Akin Families: Finding Forever Families for Older Children

Akin Familiesfinding forever families for older children

Copyright © 2011 Joy Ohler

0 0 9 4 7 5 3 4

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Academy of Art University

MFA Graphic Design

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First Edition: November 2011

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www.akinfamilies.com

Foreword

Introduction

Mission

The Issue

Detailed Thesis Timeline

Change of Plan

Research

Directed Study: One on One

Positioning and Analysis

Audience

Solution

Our Name and Symbol

40

46

48

54

60

Foreword

Introduction

Mission

The Issue


Change of Plan

Research

5

6

8

11

22

24

26

Table of Contents

Color Palette

Typography

Photography

Graphic Elements

Deliverables

Bibliography

Reflections

62

64

66

70

72

82

85

People are always surprised whenever I tell them that my thesis is about older

child adoption. They never associate design with such subject matter. I chose

this topic because family is very important to me. I cannot imagine how a child

who does not have a support system gets through the developmental years of

his life. It is a big challenge for me since my family background is the opposite.

I came from a tight-knit family. In fact, the reason why I moved here to the

United States is because all of my dad’s siblings are here and we were the only

part of the family in the Philippines. My relatives want to be together all the

time and I felt like I need to learn how to appreciate having such a big family.

I wanted to use my expertise in design and advertising to provide accessible

unbiased information about older child adoption and change the public’s negative

impression of older child adoptees with the goal to increase the adoptable

older children’s chance to belong to a family and have a better opportunity in life.

Someone warned me that my topic can be dark and might drag me down or

even cause depression. Plus I don not have the personal experience to draw

upon and did not know anything about older child adoption. I had doubts. I’ve

been ignored and turned down dozens of times by people I’ve approached

and thought I could potentially work with and at some point almost gave up.

But when I thought about it more I felt like I would be abandoning the children

in some way if I do not continue with my thesis—I knew what the problem was

and I had some ideas on how to solve it. Why would I walk away from it?

This has been my motivation throughout my thesis journey.

Foreword

When people tell you they’re going to adopt, you most likely picture them bringing home an infant or a toddler.

If they tell you, they’re adopting a ten-year-old boy who has been removed from his family due to abuse and neglect, what would your reaction be?

ChIlDREN lOSE ThEIR ChANCE OF BEING ADOPTED AS ThEy AGE. ThE OBjECTIvE OF AkIN FAMIlIES IS TO PlACE ADOPTABlE ChIlDREN AND yOuTh AGES FIvE AND ABOvE INTO PERMANENT hOMES whERE ThEy COuNT, ARE vAluED AND CAN DEvElOP ACCORDING TO ThEIR POTENTIAl.

The term “waiting children” generally refers to children, who have become legal ly available for adoption.

Source: Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) Adoption File of September 2010.

As of September 2010 there are 107,011 waiting children in America’s foster care system.

68,441 are five years old and above.

Akin FAmilies ThE ISSUE 11

Currently, a disproportionate number of children ages five and above are languishing in child care institutions.

They are deprived of the supportive and nurturing home environment needed for healthy emotional and social growth.

The adoption rate of children declines as they become older.

1000

2000

3000

5000

6000

4000

0

1,126

1

5,823

2

7,461

3

6,103

4

4,833

5

4,182

6

3,587

7

3,107

X=Age of children

Y= Number of waiting children adopted

Source:Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) Adoption File of September 2010.

8

2,813

9

2,531

10

2,183

11

1,981

12

1,702

13

1,528

14

1,190

15

973

16

903

17+

826

0000


Most of the children who are not adopted will constantly move from one foster home to another. By the time they turn eighteen, they will age out of the system. This means that they must enter the adult world completely on their own. More than half of them become homeless or are incarcerated within two years of their emancipation.


educational Attainment of Former Foster Youth

1 of 3ReCeIVe HIGH SCHOOl DIPlOMA

1 of 5ReCeIVe COlleGe DeGRee

16 Joy ohler MFA ThESIS

Source: Midwest Study, University of Chicago 2010 (both data)

How many foster youth who aged out rely on government assistance?

3 of 4FeMAle

1 of 3MAle


Why are the older childrennot being adopted?

» Adoptive parents are concerned that a child so far away from his early

formative years is beyond help, that his personality and his values are

permanently set.

» When there is something wrong with an adopted child, the fact that he

is adopted is always to blame. The media does not help the issue either.

Movies like Problem Child and the more recent horror movie Orphan,

portray adopted children as heartless trouble-makers or axe murderers.

» Most people think that older children will never recover from their abusive

experiences, will never attach to their new families, and will later grow up

to be criminals.


TV ad for the movie The Orphan (2009).


What is the truth aboutolder children?

» The fact is that every child has his own personality, adopted or not.

Members of a birth family don’t necessarily all have the same personality.

» While some children are indeed so damaged by long-term abuse or neglect

that they will never overcome their legacy of pain and violence, most of

these kids will attach to their new families and become productive adults.

