NEW YORK, December 15, 2004 – The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute today called on Fox Television to scrap its planned new reality program, “Who’s Your Daddy,” calling it “destructive, insensitive and offensive” to the tens of millions of Americans with adoption in their families.

“No reasonable person would stand for such a show if it treated race, gender, ethnicity or religion in such a crass, intrusive manner,” said Adam Pertman, the Institute’s Executive Director. “And we shouldn’t tolerate it, either, when it deals with such an important, personal component of so many people’s lives.”

In the Fox program – due to air as a special next month, with additional episodes already filmed – an adult who was adopted years ago interviews eight men to figure out which of them is her biological father. If she guesses right, she wins $100,000; if she fails, the contestant who fooled her gets the money.

Pertman said that even if all of those involved are willing participants, which they presumably are, that doesn’t make the show less exploitive of them, less insensitive to others in the adoption community, or less unrealistic. He added that better laws and policies need to be put into place, so that adopted people will have greater access to their personal histories and programs like this won’t have a reason to exist.

The show’s producers contend that critics are lambasting “Who’s Your Daddy” without having seen it, but Pertman countered: “You don’t have to watch something racist, sexist or homophobic to understand that its concept is a problem. In this case, the very idea of taking such a deeply personal, complex situation and turning it into a money-grubbing game show is perverse, destructive, insensitive and offensive.”

The Adoption Institute is one of the pre-eminent policy, research and education organizations in its field; because it is independent of any interest group, the Institute has long been a source of accurate, unbiased information for journalists, researchers and policymakers. Its award-winning website contains extensive information on adoption-related issues, including ones relating to ethics and best practices.

Pertman, a Pulitzer Prize nominee for his writing about adoption in The Boston Globe, is the author of the groundbreaking book “Adoption Nation: How the Adoption Revolution is Transforming America.” He lectures throughout the country and abroad, and his commentaries on adoption, foster care and nontraditional families have appeared in numerous major print and broadcast media.

To arrange an interview, or for more information, please contact Pertman at 617-332-8944 (office), 617-763-0134 (cell) or apertman@adoptioninstitute.org. The Institute website is www.adoptioninstitute.org.