Each year, the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) hosts a conference for individuals who have been touched by adoption and foster care. From social workers to adoptees, the conference gives the child welfare community an opportunity to learn more about the complex issues surrounding adoption, foster, and kinship care.  While the information… Read more

Encouraging positive change means taking the time to honor those that fight to overcome obstacles and support communities in need. To focus attention on the crucial need for strong post-adoption support services and advocates for children in foster care, Voice for Adoption (VFA) — a nonprofit organization that works to create policy for the safety… Read more

The undersigned organizations call on the Congress to immediately reject a recent amendment that was included in the House Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education. Sponsored by Congressman Robert Aderholt, the amendment is described as an attempt to promote religious freedom. It is based on legislation that has been… Read more

by Anna Libertin, NACAC’s Communications Specialist, and Mary Boo, NACAC’s Executive Director.    Earlier this spring, the US was highly focused on the impact of the Department of Homeland Security’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy that forcibly separated thousands of families, sending children to massive detention centers across the country while their parents were placed in… Read more

By implementing a “zero tolerance” immigration policy, the United States Department of Homeland Security has forcibly separated thousands of families in the past six weeks, sending children to massive detention centers across the country while their parents are placed in detention centers or deported. Many are rightly saying that this policy is unjust. As an… Read more

This legislative session, legislatures in Kansas and Oklahoma have passed bills that would allow agencies to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. We encourage you to join us in our efforts to combat these bills that will prevent children and teens from having a loving family. Read our letter to Oklahoma Governor Fallin… Read more

In 2017, NACAC joined other organizations—including FosterClub, the Youth Law Center, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Children’s Village, and Christian Alliance for Orphans—in a national campaign to ensure bright futures for children in foster care by promoting the highest quality parenting. Called CHAMPS, the campaign builds on research that shows loving, supportive families—whether birth… Read more

Just as it has for the last few years, the number of children and youth in the U.S. foster care system rose in federal fiscal year 2016. As of September 30, 2016, 437,465 children were in care—up from 427,444 in 2015 and 396,966 in 2012. The increase was expected given the continuing impact of the… Read more

November 9, 2017 Good news! The House Ways and Means Committee has reversed the proposed elimination of the adoption tax credit! Thank you for joining us to fight for the adoption tax credit and for vulnerable children and families. Below is the statement of the Adoption Tax Credit Working Group, of which NACAC is a… Read more

Recorded on November 29, 2017: Strategic Sharing: Using Personal Stories for Child Welfare Advocacy Access the recorded webinar This webinar for young people who have experienced foster care and/or adoption, adoptive and foster parents, and leaders interested in child welfare advocacy teaches how personal stories can be powerful advocacy tools. This session addresses why personal… Read more

On October 24th, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released a free, five-part online video training series that teaches child welfare professionals how to engage kinship caregivers. The videos are facilitated by kinship care expert, Dr. Joseph Crumbley, who has trained and consulted worldwide on the unique experiences and issues facing kinship families. The videos are… Read more

The Children’s Bureau, in collaboration with its information service, Child Welfare Information Gateway, and AdoptUSKids, just announced the launch of the 2017 National Adoption Month website! Every November, the field honors the families who have adopted, the families considering adoption, and the adoption professionals who make it possible for children and youth to find their… Read more

AdoptUSKids has recently published new public narrative-writing guidelines developed to help workers craft compelling narratives that protect the safety, privacy, and dignity of children. The principle behind these guidelines is that information about children should be shared on a continuum, with positive, descriptive information in the public profile that is available to all and information… Read more

Recorded on September 21, 2017: Getting Your Message Heard: Taking Advantage of National Adoption Awareness Month Participants will learn how to use National Adoption Awareness Month as a way to raise awareness about how your adoptive parent group, youth network, or organization can help adoptive families and youth who have experienced foster care or adoption… Read more

A new Casey Family Programs illuminates the importance of HOPE—Health Outcomes of Positive Experiences—a framework that studies and promotes positive child and family well-being. https://hria.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Balancing-ACEs-with-HOPE.pdf presents data that reinforces the need and opportunity to support families and communities in the cultivation of relationships and environments that promote healthy childhood development. It also encourages critical reflection… Read more

As many of you know, the adoption tax credit (ATC) is vulnerable and may be eliminated as part of tax reform – and we need your help to save it! Join us as we work to keep pressure on Congress to save the credit that makes it possible for all families to adopt. Help us… Read more

Our T-shirts were a big hit at recent NACAC conferences. And now is a great time for you to order yours! T-shirts are $24 and hoodies are $47 which includes shipping and handling. If ordering large quantities, contact us at info@nacac.org or 651-644-3036… Read more