Alfred Kadushin who studied 95 families who had adopted children ages

5-12 found that, once adjustment was over, the age of the child when

he entered his adoptive family did not make a difference or impede the

successful outcome of the adoption.

» No child can be protected from anxiety and trauma in his life. It is how he

deals with what happens to him, what kind of support and help he gets

that determines how his personality will be affected. Adopted children are

well-integrated into their families and schools and show good psychological

outcomes. There are few differences between children who have been

adopted and their non-adopted peers.

Jesus Palacios and Yolanda Sanchez-Sandoval,

“Consequences of Adoption” 2005


Key

Information & Visual Research

Brainstorm & Design

Production

Final /Launch

Read A Book

Interview

Final Preparation

Thesis Presentation



Akin FAmilies DETAILED ThESIS T IMELINE 23

Change of Plan

My original objective that I presented during midpoint—to increase the chance

of older children to belong to a family and have a better opportunity in life—did

not change. Early in my research, however, I thought partnering with an existing

organization would be the main focus of my thesis. After talking with adoption

experts and multiple attempts to team up with existing organizations, I decided

to revise the focus of my thesis path. Most of the organizations I spoke with

were happy to help me with my questions, but they couldn’t take the risk of

getting too involved with my project due to privacy and child safety issues.

They also said that they did not have time to consistently meet with me. I thought

I would not be able to complete my thesis without working with an established

organization. In the end, I figured out that I just needed to reach out to more

people and focus on providing information and sending the right message about

older child adoptees.


Research

Since I am personally not involved with older child adoption I knew I had to do

extensive research regarding the topic and talk to a many people who are more

knowledgeable of and experienced with it. At every stage of my thesis journey,

I became aware of the other issues that could help change the misconceptions

about older children and accomplish a successful adoption.

I started my research using the internet to find organizations who are involved

in older child adoption, books to read, studies about older child adoption

and people to connect with. I know some people are hesitant about connecting

through the web about such a sensitive topic, but I saw how important the

internet is for connecting people. For some it was even easier to be themselves

and express what they were thinking online. A lot of people today, including

experienced adoptive parents, prospective parents, adult adoptees and other

adoption experts, connect online. While there are hundreds of discussion

boards and blogs about older child adoption, none of them is supervised and

regularly updated. They are visually unappealing too.

Organizations

Administration for Children

and Families (AFCARS)

www.acf.hhs.gov

Adoption.Org

www.adoption.org

Adoption Learning Partners

www.adoptionlearningpartners.org

Adoption SF

www.adoptionsf.org

Bay Area Kids

www.bakids.org

Beth O’Malley, Adoption Life Books

www.adoptionlifebooks.com

Boys and Girls Aid

www.boysandgirlsaid.org

inteRnet

ReSOuRCeS


California Court Appointed Special

Advocates (CASA)

www.californiacasa.org

Congressional Coalition on

Adoption institute

www.ccainstitute.org

Dave thomas Foundation for Adoption

www.davethomasfoundation.org

DePelchin Children’s Center

www.depelchin.org

evan B. Donaldson Adoption institute

www.adoptioninstitute.org

Family Builders

www.familybuilders.org

Families For Children

www.families4children.com

Filipino Adoptees network

www.filipino-adoptees-network.org

Heartsent Adoptions

www.heartsent.org

Hospicio de San Jose

www.hospiciodesanjose.org

Inter-Country Adoption Board, Philippines ( ICAB)

www.icab.gov.ph

Kinship Center

www.kinshipcenter.org

Older Child Adoption

www.olderchildadoption.com

Public Policy institute of California (PPiC)

www.ppic.org

Rebekah Children’s Services

www.rcskids.org

Stories of Adult transnational

Adoptees and their Parents

www.transnational-adoptee-parent-study.com

Blogs

Bushel and A Peck: One thankful Mom

www.onethankfulmom.com


www.older-child.adoptionblogs.com

Pathos of Asian Adoptees

www.pathosofasianadoptees.tumblr.com

See Jamie Blog

www.seejamieblog.comnter

Akin FAmilies RESEARCh 27

adopting older children

alfred Kadushin

BOOKS

MAGAzineS

FiLMS

Big Daddy


DOCuMentARy

FiLMS

First Person Plural

Wo Ai ni mommy

Problem Child

left on lockett lane


Older Child Adoption,

Grace Robinson

Our Own: Adopting and

Parenting the Older Child,

Trish Maskew

Parenting Your Adopted Older Child: How

to Overcome the Unique Challenges and Raise

a Happy and Healthy Child,

Brenda McCreight

Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or

Foster Child: Making Sense of the Past,

Jayne E. Schooler and Betsy Keefer

You Can Adopt: An Adoptive Family Guide,

S. Caughman and I. Motley

Magazines

Adoption Today

Adoptive Families Magazine

Parents Magazine

Books

Adopting and Advocating for the Special Needs

Child: A Guide for Parents and Professionals,

L. Anne Babb and Rita Laws

Adoption: Opposing View Points,

David Bender and Bruno Leone

Attaching in Adoption:

