National Council For Adoption

12/09/2022

It’s a because we’ve got FIVE new adoption-specific courses available through our online learning center! Check out our whole library of CE courses at the link in the image. (We've also put it in the comments below.)

12/07/2022

is much different today than it was just 10 or 20 years ago. Get the facts in our newest report, Profiles in Adoption, Part One. It's available at the link in comments below.

11/29/2022

A message of gratitude from NCFA’s Ryan Hanlon.

11/29/2022

Patricia placed a child for adoption at age 19 – and then didn’t talk about it for three decades. She didn’t think anyone she knew would understand the decision she’d made. Thirty years later, weighed down with complicated feelings of loss and grief, she found an understanding ear in NCFA.

The support of friends like you makes it possible for us to be there for birth parents like Patricia. And soon, we’ll know more about what they need, as we review and release results from our survey of more than 1,500 birth parents.

As we look forward to 2023, caring for birth parents like Patricia is one of our top priorities. Will you make a donation at the link in the comments to help make it possible?

11/29/2022

"Because of you, we didn't feel alone." 💙🧡 When war broke out last year in Ukraine, our hearts and minds immediately went to the children. Those who were separated from families and caregivers in a time of great danger. Those who were in process to be adopted and would have to wait indefinitely to come home to their forever families. And those who were adopted from the region and were frightened for childhood friends and biological families.

Because of friends like you, NCFA staff were able to spring into action to provide support. We connected waiting families with appropriate authorities who could provide answers and legal assistance, served as their voice in the media, and offered supportive counseling to parents and professionals. As one parent who took part in our online forum told us, "Because of you, we didn't feel alone." Your donation to NCFA supports children and families navigating difficult and frightening times - please consider a gift to support them.

11/29/2022

This , your donation to NCFA supports everyone involved in an adoption - and all first-time donations will be matched, up to $20,000.

Hopeful adoptive parents who need guidance, adoptees and birth parents looking for answers, adopted children who need loving care - you can help us be there for all of them. Make your gift here: https://www.facebook.com/donate/5995203407179957/

11/28/2022

What percentage of adopted children receive educational accommodations and services? Does it vary by type of adoption? What does it mean for people considering adoption? In this new article from NCFA's Ryan Hanlon, co-author of Profiles in Adoption, you'll get the answers to these questions and access to resources to equip adoptive parents and educators to better support adopted children for educational success.

11/28/2022

For parents adopting from other countries, the wait to bring their children home is already long, and often agonizing. Hopeful parents like Chris and Nicole, who are in process to adopt from India, worry that any delay means that their child must wait longer to have special medical needs addressed.

Earlier this year, when NCFA staff uncovered a procedural delay that extended the wait time for India adoptions up to three additional months, the support of friends like you made it possible for us to swing into action.

Bringing together agencies and advocates with U.S. and Indian authorities, we successfully advocated for the delay to be dropped, so that Chris and Nicole can bring their child home that much sooner.

Your donation to NCFA helps us advocate every day for families like theirs! Through , all first-time donations, up to $20,000, will be matched to double your impact. Please give today at the link in the comments.

11/22/2022

Diagnosed at the age of 32 with a heart murmur, Tyler finally went looking for his biological family – but the questions kept him up at night. Where should he even start to look? How should he approach his birth mom when he found her? What if his biological family didn’t want to talk to him?

Friends like you who support National Council For Adoption helped us to provide him with both practical answers and a place to talk through his worries and fears. Through , all first-time donations to NCFA will be matched, doubling your impact. Will you make a gift today to help support adoptees like Tyler?

11/22/2022

As an adoptee, I never looked like my family. Then I had a daughter

Recommended Reading ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"I am an advocate for adoption and view their decision as an act of love, one that allowed me a lifetime of opportunities. However, if I must pinpoint one facet of my adoption that bothers me, it’s that I don’t share any physical similarities with my family."

We are thankful for the brave vulnerability and honesty of this adult adoptee as she shares her story. She provides thoughtful insights that we can all learn from as we work to grow in understanding and empathy this .

I know that sharing physical features isn’t everything — but for me, after all these years of not knowing what that’s like, it’s something special.

11/21/2022

You might be surprised by how adoption has changed over the years.

