On Your Feet Foundation

We had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Abby Hasberry, a transracially adopted person and birthmother, to talk about her new memoir, Adopting Privilege: A Memoir of Reinventing my Adoptee Narrative, which was released on February 18th, 2025. Through the lens of memoir, Dr. Hasberry takes a deep-dive into adoptee experiences in transracial adoption, the adoption industry, and ultimately, how she found growth and healing in her own life, and how you might find the same. This book is an unflinchingly honest read, and we are so grateful she was able to make the time to speak with us about it today. https://lnkd.in/gkeCsRJt

Activism in Adoption is a new kind of adoption education, not just because we privilege the voices of birthparents and adopted people as the experts on adoption, but because we also bring in members of the same adoption triad to speak together about how they navigate their adoption experience with each other. In March, we are thrilled to welcome Isaac Etter, founder of @identity.learning, along with his adoptive mother, Julie, to share with us what transracial adoption has looked like from their individual points of view inside their triad. If you have ever listened to their podcast, you know Isaac and Julie don't shy away from telling their unvarnished truths within a space of respect and love, and we are honored to welcome them both to our speaker series. Register today — tickets are just $15 — and as always, Activism in Adoption sessions are always free for birthparents, adopted people, and Birthparent Support Alliance members. The link to register is in our bio. Adoption is a lifetime commitment - your adoption education should be, too. https://lnkd.in/e9Q3dFY9

Early bird pricing ends February 28th! Journeys of Discovery, An Adoption Network Cleveland Conference, will be held on Friday, March 21st, and Saturday, March 22nd, 2025, on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University. To mark the 10th anniversary of Ohio’s Opening Day – a day 400,000 Ohio adoptees, by law, gained access to their original birth records – Adoption Network Cleveland is hosting a conference to continue the celebration and education. Together, adoptees; birth parents; adoptive, kinship and foster parents; foster alumni; individuals who are donor conceived or have found misattributed parentage through DNA testing; and professionals in the field, and others, will explore unfolding life stories, engage in learning, and create community. Conference Keynote: Abby Hasberry, LMFTA (Abby Hasberry | Counseling at The Green House Texas) presenting Adopting Privilege: What is it? Who has it? And how is access to information and informed consent attempting to shift it? Conference Emcee: Lauren LoGiudice, Comedian, Actor and Filmmaker (Lauren LoGiudice - Comedy and Characters for Misfits) Conference content will include keynote presentations, workshops, entertainment, and opportunities for sharing and networking. Professionals will be provided with certificates for CEU submission to the participant’s licensing board. https://lnkd.in/ggd4wh6X

Pre-order today - this book launches tomorrow! Adopting Privilege: A Memoir of Reinventing my Adoptee Narrative” by Dr. Abigail Hasberry offers a powerful exploration of adoption through the eyes of a transracial adoptee, birth mother, and therapist. With deep authenticity, Hasberry draws on her personal journey and professional expertise as an executive leadership coach and licensed marriage and family therapist associate. She navigates the complexities of identity, loss, and healing, shedding light on how societal norms and systemic biases shape the experiences of adoptees. This memoir is for adoptees, adoptive parents, family members, therapists, social workers, and anyone curious about better supporting adoptees. Hasberry challenges traditional adoption narratives, advocating for a more inclusive approach to family dynamics and adoption policies. Through her story, she amplifies the voices of adoptees, pushing for their experiences to be central in discussions of cultural competency and social justice. Order link: https://lnkd.in/eS23xtJe

Journeys of Discovery, An Adoption Network Cleveland Conference, will be held on Friday, March 21st, and Saturday, March 22nd, 2025, on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University. To mark the 10th anniversary of Ohio’s Opening Day – a day 400,000 Ohio adoptees, by law, gained access to their original birth records – Adoption Network Cleveland is hosting a conference to continue the celebration and education. Together, adoptees; birth parents; adoptive, kinship and foster parents; foster alumni; individuals who are donor conceived or have found misattributed parentage through DNA testing; and professionals in the field, and others, will explore unfolding life stories, engage in learning, and create community. Conference Keynote: Abby Hasberry, LMFTA (Abby Hasberry | Counseling at The Green House Texas) presenting Adopting Privilege: What is it? Who has it? And how is access to information and informed consent attempting to shift it? Conference Emcee: Lauren LoGiudice, Comedian, Actor and Filmmaker (Lauren LoGiudice - Comedy and Characters for Misfits) Conference content will include keynote presentations, workshops, entertainment, and opportunities for sharing and networking. Professionals will be provided with certificates for CEU submission to the participant’s licensing board. https://lnkd.in/ggd4wh6X