Practical Tools for Today’s Parents,

Deborah D. Gray

Adopting Older Children,

Alfred Kadushin

Adopting the Hurt Child: Hope for

Families with Special Needs Kids

A Guide for Parents and Professionals,

Gregory C. Keck and Regina Kupecky

A Love Like No Other,

Pamela Kruger and Jill Smolowe

Beyond Good Intentions,

Cheri Register Yeong

LiteRAtuRe


Documentary Films

Adopted, Barb Lee

Adopted, Pauly Shore

Adoption, Marta Meszaros

Aging Out, Roger Weisberg, Vanessa Roth

The Business of Being Born, Abby Epstein

First Person Plural, Deann Borshay Liem

Left On Lockett Lane, Jonathan Reinert

National Geographic: China’s Lost Girls, Lisa Ling

Off and Running, Nicole Opper

The Orphan Trains, PBS Studios

Wo Ai Ni Mommy, Stephanie Wang-Breal

Movies

August Rush, Kirsten Sheridan

The Adventures of Ociee Nash, Kristen McGary

Big Daddy, Dennis Dugan

The Blind Side, John Lee hancock

December Boys, Rod hardy

Home Beyond the Sun, Colin Chilvers

Johnny, D. David Morin

The Kids Are All Right, Lisa Cholodenko

The Lost and Found Family, Barnet Bain

Lovely and Amazing, Nicole holofcener

Martian Child, Menno Meyjes

Mockingbird Don’t Sing, harry Bromley Davenport

The Orphan, Jaume Collet-Serra

Problem Child, Dennis Dugan

Samantha, Nadia Tass

Stuart Little, Rob Minkoff

White Oleander, Peter Kosminsky

FiLMS


I started a blog where I posted information about my thesis and my progress.

The blog was a very useful tool. I directed the people who I was trying to

connect with to my blog for detailed information and updates on the project.

It also showed them that I was serious about what I was trying to do and

what my thought process was.

Thesis Blog


www.olderchild-adoption.blogspot.com


August 05, 2010

hi Joy,

I would be glad to talk with you about all of this.

You can e-mail me some questions that I can

respond to and also I can talk to you on my cell

phone (510) 501 2164. I am one of the founders

of heartsent Adoptions and the father of five

adopted kids from other countries and two of

whom were older when we adopted them.

Sincerely,

Dick Lotspeich

August 08, 2010

Dear Joy,

Why don’t you come in to the office and really

talk these things over with me and our Director, Val.

If you want to do that please call me on my cell,

and I can arrange a time that works. We are just

across the bridge from you.

Dick

DiCK LOtSPeiCH,

Founder,

heartsent Adoptions;

Adoptive Father


August 12, 2010

J: Why do people choose to adopt an infant instead of an older child?

D: The older a child remains in institutionalized care, the more chance there

is for the child to have an “attachment disorder”. This is a hard thing for

parents to deal with. It is complex and revolves around the child not being able

to develop a trust for other people. Another issue is that the children who are

institutionalized often do not go through some of the neurological development

that a child raised from early in life by an attentive parent(s) does. This causes

learning problems. This is treatable and the child can catch up if the right things

are done (see the heartsent Learning Solutions on our web site). Another

reason is that people often want the experience of raising a baby (diapers,

bottles, first steps and words).

J: What are the most common reasons people adopt older children?

D: Older age of the parents; finding a specific child that they fall in love with;

not wanting to do the infant things (diapers, bottles etc); a desire to give

a child a family and a life that they would otherwise not have because they

are older and might not be adopted by someone else.

J: Who are the people who pursue the adoption of older children?

D: This is not a question that I can answer easily because there are all

kinds of people who want to adopt older children. Many of them have strong

spiritual beliefs.

J: Have you noticed any trends or changes in the adoption community

in the past years? (example: growing number of kids in the system vs.

declining adoption demand; more older kids are getting adopted now

vs. 3 years ago, etc.)

D: I think more older kids are being adopted than several years ago because

there are relatively fewer infants that can be adopted. The slowdown of

international adoption has allowed some people to search their hearts to see

if an older child will be right to become their son or daughter.


August 05, 2010

Joy,

I’d love to help provide you with any information

you need to work on your project. Please feel

free to e-mail me, or we can set up a phone call.

Just let me know what works for you!

Thanks,

Emily

eMiLy COLLinS,

Director of Programs,

Congressional

Coalition on

Adoption Institute


August 09, 2010

J: Why do people choose to adopt an infant instead of an older child?

E: Many people to turn adoption because of infertility. The Mayo Clinic

estimates that 10-15% of all American couples are infertile. Because

of this, these couples often seek to adopt infants. Also, people believe that

if you adopt an infant they are “less damaged” than an older child.

J: What are the most common reasons people adopt older children?

E: Few people initially seek older children when they start the adoption process.

It is only after they have learned about the need for adopting older children that

they consider this option. In addition to reasons previously stated, older children

and teenagers are more frequently placed in group homes or institutions versus

a traditional foster family. Since over half of all adoptions from foster care are by

foster parents, this significantly affects the rate of adoption child adoptions.

