- Since 2006, Louisiana state law mandates that adoption education is required in classrooms, but it continues 'to get glossed over.'
- A New Iberia mom has started her own non-profit adoption education foundation, hoping to fix the issue.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
I'M ANNA FISCHER YOUR IBERIA PARISH REPORTR. NOVEMBER IS ADOPTION AWARENESS MONTH, AND TOAY IS WORLD ADOPTION DAY. AS A CHILD OF ADOPTION MYSELF, I ONLY WISH I HAD AN EDUCATION PROGRAM LIKE THIS ONE, WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.
"All of our kids' birth parents have all said, you know, 'If only I had known.'"
KATE MIGUES HAS BEEN A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER FOR 15 YEARS. AFTER RECENTLY REVIEWING THE CURRICULUM, SHE NOTICED SOMETHING MISSING.
"So there's actually a law that has been passed in Louisiana, actually since 2006, that requires adoption education in high schools."
BUT ACCORDING TO KATE, AND HER FELLOW TEACHERS, IT'S NEVER REALLY BEEN ADDRESSED.
"They said, 'Yeah, you know, we say that adoption is a good option growing a family, it's also a good option for unexpected pregnancies, and then we just kind of move on."
AS SOMEONE WHO'S ADOPTED TWO CHILDREN HERSELF...THIS MOTHER IS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE CURRENT SYSTEM IN PLACE.
"As they go into young adulthood..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."
SO SHE TOOK MATTERS INTO HER OWN HANDS, CREATING A NON-PROFIT CALLED 'PLACED ADOPTION EDUCATION FOUNDATION.'
"My goal is to get into as many schools as possible and give that adoption education, that is required, from a place of a background in education and experience with adoption."
LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER, JULIET GRANGER, HAS BEEN PLACING CHILDREN INTO HOMES THROUGH ADOPTION SINCE 2001. SHE WAS ALSO THE SOCIAL WORKER WHO HELPED KATE AND HER HUSBAND START A FAMILY.
"They take the information that I give, and they run with it, and they make it their own and they figure out how it fits to their family's needs, and that is what makes a good parent. "When I hear Kate speak about all the work she's put into PLACED, I'm so proud of her."
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HAVING KATE COME SPEAK IN YOUR CLASSROOM, VISIT PLACED ADOPTION ED DOT-COM, OR KATC DOT-COM. IN IBERIA PARISH. ANNA FISCHER. KATC TV3.
