We changed our name out of respect for the fact that the 50-year legacy of secrecy has yielded many who cannot celebrate adoption. While Celebrate Adoption is a fine name, it suggests that we are cheerleaders, when, in fact, we have always been educators. Our mission is to enhance the understanding of adoption and the issues affecting triad members. In addition, our future projects require that our organization have no other agenda except educating the public about adoption.

Our mission is to develop projects designed to dispel the myths and stereotypes surrounding adoption, enhance the understanding of adoption and advocate for balanced, accurate coverage in news and entertainment programming. Our motivation is not only to help others understand adoption but, in so doing, eliminate one of the initial barriers to adoption for children in foster care who still await homes of their own.

Adoption is forging new ground in the modern family and has even been a leader in providing lessons for all families. This makes it a valuable prism through which to view families. The Institute for Adoption Information must ensure everything we do enhances the understanding of the entire adoption experience, putting it into context with life in general. Only when we do that can we eliminate the social bias against adoption; a bias that perpetuates inaccurate stereotypes about triad members. Only when we eliminate the social bias can the first barrier to adoption be removed for the over 130,000 children awaiting permanent homes.

Our work puts adoption into context with the modern family. It also links the social bias against adoption to the serious consequences of failing to understand adoption that go far beyond the family but impacts the fabric of society and, more importantly, its children.

The Institute for Adoption Information has identified many professionals who encounter adoption in their work but who do not realize how societal attitudes about adoption effects that work. Consequently, we publish guides to educate them about adoption and how understanding adoption can help them do a better job when working with non-traditional families, including those touched by adoption. Our first book ­ An Educator's Guide to Adoption ­ discusses the curriculum that can be problematic for children from non-traditional families. Our second book ­ A Guide to Adoption for Health Care & Counseling Professionals ­ addresses the lack of information on adoption for those facing an unplanned pregnancy and was designed to help them work through their decision to parent or not.

Our future works targets others who encounter adoption in their work as well as the public at large and will enhance the understanding and treatment of all three members of the adoption triad.