adopt_35th_anniversa ry

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Adoption Development Outreach Planning Team Est. - February 1972 35th Anniversary ADOPT

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ADOPT is committed to promoting and assuring the right of children in Virginia to permanent homes through advocacy, education, legislative activities, and examination of practice issues. ADOPT Purpose and Membership ADOPT is a voluntary child-advocacy group open to professionals from public and private child welfare agencies, adoptive parents, therapists, attorneys and all others interested in promoting our purpose.

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ADOPT began as a collaboration of public and private child placing agencies in February of 1972. HISTORY ADOPT collaborated in order to coordinate and broaden adoption opportunities for Virginia’s “waiting children.” ADOPT raised the follow question to guide their collaboration: How do we serve children in long term foster care? Can we identify families who will give these children permanence? How to identify children who would be appropriate for adoption?

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HISTORY - Continued ADOPT was a relatively small group and grew to the point that it was necessary to institute dues, adopt by-laws and establish definite quarterly meeting times. Title XX funding reduction resulted in staff cutbacks and smaller ADOPT meetings and attendance In 1984 membership procedures were revised, members were recruited and subcommittees were formed: - Legislation, Membership/Procedures, Practice/Values, Policy, Training, and Illegal Placements

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Elected Officers – 1973 Started Charging Dues – 1978 Quarterly Meetings Started, March, June, Sept., Dec. - 1978 Adopting Handicapped Children Conference - June 1979 - Guidelines for Agency Adoptive Placements - Preparing Children and Families - Revised 1979 ADOPT in the Seventies

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Adoption Assistance - Nevelle Weeks - Issues were infant adoption, infertility, artificial insemination, AREVA registration, identifying minority children, older children and children with handicapping conditions - the outcome was “To expand ADOPT goals as well as their membership in order to effect changes in state policy and legislation, which would promote permanency for ALL Virginia children who could benefit by adoption.” ADOPT in the Seventies - Continued

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- Importance of Parent Support Groups - Recruitment of Families to meet MEPA requirements - Curriculum Development for Best Practices in Adoptive parent preparation - Due to state cutbacks, workloads increase and membership suffered ADOPT in the Eighties

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- Open Adoption - Adoptive Search - Trans-racial adoption issues - Illegal Placements - Subsidized Adoption - Parental Placement ADOPT in the Eighties - Continued

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- Adoption Search and effect on Triad - Committee Formed to Research Drug Addicted Babies - HIV Committee - Surrogacy - Subsidized Adoption - Parental Placement Issues ADOPT in the Nineties

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- Birth Father Rights - IVE and Federal Guidelines Membership Committee cut and responsibilities added to Treasurer, limit lifted on the number of ADOPT members - Post Adoption Committee formed - Public/Private Partnerships emerged under Federal Grants ADOPT in the Nineties - Continued

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- Membership Committee Reinstated - Awards Committee Formed - Match Retreats - Concurrent Planning/Full Disclosure - Dual Approval of Families - Training on Writing of Home Studies ADOPT in the New Millennium

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- Subsidy Changes - Gay/Lesbian Adoption - Brain Trauma and Attachment in Adoption - Alternatives to Talk Therapies - Heart Gallery ADOPT in the New Millennium - Continued

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The need for fuller utilization of AREVA services - Recommended mandatory registration of children and families - Recommended a photo listing of children and families ADOPT Adoption Barriers and Accomplishments in the first five years: Sondra Draper

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The need for Legislation to permit subsidized adoption in VA - Worked to secure enactment of subsidized adoption legislation in Virginia ADOPT Adoption Barriers and Accomplishments in the first five years: Brenda Kerr

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The need for accurate information and children in foster care - An ADOPT questionnaire became the prototype on which the foster care status report and information system was based ADOPT Adoption Barriers and Accomplishments in the first five years: Brenda Kerr

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The need for more specific definitions and judicial guidelines for psychological neglect and abandonment of children - Proposed statute for Virginia on the TPR, TPR laws strengthen in 1977 ADOPT Adoption Barriers and Accomplishments in the first five years:

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The need for guidelines in the preparation and placement of children for adoption and emphasis on the older or handicapped children - The development of the handbook on “Guidelines for Agency Adoptive Placements” ADOPT Adoption Barriers and Accomplishments in the first five years: Sharon Richardson

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The need for continuing public awareness for the “children who wait” for adoption. - The development of “Adoption Questions and Answers” ADOPT Adoption Barriers and Accomplishments in the first five years: Sondra Draper