Activism in Adoption
Advertising Children on Social Media: Ethical Concerns in Rehoming
Mary is an obedient child who loves to help cook and clean." "Jason is a strong and capable child." "Donna is great with younger siblings, playing mama to them." These are just brief examples of posts on Facebook advertising legally adopted kids to prospective new parents. Unregulated custody transfer, often referred to as 'rehoming', is the practice of adoptive parents transferring custody of a child to another individual or family without the involvement of the child welfare or other appropriate systems. These children's photos and biographies can be found in numerous places on social media, often filled with coded language suggesting these children might be unpaid workers for their new parents, not beloved family members. Joining us on June 29th to discuss the ethics of rehoming, including how these children are advertised and how these transfers occur without oversight, is Kirsta Bowman, an adult adoptee well-known on social media for her thoughtful and nuanced videos discussing the adoption landscape.
This series is relevant to all members of the triad, as well as adoption professionals, no matter where they are in their adoption journey. Families hoping to adopt are encouraged to attend this unique series and will receive one hour and thirty minutes of Adoption Education Hours per session attended. Attendees who request Adoption Education Credits will receive certificates to show attendance and a session outline can be provided to agencies.
