HRC Blog

Special thanks to Alison Delpercio, coordinator of HRC Foundation's Family and Workplace Projects, for this guest post:

The HRC Foundation, in partnership with California Department of Social Services and Los Angeles County Adoption Services, has launched a new adoption awareness ad campaign in LA county. This campaign is titled “Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Family” and is aimed at raising awareness of opportunities for the LGBT community to adopt or foster children. The Ad campaign has received quite a bit of press attention since it launched on Monday – check out this ABC 7 news story – and is highly visible to anyone that drives by the billboard in West Hollywood over the next 24 weeks. The Life, Liberty & Pursuit of Family Ad Campaign: John Wagner, Director of the California State Department of Social Services, recently joined the All Children—All Families Advisory Board and was the catalyst for obtaining funding for the campaign in L.A. and Alameda Counties. Currently there are three adoption agencies taking part in the campaign nationwide – Adoptions Together (Silver Spring, MD) (this campaign launched in November 2008), Family Builders (Oakland, CA) and LA County Department of Children & Family Services (Pasadena, CA). There are location-specific ads in each of these areas which point people to our website – www.lgbtadoption.org – or an agency-specific website such as http://shareyourheartla.org. All Children – All Families: Each of these three agencies are participating in our All Children – All Families (ACAF) initiative which seeks to enhance LGBT competence among child welfare professionals and educate LGBT people about opportunities to become foster or adoptive parents to waiting children. The cornerstone of All Children – All Families is the Promising Practices Guide, a comprehensive, practical tool that outlines best practices for working with LGBT prospective adoptive parents. With resources like the Promising Practices Guide, All Children – All Families provides agencies with the educational materials necessary to best serve all prospective parents, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Becoming a Welcoming Agency: Agencies engaging in the All Children – All Families initiative first sign the Pledge of Commitment and complete an online assessment of their policies and practices. Agency staff work with the HRC Family Project and ACAF Advisory Board members to evaluate and update their policies as needed, working toward the 10 benchmarks of LGBT competence outlined in the Promising Practices Guide. These benchmarks include agency non-discrimination policies for staff and clients that include the terms “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as well as comprehensive LGBT-specific content in agency trainings on home studies. Currently over 30 agencies are participating in ACAF. A full list of agencies is available here: http://www.hrc.org/ACAF_Agency_Database.pdf. The All Children – All Families Agency Seal of Recognition: When an agency achieves each of the 10 benchmarks, they are awarded the All Children – All Families Agency Seal of Recognition. So far the seal has been awarded to two agencies – Family Builders, which has locations in Oakland and San Francisco, and Southern California Foster Family & Adoption Agency in Los Angeles.. A half-dozen additional agencies from across the country are near completion of the 10 benchmarks and will soon receive a seal of recognition. [Photo: Robyn Harrod, Adoption Director of SCFFAA and Diane Wagner, All Children – All Families National Advisory Board Member.]