Adoption Network Cleveland

The Hub (March 2025): The Official Newsletter of Adoption Network Cleveland

See you tomorrow at Adoption Network Cleveland! ?? I’m eager to present with Brooke Randolph, LMHC, LIMHP, LPC, LPCC-S on Managing Meltdowns, Staying Calm in Crisis, and Understanding Violence. If you’re attending the conference, please join me from 1:30 - 3 PM tomorrow. I’d love to share my input and answer all of your questions. #WhatVickiSays #DrVicki #DrVickiSanders #LicensedTherapist #GuestSpeaker #AdoptionNetworkClevelandConference

Ten years ago today, we witnessed history in the making as we celebrated Opening Day – the day 400,000 Ohio-born adoptees finally had the legal right to apply for their original birth certificates. Adoption Network Cleveland led the charge for this law for the full 25 years it took to make it a reality. Beginning in the 1980s, we initiated bill after bill, navigating the complexities of legislative advocacy and demonstrating persistence in the face of repeated setbacks. By 2013, our diligence paid off. A dream team of sponsors fell into place—a bipartisan group representing all aspects of lived experience in the adoption constellation (Representatives Bill Beagle and Dorothy Pelanda, and Senators Dave Burke and Nickie Antonio). They were just the powerful champions we needed. The legislation passed in late 2013. 15 months later, on March 20, 2015, the law was fully implemented. As the new law called for records to be sent through the mail, we anticipated that only a handful of people might travel to Columbus to take part in our Opening Day celebration. We arranged for a hotel in Columbus with a small block of rooms and a space where we could gather the night before to celebrate with the 50 or so people we expected, and we put word out to see who would come. Well, word spread, and the floodgates opened. Hundreds of calls poured in, media inquiries flooded our office, and phone lines rang off the hook. Journalists from local papers, TV stations across the state, and major outlets like the Associated Press, Reuters, and Al Jazeera covered the story. Adoptees and birth parents from across the country made plans to join us in Columbus. We pivoted quickly to accommodate the overwhelming response. Our team facilitated and participated in nearly 250 electronic and print news stories. Instead of the dozens we anticipated, we welcomed hundreds of people over two unforgettable days. Events included a gathering in the Vital Statistics office lobby in the morning, followed by a large press conference in the afternoon, where the Director of the Department of Health personally presented four adoptees with the first records released. One of the most powerful moments of that day was standing at the entrance of the Ohio Department of Health, Division of Vital Statistics, greeting the long line of adoptees who had waited outside all night to be among the first to submit their applications. The staff at the Department of Health rose to the occasion, celebrating alongside us as this historic moment unfolded. We checked in this week with our friends at the Department of Health and they report that 18,434 Original Birth Certificates have been released during these 10 years. Were you with us on Opening Day? Have you benefited from this law? We would love to hear your story. #10YearsLater #OhioAdoptees #AccesstoRecords

With the support of partners like Fit Learning, our Family & Youth program expanded by 65.3% in 2024, serving 749 individuals. The resources and connections we provide are making a difference. Thank you, Fit Learning Cleveland!

10 years ago tonight, we gathered to share our stories and reflect on the significance of what was about to happen. The next day, March 20, 2015, Ohio adoptees would finally gain access to their original birth certificates—a moment that was both emotional and long overdue. As we mark this anniversary, we invite you to look back at that powerful night. This film captures adoptees sharing their stories as they prepared to access their records. Watch here: https://lnkd.in/g6ymAVDX #10YearsLater #OhioAdoptees #AccesstoRecords

Workshop Update: There Are More Like Me: Search, Reunion, and Synchronicity in Adoption with Douglas B. Henderson, Ph.D. Doug’s memoir, There Are More Like Me: Search, Reunion, and Synchronicity in Adoption, was released in March 2025. In it, he reflects on his journey as a male adoptee, detailing how, at the age of 37, he felt compelled to search for his biological family. He shares the challenges of navigating the search process, uncovering his history, and engaging with the adoption support community. Doug also explores the unique experiences of male adoptees, the emotional complexities of reunion, and the difficulties of discovering that his birth parents were unavailable—his birth father having recently passed away and his birth mother refusing contact. Additionally, he discusses how adoption impacted his romantic relationship dynamics and the many synchronistic experiences that shaped his journey. Doug is a 78-year-old adoptee and psychologist from a closed adoption, who describes his search in 1983 as one of the best things he has ever done for himself. Learn more about Journeys of Discovery, an Adoption Network Cleveland Conference here: https://ow.ly/CXRr50V1weQ #JourneysofDiscovery #AdoptionNetworkCleveland #Conference

“Every person is just one caring adult away from a success story, and those stories can begin with each of you. Together, we can create a different story where every child has the opportunity to thrive.”

"I had moved to Korea as a lost and lonely man, struggling with life and not understanding how much my adoption weighed on me. But now, after everything I had experienced—meeting my biological mother, attending a transformative conference, and facing emotional truths I had avoided for so long—I was returning with a sense of renewal..."

"There have been moments where, for days, I had nothing to eat, no electricity, on the brink of homelessness, and with no support...There have been moments where I have considered whether it's even feasible for me to obtain a Bachelor's Degree, let alone a Master's Degree—because of my circumstances." This week, three former foster youth with ACTION Ohio testified before the Ohio House Children and Human Services Committee in support of adding the Foster-to-College Scholarship Program to the pending Ohio Budget Bill. Watch their full testimonies on YouTube here: https://ow.ly/M7Lb50VcWMS The Foster-to-College Scholarship Act proposes creating a scholarship program to cover the cost of attendance for any Ohioan who was in foster care after their 13th birthday. It would provide funding for tuition, fees, and other educational expenses not covered by existing federal or state financial aid, helping to eliminate financial barriers that often deter foster youth from pursuing higher education. Adoption Network Cleveland is working with ACTION Ohio and other partners to help the Foster-to-College Scholarship Program become law. We are so proud of these young people for using their voice, and overjoyed to see the response in the room, including encouragement and applause. Watch the video, you’ll be glad you did! #FosterCare #Advocacy #PublicPolicy

"There have been moments where, for days, I had nothing to eat, no electricity, on the brink of homelessness, and with no support...There have been moments where I have considered whether it's even feasible for me to obtain a Bachelor's Degree, let alone a Master's Degree—because of my circumstances." This week, three former foster youth with ACTION Ohio testified before the Ohio House Children and Human Services Committee in support of adding the Foster-to-College Scholarship Program to the pending Ohio Budget Bill. Watch their full testimonies on YouTube here: https://ow.ly/M7Lb50VcWMS The Foster-to-College Scholarship Act proposes creating a scholarship program to cover the cost of attendance for any Ohioan who was in foster care after their 13th birthday. It would provide funding for tuition, fees, and other educational expenses not covered by existing federal or state financial aid, helping to eliminate financial barriers that often deter foster youth from pursuing higher education. Adoption Network Cleveland is working with ACTION Ohio and other partners to help the Foster-to-College Scholarship Program become law. We are so proud of these young people for using their voice, and overjoyed to see the response in the room, including encouragement and applause. Watch the video, you’ll be glad you did! #FosterCare #Advocacy #PublicPolicy