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“Personal Belongings” Project: Returning Records to Adoptees & Birth Families
PLEASE NOTE: To receive a certificate of attendance for the live webinar, attendees must register individually, attend the entire training, and watch from their own device to ensure proper tracking
The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) is working to return approximately 9,500 personal items to adoptees and birth families, some dating back to 1885. This session explores the complexities of such efforts, drawing from a similar 2019 initiative in Seattle, where over 3,000 adoption files were audited and items returned. Attendees will gain insight into structuring large-scale record restoration projects, navigating ethical dilemmas, and overcoming challenges to ensure adoptees have access to their personal histories.
Angela Tucker is a Black transracial adoptee and the author of “You Should Be Grateful:” Stories of Race, Identity, and Transracial Adoption, published in April 2023 by Beacon Press. Her search for her biological family was featured in the documentary CLOSURE, which premiered on Netflix in 2015. In 2022, Angela founded the non-profit Adoptee Mentoring Society, offering virtual mentorship for adoptees worldwide. With 15 years of experience in child welfare, she has appeared on CNN, Red Table Talk, The New Yorker, and more, advocating for adoptees. Angela lives in Seattle, WA.
