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"Adoption in the Schools: A Lot to Learn"
(prepared by Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute)

This policy brief outlines the reasons educators need to learn more about adoption issues, explains the negative consequences of a lack of knowledge, and  proposes steps that teachers, schools, curriculum developers and institutions of higher education can make progress toward placing all children and families on a level playing field in the classroom and beyond.

did you know?

23 percent of adopted children live with an adoptive parent 55 years or older.
(National Foster Care Adoption Attitudes Survey)

 

about us > subject matter experts

subject matter experts

	Deborah Gray, MSW, MPA Author Founder of Nurturing Attachments Deborah Gray specializes in the attachment, grief, and trauma issues of children in her practice, Nurturing Attachments. Her methods of working with children and families reflect her strong developmental and infant mental health perspective. Her passion is to help families develop close, satisfying relationships. She has worked 20 years in children’s therapies. Deborah was the 2008 Henry W. Maier Practitioner in Residence at the School of Social Work at the University of Washington. Deborah Gray is the author of two books, Nurturing Adoptions: Creating Resilience after Neglect and Trauma, 2007, and Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today's Parents, 2002, both published by Perspectives Press. Nurturing Adoptions was a 2008 award finalist for the Benjamin Franklin best professional book of the year. Deborah is on faculty for two post-graduate certificate programs in foster and adoption therapy.
	Dana Ernest Johnson, M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Pediatrics at University of Minnesota Co-founder of the International Adoption Clinic Dr. Johnson earned his M.D., and a Ph.D. in Anatomy, served his internship and residency, and completed his neonatology fellowship at the University of Minnesota where he currently is Professor of Pediatrics, member of the Division of Neonatology and a faculty member in the Global Pediatrics Program. Dr. Johnson co-founded the International Adoption Clinic in 1986. His research interests include the effects of early institutionalization on growth and development and the outcomes of internationally adopted children. Dr. Johnson is an invited speaker worldwide, a Senior Research Fellow in the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute and has authored over 200 scholarly works. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the Joint Council for International Children's Services, Friend of Children Award from the North American council on Adoptable Children and the Harry Holt Award from Holt International. He is also the father of a son adopted from India.
	Dan Hughes, Ph.D. Author Dan Hughes, Ph.D. is a practicing clinical psychologist who specializes in the in the treatment of children and youth who have experienced abuse and neglect, childhood trauma and attachment disorganization. Dr. Hughes received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Ohio University, with a clinical internship at the University of Rochester Medical School. He is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) and the Association for Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children (ATTACh). He has provided training and consultations to therapists, social workers and parents in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. Dr. Hughes is the author of Facilitating Developmental Attachment (1997), Building the Bonds of Attachment, (2006) and Attachment-Focused Family Therapy (2007).
	Betsy Keefer Smalley, LCSW Consultant Program Manager at the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program Co-Author Betsy Keefer Smalley, LCSW, has thirty-three years of experience in the field of child welfare, specializing in the areas of adoption, kinship, and foster care. She is a training consultant for the Institute for Human Services, Program Manager at the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program, a consultant to the Center for Child Welfare Policy, and a clinical consultant to the Family Trust Clinic. With colleague Jayne Schooler, Ms. Keefer Smalley co-authored the award-winning book, Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child: Making Sense of the Past. She is lead author of the 10-module IHS Adoption Assessor training series, and the Preservice Training for Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship Caregivers, and has prepared over 600 foster care and adoption specialists to use these curricula.
	Carrie Kitze Founder and Publisher of EMK Press Author Carrie Kitze, an adoptive mother of two children from China, is the founder and publisher of EMK Press. She is active in adoption affairs and speaks at adoption events on the topics of Adoption Parenting 101, Parenting with Narratives, Lifebooks, Ceremonies and Rituals for Adoptive Families, and Discovering Differences, a workshop for Kindergarten through third graders. She is a past regional Families with Children from China coordinator, and has written for Adoptive Families Magazine and Adoption Today. She is the author of We See the Moon, a book for connecting with not-present or unknown birthparents, and I Don't Have Your Eyes, a book that finds commonality on the inside when the outside looks different. She was also the creator of Adoption Parenting: Creating a Toolbox, Building Connections with Sheena Macrae and Jean MacLeod, an indispensable resource for adoptive families.