There are various adoptive parent recruitment models that are meant to focus

on older children and youth since they are adopted at a lower rate than

younger children in care.

J: Who are the people who pursue the adoption of older children?

E: Anyone can pursue this option, including single women, single men,

and gay couples. The laws and regulations vary by state.

J: Have you noticed any trends or changes in the adoption community

in the past years? (example: growing number of kids in the system vs.

declining adoption demand; more older kids are getting adopted now

vs. 3 years ago, etc.)

E: One interesting trend is that the overall number of youth in foster care has

declined significantly over the past decade, however, the number of youth

aging out of foster case having never been adopted has significantly risen. One

possible explanation for this is that the Chafee Foster Care Independence Act

was passed in 1999 which doubled funding to youth aging out of care. As with

any social program, the funding determines the outcome, so social workers

had money available for youth aging out of care and promoted that outcome

for youth on their case load.

here are some useful links:

www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/afcars /trends.htm

www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/afcars /tar/report16.htm

www.ccainstitute.org/images/stories /emilie_stoltzfus_crs.pdf

www.ccainstitute.org/images/stories /joe_kroll_nacac.pdf

www.childwelfare.gov/responding/youth/supporting_youth.cfm


November 17, 2010

hi Joy,

That’s great that you’re doing your thesis on this

topic. I happened to mention to (Name) last week

that I plan on doing this (not imminently, but maybe

in about 4-5 years). I have always wanted to adopt,

and after visiting orphanages in Africa I realized

how easy it is to fall in love with the children of

different ages. I met a nine-year old hIV+ girl who

I would love to adopt if I had the means (but can’t

anyway because Tanzania does not have an open

adoption policy). I want to be a mother someday,

but have never felt a need to have a biological child.

I don’t have anything specific to ask you about,

I just think Phil thought it would be nice to put us

in touch because of the common ground. My

main issue right now is time, as I’m working full

time and also in the evenings on grad school

applications ( I’m hoping to transition into a career

in international affairs). But if there is anything

you’d like my input on or have something you’d like

to talk to me about, do feel free to contact me

and I’ll do my best to respond in a timely manner.

Best,

“Mom”

“MOM”

Prospective Parent


November 28, 2010

J: Please elaborate your statement, “i want to be a mother someday,

but have never felt a need to have a biological child.”

M: I’m not sure why I don’t feel a need to have a biological child. I know

that some women have a very strong natural urge to get pregnant, and I’ve just

never felt it. It’s not that I’m opposed to having a biological child necessarily,

it just doesn’t seem that important. There are so many children in the world

already who need homes, and adoption just fits better with my world view.

J: When did you start thinking about being a mother? What triggered

your thoughts to adopt?

M: I have always wanted to be a mother since I was in my early 20s. Nothing

specific triggered the thoughts, I just naturally felt that I’m meant to be

a mother someday. I do not have a strong relationship with my own mother, but

I’m not sure how much that has to do with my feelings about it. I recognize

how important the parent /child bond is and I want to provide that for someone.

J: Was adopting an older child your first preference instead

of an infant? Why?

M: I didn’t really think about adopting an older child until I visited orphanages

in Tanzania while volunteering there. I realized how easy it is to become

attached to a child. I am in my late thirties and single so adopting an older child

also has practical aspects. An older child could go to school while I worked,

so childcare would be less of an issue. Of course I realize that other behavioral

problems could be inherent with an older child, such as if they do not receive

adequate nurturing as a baby. This is something I’m prepared to deal with.

J: Were you always in favor of international older child adoption? Why?

M: I hadn’t given a lot of thought to international adoption until I visited

Tanzania. After seeing the conditions of the orphanages there (which were

appalling) I felt I’d like to adopt from Africa. At least in the U.S. orphans

have better living conditions and the right to attend public school. This is

not the case in many places, so the future of the kids can be more bleak.

Of course, international adoption is expensive and I’m not sure how I’m going

to overcome that barrier. I won’t seriously start looking into the process

for another 3-4 years.

I hope this is helpful to you. Best of luck!

Thank you,

“Mom”

March 11, 2011

J: Would you be interested in a book of collected personal stories of

adoptive parents and adoptees?

M: I hi Joy, I have only consulted the Internet I’m my research. I have not gotten

very deep into the process. A book with stories sounds like a great idea.

Looks like you’ve made a good start on your web site. I wish you luck with

the project!

“Mom”


Directed Study: One on One

My Directed Study advisors were the key people who helped me on every stage

of my thesis journey. I started to reached out to those who could help me

with my thesis. The first few people I talked to were not directly connected

with older child adoption but they helped me connect with the right people.

It was very interesting for me to meet and be able to talk to different people

who share the same passion about helping find a loving home to a child.

Fall 2010

Michael lead me in building a strong foundation

of my thesis and organizing my research in a very

efficient way. We defined the problem, my goals

and a tentative set of deliverables. Michael asked me

to divide my research into two categories, which are

visual and cognitive research. I made spreadsheets

of the interviews articles, books, movies and

other items that contained data for my thesis. I also

produced contact sheets of photographs I took

and collected. The organization method that Michael

taught me helped immensely when I was designing

my deliverables.

