- The Living Adoption Series
Our mission has long included and focused on the worlds of social justice and child welfare. Our "Living Adoption" series educates social workers and aspiring parents alike on what to expect and how to engage the responsibilities of building a family though adoption and foster care.
Proudly partnered with Human Rights Campaign and the Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York!
We offer hard copy & online streaming versions of our titles, and are happy to work out bulk orders/license agreements.
See our pricing options on our company store, or inquire via our Contact Form.
Librarians, Buyers, Agencies, and Administrators looking for educational resources should consider a bundled DVD purchase or streaming package license.
Celebrating 20 years of helping to educate
the world about building healthy families!
4 U.S. States and the Commonwealth of Australia presently use or have used our video series in an official, public-facing capacity to help educate prospective parents as well as train social workers & agency employees about issues in Adoptive and Foster Care. Our titles have been sold to and viewed by individuals & organizations in 49 U.S. States & nations around the world since 1998.
- Struggle for Identity: Issues in Transracial Adoption& A Conversation 10 Years Later
STRUGGLE FOR IDENTITY: ISSUES IN TRANSRACIAL ADOPTION is a thought-provoking 20-minute video presenting a group of adoptees who discuss their experiences growing up in transracial adoptive families. They delve into complex issues such as confronting stereotypes, fitting in with their culture of origin and learning to define themselves in terms of race and culture. Included in the video are interviews with several adoptive parents who discuss the obstacles they faced in raising children of a different race. The compelling voices of experience are touching and often brutally honest in their observations.
Widely considered the definitive video on the subject, Struggle has been incorporated into county and state training and recruitment programs across the U.S. and has been seen in countries around the world. Available on this special edition DVD are never-before-seen bonus scenes, transcripts and articles, a new high quality transfer of the original program, and an all new 20-minute companion film.
Produced in partnership with the Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York
Select Reviews of Struggle For Identity:
"I have been associated with issues on interracial and intercultural parenting for almost 30 years and this is one of the best films I have seen."
Adbul-Rahmaan Muhammad
Senior Vice President
The Village for Families
***
"The video is powerful and on target. The participants articulate the issues in a manner that invites discussion and reflection."
Al Stumph, co-author w/Leora Neal
"Transracial Adoptive Parenting: A Black/White Community Issue"
***
"Ten years later, I viewed the original again. The issues in transracial adoption raised by the young adults back then are just as relevant today. This will continue to be an excellent training tool for professionals and adoptive parents. As a viewer and professional in the field, I was impressed by the conversation 10 years later with John and Michelle. The message from these two adoptees in 2007 is fundamentally the same, but it is now textured with maturity and years of experience working as professionals in an admittedly flawed foster care system. They both understand the flaws, yet are able to paint their picture in a clear, vibrant manner while capturing the nuances inherent in the interactions of human beings. The videos' "deleted scenes" are a bonus and well worth viewing. The overall production is user-friendly, crisp and clear. Bravo to John and Michelle and bravo to Citizens' Coalition for Children (Now Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York) on producing such a valuable video."
Ernesto Loperena
Executive Director
New York Council on Adoptable Children, Inc.
- Living Adoption - Gay Parents Speak
Produced by PhotoSynthesis Productions in partnership with The Human Rights Campaign Foundation
The video follows in the style of PhotoSynthesis’ previous award-winning instructional films STRUGGLE FOR IDENTITY and FOSTER PARENTS SPEAK, with a compelling cast of adoptive parents who tackle issues ranging from the process of adoption, to being a conspicuous family, parenting teens and helping children develop their identity. The DVD includes Bonus Scenes, a discussion guide and more.
Building off the best practices in LGBTQ foster care and adoption developed by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s All Children – All Families initiative, the film and accompanying materials are excellent resources for use in adoption preparation classes for LGBTQ families, adoption support groups, academic classes and LGBTQ cultural competency training for social workers.
