- Kate Migues speaks about adoption and family planning, with a Child Development class at Westgate High School in New Iberia.
- Migues's presentation comes less than two years after Act 456 is signed into law.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“Alright next one: Birth parents can make an adoption plan at any point during their pregnancy.”
Kate Migues is an adoptive mother of 2, and knows firsthand how adoption can help start a family.
“As they go into young adulthood," said Migues, "it’s important to know what it looks like if you are faced with an unexpected pregnancy; but it’s also important to know what it looks like to grow your family through adoption.”
Her goal? To start normalizing 'more nuanced conversations about adoption, and family planning.'
Back in November, Migues talked about the nonprofit she was starting called 'PLACED Adoption Education Foundation.'
“My goal is to get into as many schools as possible and give that adoption education that is required.”
“It was the 2022 legislative session where the state legislature passed Act 456," explained Iberia Parish School District Superintendent, Heath Hulin, "which required adoption awareness education to be included in high school curriculum.”
Hulin says Migues's foundation was the perfect was to fulfill the state requirement.
“Just this year we had some teachers who teach family and consumer sciences and child development in our district, who have partnered with PLACED and Ms. Migues.”
Now, Migues is watching that nonprofit come to life.
“Y’all, we said earlier that 80% of pregnancies in America are unexpected,” Migues said to the Westgate classroom
“You know, [Child Development teacher] Ms. Gonsulin really did a great job of making sure that her kids were ready for those intense conversations and those questions,” said Migues.
Things like language surrounding adoption, choices that birth parents are faced with, abortion statistics, and more, were all covered during Migues's presentation on Tuesday, Feb. 19.
“I am an expert on adoption not an expert on abortion, but, this is what the state says we have to cover…when I put up those numbers I tell them ‘I’m giving you statistics that come from the internet,' and 'I’m not telling you right or wrong, or good or bad,' this is just information.
Migues hopes to branch out of Iberia Parish and bring 'PLACED' to high schools all over Acadiana.
“We all don’t know what we don’t know, and so the more we have those opportunities to have those meaningful conversations, the better environment my kids will grow up in. I would love for everyone to be informed about the beautiful gift of adoption. That would be my ultimate goal.”
For more information on PLACED Adoption Education Foundation, click here.