MiCHAeL KiLGORe

Designer,

AAU Faculty


SPRinG 2011

David helped me in developing my thesis’ identity

and the visual aesthetics. We explored different

marks and visual language for my thesis. David also

helped me get photographs of children by inviting

me to be a volunteer assistant photographer for Music

in Schools Today (MUST), an after-school program

he’s been helping out for a while now.

DAviD HAKe

Designer,

Photographer,

AAU Faculty

Meanwhile I continue to do my research by reading more books and tried to get

in touch with more adoption experts. During this time, I started talking to the

founder and members of Filipino Adoptees Network (FAN), they were all helpful

with answering my questions about being adopted as an older child.

Akin FAmilies DIRECTED STUDY: ONE ON ONE 43

Summer 2011

My last advisor was Doug hebert. I felt lucky to have

him as my advisor because he is adopted himself

as well as being a Designer. he also did an award

winning booklet for DePelchin Children’s Center.

Doug gave me valuable insight both conceptually

and visually.

DOuG HeBeRt

Principal,

Design Director,

Savage Brands

Through Filipino Adoptees Network, I was able to get in touch with Karen

Benally and her adopted daughter Lisa, who were doing a study about adult

transnational adoptees. I also talked to Pedro Magni of FAN. he introduced

me to Marivir Tungol from the Inter-Country Adoption Board of the Philippines

who had shown interest in my project.

All of my advisors gave me encouragement and confidence. I would not have

completed my thesis without them.


Akin FAmilies DIRECTED STUDY: ONE ON ONE 45

Positioning and Analysis

I performed a thorough review of the campaigns that some of the adoption

organizations are currently running and evaluated what worked and that did

not. There were a few that stood out to me such as the Adopt Love, Adopt

Hope campaign by Adoption SF and Family Builders. The campaign stood out

because they were visually pleasing and the message was simple. Some ads,

however most are more about promoting the services of the organizations or

agencies. None of these ads though, address the question “What’s in it for me?”

and none of the ads I’ve seen address the issue of the misconceptions about

older children. When I realized that there were these issues that were unad-

dressed, I decided that my solution had to emphasize the positive aspects and

demonstrate hope.

I also read books for prospective parents and parents who have started the

process of adopting an older child. Although these books were helpful, I noticed

that they either painted a picture-perfect adoption or were too negative and

could potentially scare parents. Further more, when I talked to Dick Lotspeich

of heartsent Adoptions Inc., he said that balancing the truth and giving hope

to adoptive parents was one of the biggest challenges that they faced in their

organization. From then, I decided to create an introduction to older child

adoption book that contained positive aspects, potential failures and straight-

forward truths about what adoptive parents could expect as they went

through the process of adoption. The book also contains personal experience

stories from adoptive parents, adult adoptees and other adoption experts.


Current advertisements from different organizations.

Left to right: Adoption SF, Adoptions From The heart

and huminska Anioly, Inc.

Akin FAmilies POSIT IONING AND ANALYSIS 47

Audience

My primary audience are prospective adoptive parents who have already

thought of adoption but have never considered adopting an older child. I also

would like to reach those who have already thought of adopting an older

child but have doubts, I would like them to know that with the right preparation

and knowledge they should not be scared about adopting an older child.

My secondary audience is the general public. I would like to change their

negative perception about older children and for them to further understand

the older children and their adoptive parents.

Right photo:

Prospective parents attending an older

child adoption orientation.


Who are the current adoptive parents of older children?

Single Female 26%

Single Male 2%

Unmarried Couple 2%

Married Couple 69%

Source: Department of health and human Services, Administration for Children and Families . Preliminary Estimates for Fiscal Year 2008 as of January 2008.


Akin FAmilies AUDIENCE 51

Why do parents adopt an older child?

MARRieD COuPLeS

» After spending many years and a considerable amount of money on failed

fertility treatment, their next option is to adopt.

» Some put off starting a family until their careers and/or financial security are

established and later find out that they can no longer conceive. While in

other cases, the law defines a maximum age gap between the age of the

adoptive parent and the child.

» They want to add another member to their family; they want another

child closer to their birth child’s age or want to build a second family after

their children have grown and left home.

GAy, LeSBiAn, BiSexuAL, tRAnSGenDeR (inDiviDuALS/COuPLeS)

» Since they cannot conceive naturally but would like to raise child /children

that they can call their own, one of their best options is to adopt. Depending

on the country or state laws, older child adoption may be their only option.

SinGLe Men AnD WOMen

» Being single limits their ability to have a child in a natural way but they

would like to experience raising and having a child/children. Sometimes being

single also limits their option in adopting such as only being allowed to

adopt an older child.

OtHeR ReASOnS

» Many who adopt older children say that they always had the desire to

adopt older kids, including those with special medical or emotional needs.

Some even view it as a “calling” of some sort, something they feel

compelled to do.


Akin Families

Akin Families creates awareness and stimulates action to counter the current

adoption disparity and give every child, regardless of age, an opportunity for

future success.

