Baylor Celebrates National Adoption Month with Special Events, Research Highlights, Robust Support for Adoptive Families
National Adoption Month focuses on youth in foster care, strengthening pathways for lasting bonds
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Contact: Lori Fogleman, 254-709-5959
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November is National Adoption Month, which seeks to increase national awareness of adoption issues, bring attention to the need for adoptive families for teens in the U.S. foster care system and emphasize the value of youth engagement. This year’s national theme – "Honoring Youth: Strengthening Pathways for Lasting Bonds" – recognizes the importance of working toward an adoption journey that is imbued with meaning and purpose, paving the way for healing, well-being and long-term stability.
Baylor University supports families who adopt or are considering adoption in several ways, including:
- Baylor Law School’s annual Adoption Day that brings together families, children and the legal community to celebrate the life-changing moment when adoptions are finalized;
- Nationally recognized adoption benefits programs that include paid parental leave and financial assistance for adoption- and foster care-related expenses; and
- Faculty research that focuses on various aspects of adoption, from how the perceptions of adoption – both positive and negative – can impact employees and their families to identifying the critical need for adoption-focused training and structured post-adoption support for families adopting children from the public child welfare system.
Baylor Law School Adoption Day 2024
Baylor Law School will be transformed into a magical “Family Is Chosen” setting on Friday, Nov. 22, for the law school’s annual Adoption Day that celebrates families and the finalization of their adoptions. This heartwarming tradition not only marks the formation of new families but showcases the dedication of Baylor Law students, faculty, staff and local attorneys who help make this celebration possible.
“Adoption Day is one of the most joyful and exciting days on the Baylor Law calendar, where families are celebrated with imaginative themes – from festive holidays to inspiring adventures – making it a day filled with love, laughter and lasting memories,” said Baylor Law Professor Bridget Fuselier, J.D.
Since Adoption Day began in 2008, more than 1,000 Baylor Law student volunteers have worked tirelessly to make dreams come true for more than 400 children officially adopted by 271 Central Texas families.
Standout in education industry for adoption benefits
Baylor University has been recognized by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and its signature Adoption-Friendly Workplace program as one of the nation’s top education institutions offering robust adoption benefits programs:
- In 2024, Baylor ranked No. 3 nationally among U.S. education institutions – behind only Yale University and Notre Dame – for offering the best overall adoption benefits, including paid parental leave and financial assistance for adoption-related expenses.
- Baylor also is featured on the Foundation’s foster care benefits list for offering paid parental leave to foster parents.
On Nov. 21, Baylor Human Resources, along with local adoption and foster care providers, will host its annual seminar for faculty and staff to learn more about adoption and foster care processes and the benefits available to eligible employees.
Research: Adopting Change
Recent research from management faculty in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business studied how a workplace that often celebrates biological parenthood with events like baby showers and casual excitement can have an impact on adoptive parents, who don’t always receive the same support or acknowledgment of their family growth. In many cases, it’s unintentional, but it affects the adoptive parents negatively.
In a journal article published in Human Relations, Associate Professor of Management Kaylee Hackney, Ph.D., and her Baylor co-authors found that these negative perceptions about adoption impacted a variety of work and family outcomes for working adoptive parents, including increased stress and work-family conflict, lower job satisfaction and higher levels of depression. They found that it also affects the home, lowering family satisfaction and harming parent-child bonding.
However, supportive organizational practices can make a positive difference, according to a related study in 2021, led by Baylor’s Matt Quade, Ph.D., The Kimberly and Aaron P. Graft Professor in Christian Leadership and director of Christian Leadership and Ethics at Baylor.
That study found that when workplaces actively support adoptive parents, it improves their family bonds, boosts job commitment and even enhances their spouse’s connection to the employee’s workplace.
Hackney’s co-authors included Baylor management colleagues Dawn Carlson, Ph.D., The H.R. Gibson Chair of Organizational Development and director of the McBride Center for International Business, and Quade. Ryan P. Hanlon and Gary R. Thurgood also were co-authors of the article.
