Ad Council: The Rewards

The Ad Council has partnerd with the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and AdoptUSKids, to announce the launch of heartfelt new public service advertisements (PSAs). The new work, created pro-bono by Edelman, aims to inspire prospective adoptive parents to consider adopting a teen from foster care. The longstanding campaign is celebrating 20 years of impact this year and has contributed to the more than one million children and youth adopted from the US foster care system since the program began in 2004. Compared to younger children, teenagers in foster care have a particularly challenging time getting adopted and may wait up to twice as long to achieve permanency. According to the most recent Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) data, teens (13–17 years of age) constituted 23% of the children/youth waiting to be adopted in the foster care system, but account for only 12% of those adopted. To address this important issue and encourage prospective parents to consider adopting teens from foster care, the campaign features honest, emotional storytelling to inspire prospective parents to take the next step and learn more at adoptuskids.org. The new creative, 'The Rewards,' produced by Greenpoint Pictures and directed by The Hudson Dusters (Michael Kuhn and Niles Roth), spotlights real adoptive families who have personally experienced the mutual benefits of adoption. The PSAs begin with a touching display of openness and vulnerability as adoptive parents reflect on their adoption journeys and their initial questions and hesitations about adopting a teen. Then, in a deeply emotional turn, the adoptive parents witness their children recounting the profound rewards of adoption in their lives, highlighting the shared love they have for one another and how the decision to become a family is reciprocal. The campaign directs viewers to adoptuskids.org to learn more about adopting a teen from foster care.