Adoption is going to affect everyone in some way, yet it remains a topic that often goes unaddressed in educational settings. Enter AdoptED, an innovative program by the Gladney Center for Adoption dedicated to educating youth about adoption. Through this curriculum, students can explore adoption’s complexities by developing empathy and understanding. 

AdoptED has taken significant strides in the last year with some exciting developments—now offering resources in Spanish, creating supplemental materials, and gaining support from public figures like Miss Oklahoma. Let’s take a closer look at how these new efforts are helping to raise adoption awareness.

What is AdoptED?

AdoptED is Gladney’s groundbreaking adoption education initiative that brings adoption awareness and education directly into classrooms. Tailored for middle and high school students, this program includes age-appropriate lessons, resources, and real-life stories to educate students about adoption. Through AdoptED, students are not only learning about the mechanics of adoption, they are also gaining valuable insight into the lives and experiences of those who are adopted or part of an adoptive family.

Why has the Gladney Center for Adoption Put Effort into Adoption Education?

The Gladney Center has long recognized that adoption is more than just a personal choice; it’s a decision that affects families, communities, and society. By investing in adoption education, Gladney aims to create a well-informed generation that is empathetic toward the entire adoption triad (adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents) and supportive of adoption as a family-building option. Through AdoptED, Gladney provides students with a broader perspective on family and community and highlights adoption as a viable and positive choice.

Who Does AdoptED Raise Awareness For?

  • Adoptees
  • Birth Parents
  • Adoptive Parents
  • Biological Siblings of Adoptees
  • Extended Families of Adoptees
  • Children in Foster Care
  • Foster Parents
  • Biological Parents of Children in Foster Care
  • International Adoptees
  • Kinship Adoptees
  • Relatives Involved in Kinship Adoption
  • Teachers and School Counselors
  • Healthcare and Mental Health Professionals
  • Social Workers and Adoption Agency Staff
  • Legal Professionals
  • Adoption Advocates and Policy Makers

Who is Affected by AdoptED?

AdoptED’s reach is growing. It impacts students, educators, and school communities by offering knowledge that extends beyond academics. For adoptees in classrooms, this program can foster understanding among peers, creating an environment where students feel seen and accepted. For those who may one day experience an unplanned pregnancy or know someone who does, AdoptED provides information on adoption as a potential path while broadening their understanding of family choices.

Key Players are Amplifying Adoption Education: Miss Oklahoma

Lauren Frost, the current Miss Oklahoma and a proud adoptee, has dedicated over 1,500 hours to advocating for adoption education through her community service initiative, “Adoption as Oklahoma’s Option.” As an influential public figure, Lauren has worked tirelessly to raise awareness and cultivate partnerships with both national and international adoption organizations. Her advocacy includes assisting in court adoptions, collecting essential items for foster children through drives, and speaking to over 11,000 students across 39 states about adoption.

Lauren’s impact extends beyond public speaking; she has hosted fundraisers, attended numerous galas, and engaged in personal conversations with over 500 foster children, adoptees, adoptive parents, and prospective parents. Each interaction strengthens her passion for promoting adoption as a loving option for building families. Her message, “There are no unwanted children, just unfound families,” resonates deeply with her audiences and helps shift societal perspectives toward acceptance and understanding of adoption.

As Miss Oklahoma, Lauren will continue her work across the state, using her own adoption story to inspire hope and demonstrate the transformative power of love. Her efforts underscore the importance of educating young people about adoption, preparing them to make informed decisions and consider adoption as a meaningful way to create families.

AdoptED is Now Available in Spanish

One of the latest advancements for AdoptED is its availability in Spanish. The AdoptED curriculum is now accessible to Spanish-speaking students and families, expanding its reach to a previously underserved audience. This development ensures that non-English-speaking families can also benefit from adoption education along with the resources they need. This inclusion not only broadens AdoptED’s impact, but also demonstrates Gladney’s commitment to diversity and accessibility in adoption education.

According to the studies of the Naitonal Council for Adoption, of the children awaiting adoption in the US, 23 percent were Hispanic. In 2024, there were 368,530 children in foster care with just over 108,000 awaiting adoption. That means that nearly 22,000 children awaiting adoption in foster care come from hispanic heritage—while that does not necessarily identify all spanish-speakers affected by adoption, those children, their families, their foster families, and all those included in their network of care (caseworkers, teachers, community members, athletic coaches, CASA volunteers, etc,), could potentially benefit from AdoptED’s availability in Spanish. 

Moving forward, AdoptED has the potential to influence adoption education in Latin American countries for students, healthcare providers, orphanages, child-welfare instutitutions, and their respective communities at large. 

New Worksheets and Supplemental Materials

Another significant update for AdoptED is the addition of new worksheets and supplemental materials. These resources enhance the curriculum by making lessons more interactive and comprehensive. By incorporating activities that allow students to engage deeply with the content, these materials make learning about adoption more impactful. The supplemental worksheets also provide teachers with valuable tools to reinforce adoption education, fostering empathy and understanding in ways that resonate with students.

AdoptED Becomes the Standard in Arkansas

With the enactment of Arkansas’s Act 637 of 2023, adoption education has taken a significant step forward in public schools. This new law mandates that students in grades 6-12 receive at least one hour of adoption awareness education at the start of each school year. AdoptED is now positioned to play a key role in meeting these requirements and expanding its reach in Arkansas classrooms (previously serving high school students, now extending its reach to middle school).

The requirements developed under Act 637 includes a comprehensive look at adoption, covering topics such as:

  • The societal benefits of adoption, highlighting its role in creating loving families, providing permanent homes for children, and strengthening communities
  • Types of adoption, including domestic, international, and foster care adoption
  • Differences between foster care adoption and private adoption
  • The advantages of adoption as an alternative to abortion
  • Resources and agencies available for adoption support
  • Key statistics on adoption, childbirth, and abortion in Arkansas
  • Child development and human growth information

Through these lessons, students gain a foundational understanding of adoption, which helps to dispel misconceptions, foster acceptance, and build empathy toward adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive families. The law also allows schools flexibility in presenting the material, letting them integrate it into existing subjects or create special sessions, making it adaptable to each school’s needs.

Act 637 marks a turning point for adoption education, as it promotes a culture of care and support for adoption and foster care across Arkansas. By exposing students to adoption concepts at an early age, the state aims to encourage positive perceptions and perhaps even inspire future involvement in adoption, whether as adoptive parents, foster care supporters, or advocates.

Why Does Adoption Education Matter?

Adoption education builds empathy, understanding, and awareness. Teens worldwide will either experience an unplanned pregnancy or know someone who does. By learning about adoption, students can make informed choices and understand that adoption is a viable and loving option. Moreover, adoption education helps young people become more compassionate towards those directly affected by adoption, acknowledging their unique experiences and fostering an inclusive environment.Adoption is transformative, and it deserves to be discussed openly. Through AdoptED, Gladney is creating a generation of informed, empathetic individuals who are prepared to support adoption as a positive choice, advocate for adoptees, and consider their role in building strong, supportive communities.