Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Although we have made progress, “there is still a long way to go,” experts say, when it comes to the adoption process — including protecting the safety of young people living in foster care and waiting for a permanent, loving family.
The Selfless Love Foundation National Think Tank is a collective force of changemakers dedicated to improving the foster care adoption process in this country. The annual conference, held in October, brings together youth who have experience in foster care, as well as child welfare leaders and policymakers from over 30 states.
The national think tank is a strategic plan to influence federal policy and state-level actions to transform the foster care adoption process to best serve children.
Make it easier for adopted children to integrate into your family
Following the think tank in October 2025, leading researchers from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago will create a roadmap and actionable next steps for each state.
For National Adoption Month in November, I spoke with Ashley Brown, founder and CEO of Selfless Love. She and her husband founded their nonprofit 10 years ago, in 2015 — and she said her own adoption as a toddler “changed the course” of her life. It was her turn “America’s Newsroom” several times. Read on to get her thoughtful answers to some important questions!
Q: How does the U.S. care for foster children and encourage adoption?
Ashley Brown: As a nation we have made progress, but there is still a long way to go. Many people would be surprised to learn this in most statesPhotos of children available for adoption are posted publicly online.
This approach to adoption recruitment may have made sense before The development of the Internet – It can also endanger young people.
In Florida, the Selfless Love Foundation worked with youth to pass a law protecting children’s images from public view. Additionally, children ages 12 and older have a say in the photos and information shared on adoption sites.
A whole day of the National Think Tank was dedicated to this specific topic. We also looked at adoption recruitment and the post-adoption period Support for familiessince the goal is not just to place the child, but to provide permanent placement.
“There is no federal law and very limited state laws that give young people the right to decide how they are represented in adoption recruitment,” said Ashley Brown, founder of the Selfless Love Foundation. (iStock)
Q: What are the biggest obstacles to further progress?
Brown: One of the biggest obstacles to progress is the lack of a federal protection policy Children’s privacy and giving them a voice in the way they are portrayed.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Each state has to make its own decisions, and young people lack concrete rights and protections in all areas. They are the experts – and they need to be involved in the decisions that affect them most.
Q: What research or lessons from the National Think Tank could lead to significant progress?
Brown: What really stood out was how little protection there is for children in the adoption process. There is no federal law and very limited state laws that grant young people the right to decide how they are represented in adoption recruitment.
“Rights, recruitment and post-adoption support are interrelated. We can’t fix one without strengthening the others.”
This gap shows how far we have to go and where we should start.
It also reminds us that rights, recruitment and post-adoption support are interconnected. We cannot fix one without strengthening the others.
“The most immediate and achievable step is to support legislation that gives youth the right to decide how they are represented in adoption recruitment,” said Ashley Brown (not pictured). (iStock)
Q: What can state lawmakers do in the next 12 months to create change?
Brown: The most immediate and achievable step is this Support legislation This gives youth the right to decide how they are represented in adoptive recruitment, thereby protecting their privacy, dignity and safety.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Chapin Hall researchers will produce a report on key findings from the national think tank that will help state and federal leaders better understand the importance of youth rights in adoption.
Leaders from more than 30 states recently gathered at the Selfless Love Foundation National Think Tank to address some of the biggest challenges in the foster care and adoption process. (iStock)
Q: How can Americans best help children living in foster care or transitioning out of the system?
Brown: A theme we heard again and again at the National Think Tank was the power of community. Children in foster care and those transitioning out of the system need to know that they have support and that people care about them.
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, the Selfless Love Foundation is able to offer this national think tank free of charge, including scholarships for youth Travel and accommodation.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
The best way people can help is to enable more young people to take part in events like this, where their voices are heard, their experiences are valued – and they are part of transforming the system.
The absence of a national standard leaves a vulnerable group of children without clear protection.
We already recognize a child’s right to choose adoption.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
Extending this principle to the way they are presented is a matter of policy alignment and fairness. Anyone can come along to help and find out more selflesslovefoundation.org.