In January, the second cohort of the AdoptUSKids Minority Professional Leadership Development (MPLD) program graduated in a three-day online ceremony. The celebration was the culmination of the 12-month fellowship, which promotes professional leadership development of minorities in the adoption field.
During the event, child welfare leaders spoke to the graduates. Randi Walters, director of the Children’s Bureau Capacity-Building Division, delivered an inspiring closing message, telling the group:
“Stay curious and ask the right questions. Do not avoid difficult conversations and situations. Rely on your own humanity and vulnerability….You are the heart and soul of the transformation work that needs to happen in our country.”
Action research projects identify challenges and solutions
A central component of the MPLD fellowship is the completion of an action research project addressing an issue related to adoption or guardianship. During the three-day event, each fellow presented the results of their project and talked about how participating in MPLD had furthered their careers.
Examples of the topics fellows addressed in projects include:
- Increasing kinship placements to expedite permanency for children of color
- Supporting sibling relationships: preserving children’s bonds after placement
- Equipping parents who adopt transracially
- Recruiting and retaining foster and adoptive parents of color
We’ll be sharing the results of the action research projects and interviews with the fellows about their experiences with the leadership program in future articles. You can read about past fellows and their projects on this site.
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