1555 Sherman Ave, #173
Evanston, Illinois 60201
© Activism in Adoption

Activism in Adoption is organized around three key concepts:

Race, Relationships, and Resilience;

centering birthparent and adoptee voices,

which bring nuance and detail that can only come from lived experience.


When we listen to the individuals whose lives are most impacted by adoption, when we allow ourselves to sit in uncomfortable spaces, we learn and we grow, we begin to understand the ethics, and sometimes the lack of ethics in adoption, and we become the change-makers - improving outcomes in adoption for our children, for ourselves as adoptive parents and adoption professionals, and for the birthparents who chose to place their children for adoption.

We are Stronger Together.

  • Testimonial 1

    "On Your Feet Foundation is one of the most proactive groups I’ve been a part of in the adoption field. Their recent speaker series made a point to honor all those connected to adoption. As an adoptee, I pay very close attention to how others honor adoptees, like myself, as well as birth parents. On Your Feet Foundation makes sure these two very important voices are heard and that is extremely important to me."

    Kevin Hofmann, AiA Speaker and panelist

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This is Part II of our incredible interview with Dr. Gretchen Sisson, the author of the new book,Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood, and our upcoming Activism in Adoption Speaker.

Dr. Gretchen Sisson, upcoming speaker at Activism in Adoption, discusses her new book, Relinquished, and how her decades-long research study and subsequent findings can inform our approach to adoption.

The Birthparent Support Alliance launched in 2022, and we recently had the opportunity to sit down with Molly Berger, MSW, and Pam Brown, from Adoption Center of Illinois, the latest member of the Birthparent Support Alliance in 2024, to learn more about the work they do, and how Adoption Center of Illinois built their own model of adoption that moves past older of ideas of adoptions either being open or closed, and instead builds an entirely new relationship model for everyone in the adoption constellation. We also had the chance to discuss Adoption Center of Illinois’ decision to join the Birthparent Support Alliance, a program designed to help agencies provide the post-placement support birthparents need to heal and thrive.

Our community thrives when we work together for good.

Discover how your help furthers our cause and supports our vital programs. See what we do.