foster Care, 2005.

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May is Foster Care Month

May is foster care month, and there are tools already out there that will help you to quickly make the most of the month—increase positive press coverage, raise funds, and recruit more interested families for children—in your states. 

Each May, a partnership of 17 of the nation's leading child welfare organizations presents National Foster Care Month. This annual celebration helps raise awareness and secure more support for children and youth in foster care throughout the entire year.  This year, the partnership has created a Toolkit in CD form and online at www.fostercaremonth.org.  The Toolkit offers practical ideas, tips and easy-to-use templates to get you started with your planning process. These materials will help you leverage available resources and the increased visibility made possible through the national campaign.  Foster Care managers in each state have been trained in the use of the Toolkit, so link efforts and plan a few activities of your own.  The toolkit is fun, easy to use, and gives quick solutions for busy child welfare professionals. 
Inside the Toolkit

The National Foster Care Month Campaign—Learn more about the national awareness and call-to-action effort

Recognize—Honor and recognize the work of people making a difference in the lives of children in foster care

Promote—Spread the word about Foster Care Month and the year-round needs of youth in out-of-home care

Support—Recruit more support for children in foster care from different segments of your community

Working with Media—Get pointers for pitching foster care stories, events and other activities to the local media

Youth Engagement—Introducing bandtogether, a youth-led campaign that encourages young people to understand, serve and speak out about foster care

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Help AdoptUsKids Find More Media Families Nationwide

As you know, AdoptUsKids is dedicated to increasing the public awareness of children in foster care who are available for adoption.   Members of the Adoption Exchange Association are an important part of our national media outreach.  We receive many requests from radio, television and print reporters across the country. We have available spokesfamilies who are willing to participate in these interviews.  However, we still need more families!  If you know families who might be interested—families who speak either Spanish or English and who have experience with adoption and foster care— please ask them to contact:   

Please tell your families that they they are the best voices for adoption!  We also understand that each family has many commitments and therefore may need to decline an invitation to participate in an event or interview. By agreeing to be a spokesperson, it is not assumed that they will be available to participate at all times! Please contact Kate directly if you have questions.  Thanks so much!          

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Because all children need families, the Adoption Exchange Association serves its members by stimulating innovative solutions, eliminating barriers, advocating, educating, and sharing excellent practice.  Our central goal is to assist and encourage our members nationwide as they find adoptive families for all children and youth who wait in foster care.

Member News

CAP Kicks Off Summer with its Fun Fest!

A Fun Fest is a wonderful means of connecting children and youth who need permanent adoptive families with families who have completed the homestudy process and decided to adopt a waiting child.  On an unexpectedly beautiful Saturday in April in Rochester, New York—(when an outdoor event would have been surprisingly perfect— over 100 people spent the day in a bowling alley.  Children Awaiting Parents and its Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program created the Fun Fest in collaboration with the Adoption Resource Network at Hillside, New York State and three nearby New York State counties.

Twenty three children and youth, their workers, and 53 potential parents had an enjoyable day, participating in icebreakers, eating pizza and, of course, bowling.  It was not your conventional game, as the three parents assigned to each alley moved two lanes over every 15 minutes to meet other children!  Jeff Rankin, an engaging caricature artist from Buffalo, sketched each child, giving the children another souvenir to take with them.

The feedback from the event has been overwhelmingly positive.  It is too early to tell how many matches were made, but interest was expressed in many of the children.  A booklet with photos, descriptions and worker contact information was given to each parent as they left.  The families and the children came from all over Western New York, showing their eagerness to participate.

There are differing opinions about these types of events – some feel that it is not fair to the children as adoption will not be the day’s outcome for every child.  Others see it differently: 

• It is as another way of proving to the child that we are sincerely trying to find a family for them
• It is a special fun day for them
• There ARE families out there interested in adopting older youth, and
• There are other children who also need families. 

The bottom line is that the Fun Fest provided an event where the kids had a great time, enjoyed their favorite foods, and took back a few special presents.  And, CAP has increased the chances for each of these children to find a family.  Given the success of this event, and the amazing turnout of interested parents, Children Awaiting Parents will try to plan two similar events every year. 

For information about the Fun Fest you may contact Children Awaiting Parents at
888-835-8802 or through the website:  www.ChildrenAwaitingParents.com.

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Member Highlights

Adoptions Together (MD) held its 13th annual Kids Connection Adoption Conference on Sunday, May 4th in Rockville, MD.  The conference targets all adoptive family members—adults and children alike.  Age-appropriate activities were available for everyone.

NACAC’s (MN) 34th Annual Conference will be held from July 31—August 2nd in Ottawa, Ontario.  This year’s theme is “Coming Full Circle, Linking to Tradition.  Make sure your passports are current!

Three Rivers Adoption Council (PA) recently announced that it is expanding its services beyond western Pennsylvania, into central and eastern portions of the state.  TRAC’s new office outside of Philadelphia opened in November 2007, and a second new office in the Harrisburg area is scheduled to open later in 2008.

Make sure AEA is on your mailing list so that all members can hear about your upcoming events, promising practices, and successes.

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