Our goal is to correct the misconceptions about adopting an older child.

We also would like to emphasize the benefits of having a loving and

caring home for a child and the rewards of being a parent of an older child.

Akin Families provides accessible information for prospective parents and

adoptive parents about older child adoption. Akin Families’ web site hosts

an online community where members help each other by sharing their life

experiences and stories about their adoption.

Akin FAmilies SOLUTION 55

What does it mean tobelong to a family and havea permanent home?

BeLOnGinGneSS AnD PeRMAnenCy

It is for the child’s best interest to remain with his birth family—if it is a safe

and nurturing home. Sometimes that is not the case; unfortunately, there are

many homes that are dangerous and damaging for a child—homes where

the child is abused, neglected and abandoned. In homes like these, a child must

be moved as soon as possible into a permanent home where he can begin to

heal and continue to grow to his potential. In most cases, however, permanency

is not achieved until later. A child is placed temporary living arrangements

and is moved multiple times. The lack of permanency is damaging to the child,

frustrating to foster parents and professionals, complicating for adoptive

parents and of no comfort to birth parents. Careless and unreasonable removal

of children from their home is not ideal, either; nor does it address their unsafe

living situation.

What is best for a child who is a legal orphan is a well-planned permanency.

When a child joins a new family, permanency is established. he becomes a part

of a home once again. This acceptance can be foreign and frightening because

of his past but he will eventually accept the joys, sorrows, connections and

complexities that are part of belonging to a family. Once a child begins to heal,

he will be more open about himself, his feelings and his past. he will loosen

up and will not feel like he has to be in control of every situation. he will start

to trust the people around him and believe that he has a better future. he

will have hope.


“With foster care there’s love in the room, but it’s all the way across the room. With adoption love is right up in your face.” — Mike, 17 adopted at 5

The joys and rewards of being an adoptive parent of an older child

tHe FeeLinG OF SAtiSFACtiOn WitH yOuR CHiLD’S ACHieveMentS

Aside from skipping the diaper-changing stage, adoptive parents of older children

have other more meaningful reasons why they choose to adopt an older child.

No parent can deny that they love the feeling of satisfaction they get in their

child’s achievements. Whether it is social, academic, athletic, artistic or in the

community, there is a sense of accomplishment for the parents when their child

is successful their child is and they helped him to get there.

KnOWinG yOu HAve OveRCOMe DiFFiCuLt OBStACLeS

Becoming a parent means seeing the world through a child’s perspective.

It’s not just your child who learns from the experience of adoption; you as an

individual also learn from your child. As a parent, it is helpful to remember

one’s own childhood experiences. Through the process of adoption, the parent

and child learn new responsibilities and develop greater maturity as a result

of responding to this new experience together.


“You watch him develop, as you teach him different things, and then they grow up. And then you’d be surprised, it gives you a lot of satisfaction when they take a hold of something. You probably think you’re not getting any place and then all of a sudden they just seem to pick. Catch on, you know.” — John, Adoptive Father

Our Name and Symbol

From the root word kin, Akin means related or connected. It gives a sense of

belongingness to an individual, a child who needs a parent or a parent who

needs a child. In the Filipino dialect—Tagalog, Akin means mine or my own.

With the assistance of Akin Families, a parent will find a child of his own

and a child will belong to a family that he can call his own.

The symbol illustrates a parent and a child that complete each other just like

the children and parents that Akin Families connect and help build. Our

signatures are significant expressions of who we are and what our goal is.

That’s why it is important to use it correctly and consistently.


Akin FAmilies SOLUTION 61

Color Palette

Our color palette show our spirit and promote our attributes. The colors

are youthful and joyful just like how the children and their parents should be.

We highly encourage the use of these colors in any of the pieces that are

associated with Akin Families.


Brilliant Berry Pantone Rhodamine Red U 000 100 000 000 235 000 130

Inspiring Orange Pantone 717 U 000 055 100 000 245 140 030

hope Green Pantone 369 U 065 010 085 000 100 175 090

Lively Blue Pantone 298 U 070 005 000 000 000 185 235

Jolly Red Pantone Red 032 U 015 090 085 000 240 065 055

Sunshine Yellow Pantone 110 U 005 010 065 000 245 220 120

Growth Green Pantone 432 U 090 050 075 020 030 095 080

Comfort Blue Pantone 2757 U 100 080 000 030 005 005 125

Name Pantone C M Y K R G Bprimary

secondary

Concrete Gray Pantone 432 U 025 000 000 075 070 085 095

Calm Gray Pantone Cool Gray 7 U 000 000 000 040 175 175 175

Warm Gray Pantone Warm Gray 6 U 000 005 010 030 190 180 175

netural

netural tints

Akin FAmilies COLOR PALET TE 63

Frutiger is our preferred sans serif typeface. It is named after it’s designer

Adrian Frutiger. Frutiger is organic, casual and warm but also clean and legible.

