Stricter Adoption Standards

1. Stricter Adoption Standards Ashleigh Snedden Amanda Worcester Caitlyn Van Peenen

2. Our Goal • To protect the thousands of adopted or fostered children that have been abused by unfit guardians Why Is It A Problem? • Every year, about 3.3 million child abuse cases are reported and about a quarter of those children have been adopted. • http://www.childhelp.org/pages/statistics • Each day, an average of 5 children die from abuse. About 33% of those kids have been adopted or fostered.

3. Why Should Adoption Standards Be More Strict? • There are so many private adoption agencies that don't ensure that the people who are interested in adopting will treat children right. • In the state of Washington in 2011, there were over a dozen cases involving adopted children being starved; one child even died due to being severely malnourished and mistreated by her adoptive parents. • More on this story can be found here:http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120118/NEWS01/701189931

4. Why Does It Matter To Us? • Amanda: Having stricter adoption standards is important to me because children are the foundation and representation of how the world progresses. Every child, whether they're adopted or not, has an unique role in the world. No child should be put in a home where they are at risk of being abused verbally, physically, or emotionally. Parents need to protect their children and preserve their innocence; too many kids aren't being well taken care of. I hope to work with kids one day, and I never want to hear that they're being mistreated just because they're adopted.

5. Personal Connection • Ashleigh: When I was about 7 or 8 I moved to West Chicago. The street we lived on consisted mainly of elderly or middle aged people. However, there was one family who lived across from our house who had a recently adopted daughter my age. “Cassie” and I quickly became best friends. We played together all the time and constantly had sleepovers. Although, they were always at my house. Being 7, I did not recognize signs of abuse in “Cassie”. Although I did notice bruises and scars she always made the excuse that she and her brother had been goofing around and I believed her. After I had lived there for about three months Cassie came over to my house one night crying hysterically. I was terrified to see my best friend so upset. She then confessed to me everything that her “daddy” had done to her. He had been physically and sexually abusing her since they had taken her in. I was absolutely distraught. I mean, I was seven; I didn’t know what to do. Thankfully my grandma overheard our conversation because she heard “Cassie” crying. She called the police and the next day “Cassie” was gone. Unfortunately, after the incident my family became scared and forbid me to remain in contact with her. I want these standards to change so that what happened to “Cassie” doesn’t have to happen to anyone else.

6. Adam Walsh Protection and Safety Act of 2006 Adam Walsh was nearly 7 years old when he was abducted and murdered by a convicted serial killer. In 2006, the Adam Walsh Protection and Safety Act was passed. It mainly increased the punishment of those who violently or sexually attack children and established a national sex offender registry. However, adoption is also incorporated in this bill. • What it includes: • Fingerprint check on criminal databases for those who are seeking to adopt or be foster parents • No criminal history involving child abuse and neglect for 5 years before adoption • Comply to a request for a child abuse registry check at any time, from any state • More on this law can be found at: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/federal/index.cfm?event=federalLegislation.viewLegis&id=81

7. How Do We Plan To Modify It? • We propose that these qualifications also have to be met, by both private and state adoption agencies: • Extensive criminal background checks; not just pertaining to child abuse, neglect, mistreatment, etc. • No past history of criminal activity involving children, or anything that would serve as being unqualified to be a fit parent • An unrestricted evaluation of prospective adoptive parents' marriage records, financial stability, past history with children/adoption, etc.  • Adequate living space for children to live comfortably • Safety of area where parents reside • Education of student, whether in public or private school, or home-schooled be protected and acceptable 

8. Why Does This Help Our Cause? What Will Happen If This Isn’t Addressed? • By having these additional requirements, we will hopefully be able to prevent children from being placed in unsafe homes. • By checking if prospective adoptive parents have criminal backgrounds, children will be ensured that they will be cared for by safe parents. • Children will continue to be placed in unsafe homes • Adopted or fostered children will still be mistreated verbally, physically, and emotionally • Rates will only continue to increase

9. How Can You Help? • Contact the governor of Illinois, Pat Quinn, with a letter or email through: http://www2.illinois.gov/gov/pages/contactthegovernor.aspx • Contact the Director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Richard Calica, by sending him a letter here: • 661 Homewood Ave, Highland Park, IL 60035 What Do You Tell Them? • Make them aware of how this problem affects children • Tell them you want to see changes made to better protect adopted and fostered children • Include anything else you deem necessary to understand this issue

10. Stricter Adoption Standards Help Us Make A Difference These kids aren’t going be able to protect themselves; they need YOUR help. You won’t regret it. So Help Us Make A Difference in the lives of adopted and fostered children all around the world and… KEEP KIDS SAFE So Say Yes To Stricter Adoption Standards.