11/18/2022

Andrew and Sarah always knew they wanted to adopt – and since they met teaching middle school, they both knew they loved kids. But when they started the adoption process, they were shocked by the cost and saw their dream slipping away. It was a call to National Council For Adoption that gave them back hope, as they learned about grants, loans, subsidies, and the adoption tax credit.

Your support for NCFA helps make Andrew and Sarah’s dreams come true, and your donation this month – matched dollar for dollar for first-time donors - will make possible our final push to make the credit refundable, so that middle-income families like Andrew and Sarah can benefit from the credit and start their family. Please donate today at the link in the comments to help more families pursue their dream of adopting.

11/17/2022

NCFA President Ryan Hanlon was on the Hill yesterday connecting with various offices on key adoption policies and legislation.

Our thanks to Senator Roger Wicker and Senator Amy Klobuchar for co-sponsoring an important new bill that ensures families have access to accredited agencies with proper oversight.

“Without this legislation, we’d lose even more accredited agencies, resulting in fewer American families being served by accredited providers who have met the training and oversight requirements for intercountry adoption,” said Ryan Hanlon, President and CEO of National Council For Adoption."
Read more about this bipartisan legislation at https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2022/11/wicker-klobuchar-move-to-ease-intercountry-adoptions

11/17/2022

Reece's Rainbow Reports - Twenty-eighth Edition

“Adoption helps a child know they belong,” Sony wrote in perfect penmanship. “Adoption gives a child a future.” ❤️❤️❤️

by Crystal Kupper “If you want to stay my boyfriend, you can. I’m happy to have you in my life. But I need to be very clear with you: this is how I am going to grow my family.” Shannon Regan looked ov

11/16/2022

Join us in asking Congress to include the Adoption Tax Credit Refundability Act in year-end legislation. Using our online tool (link in image and comments), it's quick and easy to send a pre-set message to your Senators and Representative urging them to do two things:
1. Cosponsor the bill (S.1156/H.R.3031) if they haven't yet
2. Convey to their tax committee and caucus leadership the importance of including the bill in their priority list for tax provisions in any year-end legislation considered in December.

Please don't wait! Decisions are being made quickly as Congress works to meet a mid-December deadline for passing budget, spending, and tax related legislation.

Thank you for using your voice to make a difference for so many children waiting for a permanent, loving home!

11/15/2022

Get answers to the most commonly asked questions about adoption so you can make a fully-informed decision about your next steps. Search "Adoption 101" on our website or type in the url from the image below to get access to our free webinar.

11/10/2022

There's still time to register and join over 400 adoption professionals for this important training.
Thanks to the support of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, we are able to offer this training for free and provide social work CE to registrants who attend live!
We look forward to continuing to learn from Anna Mickles Koehle, one of our most popular speakers at the 2022 National Adoption Conference.

11/04/2022

Every year since 1995, American Presidents have issued a Proclamation declaring November to be National Adoption Month.

11/03/2022

Just in time for , the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (ACF) released its annual Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) data for fiscal year 2021. We've got a summary analysis available on our website highlighting key takeaways. Check out the link in the last image below.
Soon we'll bring you further analysis from the state-by-state breakdown, and discuss what the report doesn't tell us and why it matters.

11/03/2022

"Best virtual fun ever!"
"I totally thought magic at NCFA was going to be weird, but this was soooo fun!"
"Great show!"
"I don't know what I love more...the show or seeing all the smiles ❤️"
These are just some of the comments shared at the end of our virtual conference coffee break and magic show with Harrison Kramer Magic today. Check out his page - we highly recommend him for your next virtual event!

11/02/2022

More powerful takeaways from Kris Faasse in our first session of today's virtual Adoption Ethics conference.

11/02/2022

Today's virtual conference on Adoption Ethics is off to a great start! Hundreds of adoption professionals are receiving training from experts like Kris Faasse.

10/31/2022

Do you know someone that would be a great speaker for the 2023 National Adoption Conference? We are looking for plenary and breakout speakers who can provide excellent education and training for today’s adoption professionals to strengthen their service practice to children, youth and families. Proposals can be submitted at the link in the image below or visit our website for more information. November 10th is the final submission deadline!

10/27/2022

If you've been waiting to register, now is the time! Join us next week as we gather with hundreds of adoption professionals to learn from leading experts in key areas of ethical practice. Learn more and register at the link below or visit our website.

