About: Who We Are

The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, founded in 1996, is a national not-for-profit organization devoted to improving adoption policy and practice.

Our Mission

The Adoption Institute's mission is to provide leadership that improves adoption laws, policies and practices - through sound research, education and advocacy - in order to better the lives of everyone touched by adoption.

Our Work

In order to achieve its goals, the Institute conducts and synthesizes research; offers education to inform public opinion; promotes ethical practices and legal reforms; and works to translate policy into action.

Specifically, the Institute improves the lives of people touched by adoption through many avenues:

• Offering lawmakers reliable information and practical perspectives to improve adoption laws;
• Providing the media with a trusted source of information;
• Encouraging employer support for adoption;
• Reducing barriers that impede adoption of children who need permanent families;
• Researching policies and practices that affect adoption;
• Educating policymakers and the public about the importance of giving adopted people access to information about their origins;
• Developing a legal framework to ensure access to genetic information and a clear delineation of parental responsibility for children born through reproductive technology;
• Promoting ethical standards for adoption professionals.

For a listing of current Institute initiatives, see Programs and Projects.