The ascenders and descenders are prominent and are wide, which makes

every character easy to distinguish from each other. It is also available in a wide

variety of weights.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0



12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

Aa47 Light

Condensed

57 Condensed

A B C D E F G h I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0



12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

45 Light

46 Light Italic

A B C D e F G h i J k l m n o P Q r s T U V W X y Z


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0



12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

65 Bold

66 Bold Italic



12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

67 Bold Condensed

77 BlackCondensed

A B C D e F G H i J K L M n O P Q R S t u v W x y z


12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0



12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

55 Roman

56 Italic

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Za b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z12 3 4 5 67 8 9 0



123 4 5 678 9 0

75 Black

76 Black Italic

Typography


A BC DEFGh I j k l M NOP Q R ST u v w X y Z

a bcdefgh i jk l m nopq rs t uv w x yz

12 3 4 5 6 78 9 0

A BCDEFGH IJ K L M NOP Q RST U V W X YZ

a bcdefgh i jk l m nopq rs t uv w x yz

12 345678 9 0

45 Light

46 Light Italic

A BCDE FGHIJKLM NOPQ RST U V W X YZ

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

123456789 0

65 Bold

A BCDe FGH I J K l M NOPQ R ST U V W X Y Z

abcdefgh ijk lmnopqrstuv w x yz

123456789 0

A BCDE F GH I J K L M NOP Q R S T U V W X Y Z

a bc defgh i jk l m nopqr s tuv w x yz

123 45678 9 0

55 Roman

56 Italic

ABCDE FGH IJKLM NOPQRSTUV WXYZ

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

1234 56789 0

75 Black

Serifa is another type designed by Adrian Frutiger. The slab serifs epitomize

stability. Usually, slab serif types are blocky and difficult to read in text,

but Serifa has more humanistic forms that are highly readable. The implied

energy in these features also helps give the font an energetic and youthful

vibe. And Serifa can look quite classic as well especially when set appropriately

as display text.Aa

Akin FAmilies T YPOGRAPhY 65

Photography

Ever since I decided to do my thesis on older child adoption, I knew that

emotion would be the key in setting the tone and sending the message.

Although images of hurt children and their dire conditions can be visually

powerful, I did not think that would send the right impression. I wanted

my thesis to be uplifting and at the same time emotionally touching inspired

by the success stories.

CHeeRFuL AnD LiveLy

We encourage showing photographs of happy and active children and

parents, alone or together all the time. These photographs highlight the

benefits and rewards of adopting an older child and belonging to a family.


Akin FAmilies PhOTOGRAPhY 67

ASPiRinG

When appropriate, images of hope, love and other images that evoke emotional

response and can touch the viewers can also be used. Please do not to show

images that signify violence or abuse, such as children with bruises, as it may

trigger negative memories and responses from the viewers.

Akin FAmilies PhOTOGRAPhY 69

Graphic elements

SiLHOuetteS

These graphic elements are used because they are memorable and stand out

in the visual clutter especially when placed on a page with different images

of children. These silhouettes are also memorable because they are simple but

bright. The bright colors evoke hope, happiness and growth. When type is

placed inside the silhouette, the solid color helps the viewer to focus on the

message of the text and not the image. These silhouettes help prevent the

viewer from having a pre-conceived notion regarding older children—it lets the

viewer imagine what the person who is delivering the statement looks like.


Akin FAmilies GRAPhIC ELEMENTS 71

The book is for prospective parents who are

interested in or in the process of adopting an older

child. The book provides unbiased information

about older child adoption. It also contain statements

and stories told by prospective parents, adoptive

parents, adult adoptees and adoption professionals.

introduction to

Older Child

Adoption book

Deliverables


Web Site The web site is a resource for prospective parents

who are interested in adopting an older child.

It contain facts about older child adoption and

resources such as adoption organizations and

agencies, suggested readings and movies. The

web site also hosts an online community where

people share their stories and tips on adoption.

Akin FAmilies DEL IVERABLES 73

The print advertising is part of the advertising

campaign, with the goal to correct the miscon-

ceptions about older child adoption. The ads

highlight the benefits of adoption to children and

rewards of being an adoptive parent. Print ads

will be implemented in selected magazines and

local newspapers.

Print Advertising


The web banners are bold and simple to easily grab

the viewer’s attention and to avoid getting lost in

the visual noise. The banner is clickable and will

take users to Akin Families’ home page. The URL is

also provided at the bottom of the graphic.

Web Banners


The planner is a useful tool for prospective and

adoptive parents to help them organize their

adoption process. It also contains reminders and

guides that will motivate them to not give up

when they face challenges and how to deal with

certain situations during the adoption process.

Adoption Planner


Life Book Kit The kit will help prospective and adoptive parents

document and honor every minute of their child’s

life journey. A life book is more than a scrap book,

it is a child’s story.


The promotional materials are supplemental

pieces to the ad campaign. They communicate the

benefits and rewards of older child adoption.

Promotional

Materials


The identity guidelines are for people who will

be involved in designing and creating materials for

Akin Families. They ensure that the essence of

Akin Families is communicated clearly and properly

in all the pieces that will carry its name.

identity Guidelines


“It is not the flesh and blood but the heart that makes us family.”

