Yes, they did!
The National Council for Adoption’s mission statement now reads,
Our areas of focus are infant adoption, adoption out of foster care, and intercountry adoption. Passionately committed to the belief that every child deserves to thrive in a nurturing, permanent family, we serve children, birthparents, adoptive families, adult adoptees, adoption agencies, U.S. and foreign governments, policymakers, media, and the general public as the authoritative voice for adoption.
This change to the mission statement follows the NCFA’s recent involvement in the fight against adult adoptee deportation, and their participation in the creation of an amendment to the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 in an attempt to provide retroactive citizenship to inter-country adult adoptees whose citizenship was not obtained on their behalf as children.
When informing me of the change yesterday, Nicole Callahan, adult adoptee and Editor of NCFA’s Adoption Advocate, issued this statement to LGA:
NCFA recently added adult adoptees to its mission statement as a way of reaffirming the lifelong impact of adoption, and distinguishing adult adopted individuals from adopted infants, children, and youth. Our advocacy for those who find permanent, nurturing families through adoption, as well as their birthparents and their adoptive parents, does not end with placement or childhood. We are committed to advocating on behalf of all members of the adoption triad, including birthparents, adoptive families, and adopted individuals of all ages.
The NCFA is the main, if not the only, national adoption group that has taken a political stance against the restoration of the right of adult adoptees to their Original Birth Certificates. I hope that adding “adult adoptees” to the mission statement, which acknowledges adult adoptees as a community with their own unique advocacy needs, leads to greater changes and to further dialogue on NCFA policy that pertains to adult adoptees.