Five Ways Leaders Can Support Adoptive Parents
The three professors also published a recent article in the Harvard Business Review that examines how employees who perceive their organization as supportive of families tend to be more satisfied. They outlined “5 Ways Leaders Can Support Adoptive Parents” in their organization that included:
- Financial reimbursement
- Paid leave
- Flexible work arrangements
- Connect employees with adoption networks or support groups
- Celebrate!
“Our research shows that when organizations provide meaningful support for adoptive parents it enhances not only the employee’s well-being, but also that of their family,” Hackney said. “Recognizing and supporting adoptive parents at work is also an important step in legitimizing adoption as a way to build one’s family.”
Research: Adoption Adjustment, Post-Adoption Support
An April 2024 study published in the Journal of Public Child Welfare by social work faculty from the University of Oklahoma and Baylor’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, provided new insight into adoptive parents’ experiences with the adjustment period and the “honeymoon phase” in adoption from the public child welfare system.
The study highlighted the emotional and behavioral challenges children face, influenced by past trauma and disruptions, and explored the factors that impact family cohesion during this period. Key findings revealed that adoptive families often experience periods of high stress due to children’s unresolved trauma and behaviors that arise post-placement. The study underscores the critical need for adoption-focused training and structured post-adoption services to help families navigate these challenging transitions and avoid breakdowns.
“Parents’ voices are critical to understanding adoption adjustment and post-adoption needs due to their firsthand experience,” the researchers wrote. “The findings in this study build on the understanding of when challenges arise for children and families after adoption and how adoptive parents perceive these experiences. Implications for practice include guidance for pre-adoption training and expansion of post-adoption support through public child welfare agencies.”
The study was led by Baylor social work graduate Bonni Goodwin, Ph.D. ’20, assistant professor of social work and director of OU’s Center for Adoption and Family Well-Being; Elissa Madden, Ph.D., associate professor of social work at Baylor, whose primary research focuses on the areas of adoption and foster care; and Payton Harrison, a Master of Social Work graduate at OU.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.
ABOUT BAYLOR LAW
Established in 1857, Baylor Law School was one of the first law schools in Texas and one of the first west of the Mississippi River. With more than 7,800 living alumni, the Law School is accredited by the American Bar Association and a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Baylor Law School has a record of producing outstanding lawyers, many of whom decide upon a career in public service. Its distinguished alumni include two governors, members or former members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, two former directors of the FBI, U.S. ambassadors, federal judges, justices of the Texas Supreme Court, and members of the Texas Legislature. In its law specialties rankings, U.S. News & World Report has recognized Baylor Law’s trial advocacy program as one of the top five in the nation for 15 consecutive years. preLaw Magazine has named Baylor Law School as No. 1 in its honor roll for “Practical Training,” and the School ranks No. 6 nationwide for full-time law jobs requiring a bar passage, according to Reuters. Additionally, Baylor Law received the 2015 American Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award, becoming only the third law school to earn this accolade since its inception in 1984. Learn more at the Law School website.
ABOUT THE HANKAMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business strives to further God’s kingdom through the realm of business, using God-given gifts and academic talents to do so. Faculty and students conduct purposeful research and participate in experiential learning opportunities, all while operating in a Christ-centered mission. Undergraduate students can choose from 13 major areas of study. Graduate students can earn their MBA on their terms, either through the full-time, online or a Dallas-based executive program. The Business School also offers three Ph.D. programs in Information Systems, Entrepreneurship or Health Services Research. The School’s top-ranked programs make up approximately 25% of the University’s total enrollment. Visit the Hankamer School of Business website for more information.
ABOUT THE DIANA R. GARLAND SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work is home to one of the leading graduate social work programs in the nation with a research agenda that values humanity, engages spirituality and promotes equity. Upholding its mission of preparing social workers in a Christian context for worldwide service and leadership, the School offers a baccalaureate degree (BSW); a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree available in Waco or online; three joint-degree options, MSW/MBA, MSW/MDiv and MSW/MTS, through a partnership with Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business and George W. Truett Theological Seminary; and an online Ph.D. program. Visit the School of Social Work website to learn more.