— Johann Schiller, Poet

Congressional Coalition on

Adoption institute

www.ccainstitute.org

Dave thomas Foundation for Adoption

www.davethomasfoundation.org

DePelchin Children’s Center

www.depelchin.org

evan B. Donaldson Adoption institute

www.adoptioninstitute.org

Family Builders

www.familybuilders.org

Families For Children

www.families4children.com

Filipino Adoptees network

www.filipino-adoptees-network.org

Heartsent Adoptions

www.heartsent.org

Hospicio de San Jose

www.hospiciodesanjose.org

Inter-Country Adoption Board, Philippines ( ICAB)

www.icab.gov.ph

Kinship Center

www.kinshipcenter.org


www.olderchildadoption.com

Public Policy institute of California (PPiC)

www.ppic.org

Rebekah Children’s Services

www.rcskids.org

Stories of Adult transnational

Adoptees and their Parents

www.transnational-adoptee-parent-study.com

Bibliography

ORGAnizAtiOnS

Administration for Children

and Families (AFCARS)

www.acf.hhs.gov

Adoption.Org

www.adoption.org

Adoption Learning Partners

www.adoptionlearningpartners.org

Adoption SF

www.adoptionsf.org

Bay Area Kids

www.bakids.org

Beth O’Malley, Adoption Life Books

www.adoptionlifebooks.com

Boys and Girls Aid

www.boysandgirlsaid.org

California Court Appointed Special

Advocates (CASA)

www.californiacasa.org


BOOKS

Adopting and Advocating for the Special Needs

Child: A Guide for Parents and Professionals,

L. Anne Babb and Rita Laws

Adoption: Opposing View Points,

David Bender and Bruno Leone

Attaching in Adoption:

Practical Tools for Today’s Parents,

Deborah D. Gray

Adopting Older Children,

Alfred Kadushin

Adopting the Hurt Child: Hope for

Families with Special Needs Kids

A Guide for Parents and Professionals,

Gregory C. Keck and Regina Kupecky

A Love Like No Other,

Pamela Kruger and Jill Smolowe

Beyond Good Intentions,

Cheri Register Yeong

BLOGS

Bushel and A Peck: One thankful Mom

www.onethankfulmom.com


www.older-child.adoptionblogs.com

Pathos of Asian Adoptees

www.pathosofasianadoptees.tumblr.com

See Jamie Blog

www.seejamieblog.comnter

Older Child Adoption,

Grace Robinson

Our Own: Adopting and

Parenting the Older Child,

Trish Maskew

Parenting Your Adopted Older Child: How

to Overcome the Unique Challenges and Raise

a Happy and Healthy Child,

Brenda McCreight

Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or

Foster Child: Making Sense of the Past,

Jayne E. Schooler and Betsy Keefer

You Can Adopt: An Adoptive Family Guide,

S. Caughman and I. Motley

Akin FAmilies B IBL IOGRAPhY 83

MOvieS

August Rush, Kirsten Sheridan

The Adventures of Ociee Nash, Kristen McGary

Big Daddy, Dennis Dugan

The Blind Side, John Lee hancock

December Boys, Rod hardy

Home Beyond the Sun, Colin Chilvers

Johnny, D. David Morin

The Kids Are All Right, Lisa Cholodenko

The Lost and Found Family, Barnet Bain

Lovely and Amazing, Nicole holofcener

Martian Child, Menno Meyjes

Mockingbird Don’t Sing, harry Bromley Davenport

The Orphan, Jaume Collet-Serra

Problem Child, Dennis Dugan

Samantha, Nadia Tass

Stuart Little, Rob Minkoff

White Oleander, Peter Kosminsky

MAGAzineS

Adoption Today

Adoptive Families Magazine

Parents Magazine

DOCuMentARy FiLMS

Adopted, Barb Lee

Adopted, Pauly Shore

Adoption, Marta Meszaros

Aging Out, Roger Weisberg, Vanessa Roth

The Business of Being Born, Abby Epstein

First Person Plural, Deann Borshay Liem

Left On Lockett Lane, Jonathan Reinert

National Geographic: China’s Lost Girls, Lisa Ling

Off and Running, Nicole Opper

The Orphan Trains, PBS Studios

Wo Ai Ni Mommy, Stephanie Wang-Breal


I am grateful for having the opportunity to talk to and work with people

I would not have had a chance to know otherwise. It is rewarding whenever

I receive people’s praises and reactions when I tell them about the subject

of my thesis and show them my finished work. If given another chance to

choose a topic, I would choose older child adoption again.

It has been a long, hard but amazing journey. I have had many long, sleepless

nights, bad days but also many inspiring conversations. I may not be an

adopted child or an adoptive parent, but going through my thesis journey

helped me appreciate and understand the importance of having a loving

and supportive family like the one I have.

Akin FAmilies REFLECTIONS 85

Reflections

www.akinfamilies.com | [email protected]

Joy Ohler | 415/370.2844

Akin Families: Finding Forever Families for Older Children

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