Select Reviews of Gay Parents Speak:
"The film is outstanding! . . . a wonderful, honest portrayal of the experiences of ethnically diverse, gay and lesbian adoptive families. This is “Adoption 101” for families—these optimistic, yet realistic couples talk about their experiences, feelings, challenges and strategies for overcoming barriers and concerns from the time they first considered adoption through post-placement. Their pictures and voices tell it all – from their perspectives about good social work practice, laws impacting their adoptions, paperwork, to adopting sibling groups, interracial adoptions, and parenting issues-- these families are amazing! This video will be an excellent resource in adoption preparation classes for families, adoption support groups, academic classes, and adoption competency training for social workers!"
Ruth McRoy
President, Board of Directors
North American Council on Adoptable Children
***
"This is a great DVD that truly captures the experiences of parenting for lesbians and gay men. It is a "must see" for child welfare professionals and social work educators interested in opening wide the closet door and looking into the lives of lesbian and gay foster and adoptive parents."
Gerald P. Mallon
Professor and Executive Director
National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections
Hunter College School of Social Work
A Service of the US HHS/ACF Children's Bureau
***
"This moving video would be insightful for those working with prospective adoptive parents who are lesbian or gay as well as for those parents themselves. Many of the issues addressed are common to all adoptive families - in fact, there is so much information covered that it is hard to believe that it is only 20 minutes long. Very touching, informative and well done!"
Sarah Gerstenzang
Executive Director
NYS Citizens' Coalition for Children
(Now Adoptive and Foster Families Coalition)
***
"So well done and engaging!"
Ritch C. Savin-Williams
Chair & Professor, Human Development
Director, Sex & Gender Lab
Cornell University
***
"This film offers renewed hope for the tens of thousands of children in foster care in the United States who need adoptive families, and to the dedicated professionals who work on their behalf."
Kathy Ledesma
National Project Director
AdoptUsKid
- Foster Parents Speak: Crossing Bridges and Fostering ChangeFOSTER PARENTS SPEAK explores foster parenting today through the experience and insights of foster families. Foster parents speak candidly about the challenges and rewards in developing shared parenting relationships with birth families and professionals.
Produced in partnership with the Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York
Select Reviews of Foster Parents Speak:
"At last, an honest and moving film that captures the essence of what it means to be a foster parent in America. . . The foster families in this film speak openly and honestly about the challenges and the deeply felt rewards that are made manifest when they took the risk and reached out to share their parenting experiences with birth families. This is a film that all child welfare professionals and parents should watch."
Gerald P. Mallon
Professor and Executive Director
National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections
Hunter College School of Social Work
A Service of the US HHS/ACF Children's Bureau
***
"It is superb. I think all of the breadth of knowledge that these various foster parents bring to the table gives one a sense of both the challenges and the fulfillment of being a stand-in parent for kids who are in limbo. I think the world has funny views about who and what foster parents are, and these parents give us a sense of the integrity, the dedication, the insight, the perseverance, the humor, the anger and the frustration that all go into the mix. Raising children who come to you in a crisis and who are traumatized is not easy. . . This film is illuminating, educating and essential to let the world know what it means to foster."
Dr. Joyce Maguire Pavao
Founder & CEO
Center For Family Connections
***
"It is an excellent video and you have done a very good job of capturing real responses. . . Authentic voices; the voices of foster parents. The video speaks revealingly of the realities of being foster parents."
Millicent M Williams, ACSW
Director of Foster Care Services
Child Welfare League of America
***
"The video truly depicts building bridges between foster parents and birth parents. It supports the best interest of the child throughout and is a great resource! It definitely fills an unmet need."
Karen Jorgenson
Executive Director
National Foster Parent Association
***
"An excellent training tool to get foster parents talking about the challenges and joys of working with birth parents. The voices of the foster parents bring reality to all our talk about the value of true partnerships for children."
MaryLee Allen
Director, Child Welfare Division
Children’s Defense Fund