	Marilyn Panichi Executive Director of Adoptions Unlimited Co-founder, Board Memeber and Treasurer of the Adoption Exchange Association Marilyn has more than 40 years of adoption and child welfare experience in administration, supervision and casework, and is the Executive Director of Adoptions Unlimited. Prior to establishing Adoptions Unlimited, Ms. Panichi was the Executive Director of the Adoption Information Center of Illinois under the auspices of the Child Care Association of Illinois. She began her career with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services as a Child Welfare Worker and Adoption Coordinator. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the Academy of Certified Social Workers. Ms Panichi is co-founder of the Adoption Exchange Association where she currently serves as board member and treasurer.
	Karyn Purvis, Ph.D. Director, Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University (TCU) Dr. Karyn Purvis has a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Texas Christian University (TCU), where she developed and continues to direct (1999 – present) the Hope Connection, a research and intervention summer day camp for adopted children. Dr. Purvis has spent the last ten years developing research-based interventions for at-risk children, working with this population as the director of the Adoption Project from 2003 -2006. Dr. Purvis has written articles for both popular and scientific journals, and in 2007, she and her colleague, Dr. David Cross, co-authored The Connected Child: Bringing Hope and Healing to your Adoptive Family. She serves as an expert witness in court cases of child abuse, testifies for state and national legislation, and speaks frequently to national and international groups. Dr. Purvis was awarded the T. Berry Brazelton, M.D. Infant Mental Health Advocacy Award, a state-wide award for child advocacy in January 2008. She was also awarded the title of Distinguished Fellow in Adoption and Child Development in August 2008 by the National Council for Adoption, and in September 2008, Dr. Purvis was appointed Presiding Officer of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Committee on Licensing Standards by Governor Rick Perry. She is a former foster mother with a personal and professional calling to create a welcoming, loving environment for children who come from “hard places.” She has eight grandchildren, two of whom are adopted.
	Susan Livingston Smith, LCSW Program & Project Director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute Co-Director of the Center for Adoption Studies at Illinois State University Emerita Professor of Social Work at Illinois State University Susan is Program & Project Director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, and Co-Director of the Center for Adoption Studies at Illinois State University is a leading scholar in the field of post-adoption services. A licensed clinical social worker and Emerita Professor of Social Work at Illinois State University, she has published several books and numerous articles in scholarly journals. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognized her pioneering work, along with Dr. Jeanne Howard, with its 2002 Excellence Award for applied scholarship and research. Dr. Smith is a recipient of the Angels in Adoption Award (2006).
	Judy Stigger, LCSW Board Member of Adoptive Families magazine Director of Professional Relations for Adoption Learning Partners Judy is a LCSW and adoptive mom, has been serving families and children in the field of adoption for over 20 years. Instrumental in launching The Cradle's international program, Judy was also a lead developer for Adoption Learning Partner's premiere course, Conspicuous Families. She serves on the board of Adoptive Families magazine, is the past president of Joint Council on International Children's Services, and is currently serving as Adoption Learning Partners' Director of Professional Relations.
	Lynn L. Wetterberg, M.S., C.P.A. Executive Director of the Association for Treatment & Training in the Attachment of Children (ATTACh) Lynn Wetterberg, MS is the Executive Director of ATTACh, a national organization of clinicians, advocates and parents of attachment disordered children.  Lynn currently serves as the President of Comfort the Children, a humanitarian aid and child advocacy organization, and is a founding member of For the Children, SOS, a grass roots organization which advocates for Romania’s orphaned children. Lynn served as a co-founder and Executive Director of Uniting Families Foundation (UFF), a licensed child welfare agency, assisting in the placement of children from orphanages overseas.  During her tenure she assisted in the placement of more than 50 older and special needs children. Lynn also served on the Board of Directors of Joint Council on International Children’s Services for seven years.  A recipient of the Congressional Angel in Adoption Award, Lynn Wetterberg remains devoted to the right of every child to be raised in a permanent, loving family. Lynn has four children, three adopted from Romania and one from Russia.