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November is National Adoption Month10:16AM / Wednesday, November 18, 2009
PITTSFIELD, Mass. - Carolyn Burns can serve as an expert resource for local stories and editorial board conversations about adoption needs, national trends and local/state/national statistics. Started in 1976 by Massachusetts Governor Mike Dukakis as Adoption Week, National Adoption Month became an awareness campaign in 1990 throughout the U.S. and Canada.
As part of the November celebrations, National Adoption Day is recognized on the Saturday before U.S. Thanksgiving – November 21. National Adoption Month was originally created to bring awareness to the over 140,000 children in North America who are waiting in the foster care system for permanent homes.
Carolyn Mower Burns LICSW has been a leader in the child welfare field for many years. She is in her 20th year as Executive Director of Berkshire Children and Families, headquartered in Pittsfield and serving Western Massachusetts. Her previous professional experience includes nearly 20 years with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) and its predecessor agencies in several capacities including 9 years as the Berkshire County Area Director. Carolyn presents on family support and community initiatives at many statewide and national conferences and serves on various local committees. She is a member of the Berkshire Compact for Higher Education. She co-chaired the Berkshire United Way campaign from 2004 -2006.
Berkshire Children and Families is the most comprehensive family services agency in Western Massachusetts improving the lives of children by helping families build their future through dozens of effective, innovative programs including parenting services, early care and education, foster care and adoption, family literacy and by providing community leadership. BC &F is a partner in a unique multi-generational housing community, Treehouse located in Hampshire County, that provides services and supports for children from foster care and the families who adopt them. Founded in 1887, BC&F is headquartered in Pittsfield with offices in Hadley, MA and a staff of over 130.
Data
* Approximately 450 of children are in foster care in Western MA waiting for adoption placements.*
* Of those, an average of 150 children were legally adopted last year.*
* 129,000 US kids are in foster care looking for adoptive homes; the average wait is two years; the average age is 8 years old (nationaladoptionday.org)
* Trend: The 5% of foster kids that do not find adoptive families and ‘age out’ of foster care at age 18 have more difficulty building their futures since there is little or no support when they become ‘adult.’
* Trend: the current economic crisis has added a substantial measure of stress on the lives of vulnerable children and families. The need for support services to help them build their future is critical.
* The critical issue in adoption is providing comprehensive support services for homes that provide consistent, healthy and loving families.
Images are available of local adoptive families
Adoption Stories and quotes from adoptive parents are available.
Ad Council PSA – PSA links http://www.adcouncil.org/default.aspx?id=17
National Adoption Month http://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/nam/highlights.cfm
*MA Department of Children & Families |
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| In Massachusetts, National Adoption Day is celebrated on the Friday before Thanksgiving, November 20, 2009. Over 200 children in state foster care will be adopted into loving permanent families in 8 courthouses across the Commonwealth. For more information on National Adoption Day in Massachusetts, visit http://www.mareinc.org/documents/nad.html or call 617-54-ADOPT. | | from: Mass. Adoption Resource Exchange-MARE | on: 11-19-2009 12:00AM
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