Agency History

In Illinois in the 1960s, a need existed to coordinate the services delivered to the hundreds of Illinois children available for adoption between the 71 adoption offices serving these children. On September 29, 1969, the Child Care Association of Illinois (CCAI) Board of Directors voted to sponsor an Adoption Coordinating Project (ACP) for three years.

The purpose of the privately funded ACP was to change the focus of Illinois adoption from finding children for families to serving children, particularly African-American children, who needed permanent homes. The specific goal was to help place 1,000 waiting children with adoptive families during the three-year project.

On May 1, 1971, the Child Care Association appointed the Reverend Charles Filson to head the project as the first Adoption Coordinator.

The Adoption Listing Service

It was Rev. Filson, borrowing from the concept of the Realtors' Multiple Listing Service, who introduced the idea of having the state's Adoption Exchange Bulletin include photos of waiting children. (The bulletin described waiting children and families, and had been periodically distributed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services [DCFS] since 1964.) As a gift to the Adoption Coordinating Project, the Springfield Board of Realtors committed to weekly printing of the photos and descriptions of waiting children.

On September 7, 1971, the Adoption Listing Service (ALS) book was distributed to all agencies and groups that had previously received the Adoption Exchange Bulletin. Tawanda Jones was the first child listed in the ALS book and also hosted the ALS 20th anniversary celebration.

The Success of the Project

An evaluation of the Adoption Coordinating Project in 1974 revealed that during its first three years, 818 waiting children found homes, including those most needing services: African-American children. Based on its success, the ACP continued as the Adoption Program of the Child Care Association of Illinois.

Setting the Stage for the Adoption Information Center of Illinois, Inc.

Rev. Filson remained the Adoption Coordinator until 1978, when Marilyn Panichi assumed the position. In 1980, Panichi wrote a proposal to create a central organization to operate the Adoption Listing Service, initiate statewide adoption education campaigns, and act as the central source in Illinois for adoption information.

In January 1981, the Adoption Information Center of Illinois (AICI) opened its doors in Chicago. The Illinois DCFS funded AICI through a contractual agreement with the Child Care Association of Illinois, which employed the Center's staff and administered the program.

The AICI Agenda

The Adoption Information Center sought to recruit, refer, and retain prospective parents for children who were waiting to be adopted, to link waiting children with adoptive parents, and to provide support and/or referral services to adoptive families. These efforts were accomplished through a number of AICI initiatives, including Adoption Recruitment and Education Services, Adoption Referral and Retention Services, and Post Adoption Services.

Reaching Out

Since its inception, AICI has used a variety of methods to bring the needs of waiting children to public attention. The Center, in conjunction with the Illinois DCFS, launched two successful multimedia campaigns: "I Want to be a Son" and "Give a Kid a Future" in 1982 and 1986, respectively. The "Son" campaign won an Effie Award for Advertising Effectiveness.

In 1990, AICI joined Wendy's International and the White House Special Needs Adoption Initiative in a multimedia campaign titled, "Consider Adoption."

Using the power of television, AICI worked with WGN-TV Chicago from 1981-82 and from 1992-2006, as well as with NBC-TV Chicago from 1999-2005, to spotlight waiting children. Segments aired during the stations' evening newscasts or throughout the week, resulting in thousands of calls and hundreds of children finding adoptive homes. During the 1990s, AICI also produced videos of waiting children to show prospective adoptive families, as well as a cable TV program featuring waiting children and hosted by children who had been adopted. Appearances on the Phil Donahue and Oprah Winfrey programs in the 1980s sparked national interest among families seeking to adopt.

The print medium proved to be another significant source of adoption awareness and education. National magazines - including Ebony, Country Woman, and Shop Talk - published adoption articles in the 1980s. Newspapers throughout Illinois have profiled children awaiting adoption, including the Chicago Sun-Times, which carried its "A Family for Me" series for more than 30 years. Company newsletters have also carried waiting children stories.

From 1990-2007, AICI produced its own publication titled, Adopt Me. Each edition featured a selection of waiting children along with timely articles that addressed adoptive parents' questions and concerns, and provided additional information for prospective adoptive parents.

Through a series of community events, AICI directly approached families interested in the adoption option. In 1984, an Adoption Fair was held at the James R. Thompson Center. In the following years, Chicago neighborhood festivals, "talk-a-thons," library exhibits, community and workplace meetings, and a variety of other forums were used to bring more families into the adoption process. From 1985-1999, AICI sponsored "matching parties" to bring waiting children and waiting families together in activity-filled settings, thereby creating opportunities for adoption matches.

Beginning in 2005, AICI also raised awareness through displays of high quality, professionally produced portraits of waiting children. AICI launched this initiative, known as the Heart Gallery of Illinois, in partnership with the Illinois DCFS, the Office of then Lt. Governor Pat Quinn, and a group of committed volunteers. The Heart Gallery has since traveled to museums, art galleries, libraries, and downtown office lobbies. The effort introduced more than 50 waiting children to potential adoptive families between 2005 and 2009.

AICI has regularly reached out to families through its website. The site was updated and re-launched in May 2009, and continues to include comprehensive adoption information, photolistings of waiting children, and inquiry forms for interested families. The site also features multimedia listings for some children, including videos and slideshow presentations designed to showcase their interests and personality.

Valued Partnerships

In addition to the support of its other partners, AICI has been the recipient of several federal grants, including Project Dream (1992), the Village Investment Project (1994), and the Post Adoption Clearinghouse (1995). Once Illinois expanded its post adoption services, AICI began operating the Post Adoption and Guardianship Information and Referral Service, which replaced the clearinghouse. In 1998, AICI received a contract from the Illinois DCFS to operate the Foster Parent Inquiry Line. (This contract was later combined with AICI's Adoption Listing Service.)

Over the years, AICI's skilled resource workers have responded to thousands of families by providing valuable information on adoption and foster care. From 2005-09, AICI served as the response team for all Illinois families who inquired as a result of the Collaboration to AdoptUsKids national adoption recruitment campaign, a partnership between The Children's Bureau of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services and the Adoption Exchange Association.

In April 2006, AICI established a partnership with Voices for Illinois Children and WGN-TV to respond to callers from the "Foster Kids Are Our Kids" social marketing campaign, which had a goal of encouraging community members to volunteer with private child welfare agencies. WGN-TV promoted the campaign's message through a series of public service announcements.

As of July 1, 2001, the Adoption Information Center of Illinois became a division of Adoptions Unlimited, Inc. a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was founded by Marilyn Panichi and other staff members of AICI.

Looking Forward

As long as there are waiting children in Illinois, the Adoption Information Center will continue to carry the adoption message to families throughout the state, and will also work with the child welfare agencies that serve waiting children and potential adoptive families.