Join Sasha Mack on February 26th as she discusses her journey as a Black same-race adopted person. Sasha's "Black Sheep" art collection serves as a powerful metaphor for her journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Through her narrative, she illuminates the complexities of identity formation, cultural connection, and the search for belonging that many adoptees face. Key topics Sasha will address include the nuances of same-race adoption within the Black community, navigating cultural identity and heritage as a Black adoptee, and the challenges and triumphs found n uncovering one's roots and purpose. Register today — tickets are just $15 — and as always, Activism in Adoption sessions are always free for birthparents, adopted people, and Birthparent Support Alliance members. The link to register is in our bio. Adoption is a lifetime commitment - your adoption education should be, too. https://lnkd.in/e9Q3dFY9

New adoption memoir released today! Julie Ryan McGue is an American writer, an adopted person, and an identical twin. In her books, essays, and other writing, she talks candidly about family and identity through the lens of adoption She is the author of?Twice a Daughter: A Search for Identity, Family, and Belonging and Belonging Matters: Conversations on Adoption, Family, and Kinship. Her third book, Twice the Family: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Sisterhood was released today, and we had the opportunity to sit down with her to talk about her latest book, a coming-of-age memoir set in Chicago’s western suburbs in the 1960s, that dives into the complexity of family and adoption with an unflinching eye and a lot of heart. Check out our interview with Julie today. https://lnkd.in/gfcfaCxp

Together, we can support life-changing mental health services for birthparents while adding a little extra excitement to game day. We only have 300 squares available, and purchasing your squares today puts you in the running for some great cash prizes!?https://lnkd.in/gCAvykK4 Never played before? It's easy. Just buy your square(s)! Once all squares are purchased, numbers are randomly assigned to each row and column?so you don't need to know anything about football to win! At the end of each quarter and the final score, the winner is determined by matching the number in your square to the last digits of the team scores. For each $20 square you purchase, 60% will directly benefit On Your Feet's Mental Health and PMAD programs for birthparents. Grab your squares before they sell out, and be sure to share the link with friends and family. https://lnkd.in/gCAvykK4

Together, we can support life-changing mental health services for birthparents while adding a little extra excitement to the big game. We only have 300 squares available, and purchasing your squares today puts you in the running for some great cash prizes!?https://lnkd.in/gCAvykK4 Never played before? It's easy. Just buy your square(s)! Once all squares are purchased, numbers are randomly assigned to each row and column?so you don't need to know anything about football to win! At the end of each quarter and the final score, the winner is determined by matching the number in your square to the last digits of the team scores. For each $20 square you purchase, 60% will directly benefit On Your Feet's Mental Health and PMAD programs for birthparents. Grab your squares before they sell out, and be sure to share the link with friends and family. https://lnkd.in/gCAvykK4

New Year, New Speakers! This Wednesday Dr. Liz DeBetta joins us to offer insight and practical guidance in using writing as a practice for adult adoptees, therapists, teachers, and researchers interested in learning how to migrate and heal embodied trauma. Dr. DeBetta is the founder and creator of Migrating Toward Wholeness?, an adopted person, and an independent scholar-artist-activist committed to changing systems and helping people navigate trauma through creative processes. She believes that stories are powerful change agents and when we write them and share them we connect and heal. Register today — tickets are just $15 — and as always, Activism in Adoption sessions are always free for birthparents, adopted people, and Birthparent Support Alliance members. Adoption is a lifetime commitment - your adoption education should be, too. https://lnkd.in/e9Q3dFY9