10/26/2022

This week NCFA President Ryan Hanlon presented the findings and implications of our recent research on adoptive families to the Texas Child Care Administrators Conference. Have you checked out Part One of the Profiles in Adoption report yet? Visit our website to learn more.

10/21/2022

Registration closes in ten days - don't miss your chance to earn up to five social work CE credits/NY Contact Hours! Register at the link in the image and comments below.

Search & Reunion Session:
The rise of mail-in genetic testing and the increasing transparency in many states around adoptee birth records have created many new opportunities for children who were adopted to reunite with members of their biological family. When that search and reunion process happens, it can be a joyous occasion. It can also end poorly for one or more parties if they are not ready for this communication and relationship. This presentation will focus on how to prepare and guide members of the adoption community to participate in these relationships, including setting expectations, understanding motivations, and options for utilizing intermediaries and others to help facilitate a smooth and healthy relationship.

10/21/2022

“I was adopted into the perfect family for me” – AdoptUSKids blog

❤️❤️❤️
"What I’ve learned from her is that when you’re with the right family—when you connect with the right people—it’s everything. I see my mom as the world."

https://blog.adoptuskids.org/i-was-adopted-into-the-perfect-family-for-me/?fbclid=IwAR2cyZL9SSPmJiWUuvMgYpdtdIycIcGAmFJKwynRnF3OKfRqIIswOfFC5v4

“I was adopted into the perfect family for me” September 27, 2022      By AdoptUSKids When Victor Sims was an infant, he was placed into Florida’s foster care system, where he stayed until he was adopted at the age of 12. Now an adult, Victor has been a successful advocate for children and...

10/18/2022

Register now and receive a free social work CE when you attend this upcoming webinar live.

For many prospective adoptive parents, the route to adoption can come after experiencing infertility, miscarriage, or child loss. These realities may come with financial and physical hardship as well as grief and loss. This webinar will help adoption professionals better understand the grief and loss these families experience and provide resources for better supporting parents with a history of child loss, miscarriage, or infertility. The speaker will discuss strategies for assessing adoption readiness, preparing parents for adoption, and sensitively navigating discussions about a parent’s history of loss.

10/14/2022

We’ve seen adoption change a lot over the last four decades – and the one constant is the need to stand with adoptive families, birth parents, adopted individuals, and all those involved in an adoption journey. Last year, under the leadership of Dr. and Mrs. Wayne and Linda Sharp, we were proud to launch the Families For All Development Fund, an investment fund that will sustain NCFA’s work well into the future. Learn more about the Fund, its goals, and how you can be recognized as a charter contributor. Visit adoptioncouncil.org/support-ncfa/families-for-all-fund/

10/13/2022

Our one-day virtual conference for adoption professionals is coming up in less than three weeks! Earn up to five credits from the convenience of your home or office.

In this session, Kris Faasse will offer guidance on how to provide accurate and comprehensive birth options counseling that is non-coercive and empowers expectant and birth parents to make the right decisions for them and their child.

10/12/2022

Shop the sales today and help give the gift of family by supporting NCFA's work through Amazon Smile. It's quick and easy - just follow the steps in the picture below. Set it up before you check out and your contributions will be automatically generated to NCFA at no extra cost to you!

10/11/2022

Congratulations to NCFA Board Member and Chair-Elect Andrea Vavonese who was recently recognized for her exceptional contributions to the field of child advocacy and public service. We are grateful for her dedication to our board and staff as she supports the vision of NCFA to see every child, everywhere, thrive in a nurturing, permanent family.

The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law Announces 2022 Distinguished Alumni Awards Recipients https://bit.ly/3dZqVMq

10/06/2022

Nationally Representative Data on Adopted Children in the United States

Did you know that the U.S. Census Bureau is a great source for U.S. adoption statistics? With surveys going back to 1990, the Census Bureau has a number of demographic data collections for adoption researchers, but it can be hard to know where to start and how to find exactly what you’re looking for. In this month’s issue of the , Rose Krieder, Chief of the Fertility and Family Statistics Branch of the Bureau, introduces the collected data and explains how users can find publications and data files that will help provide a better understanding of adoption.

Did you know that the Census Bureau is a great source for U.S. adoption statistics? With surveys going back to 1990, the Census Bureau has a number of demographic data collections for adoption researchers, but it can be hard to know where to start and how to find exactly what you’re looking for. I...