Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Release # 019-00
Wednesday, January 12, 2000

Release #-019-00

Contact: Sunny Mindel/Samantha I. Lugo 212-788-2958
Leonora Wiener/Jennifer Falk, ACS 212-341-0999



MAYOR GIULIANI AND ACS COMMISSIONER SCOPPETTA LAUNCH TELEVISION PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT TO RECRUIT ADOPTIVE PARENTS FOR FOSTER CHILDREN

Television PSA marks the third phase of the "Should I Adopt?" Campaign

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Administration for Children's Services (ACS) Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta today launched a new 30-seconds television public service announcement (PSA) targeted at recruiting adoptive parents for children in the New York City foster care system. Seven-year-old Rochine, who is featured in the PSA, his adoptive father, Michael Jefferson, and Lenny Stern, partner of the firm Shepardson Stern & Kaminsky, that created the PSA, joined the Mayor and Commissioner Scoppetta at the event.

"Over the past two years, the 'Should I Adopt?' campaign has helped thousands of New Yorkers get in touch with ACS through the (212) 676-WISH hotline to learn more about the process of adoption in New York City," Mayor Giuliani said. "The ACS Parent Recruitment Hotline provides information to New Yorkers who have been thinking about adoption. These ads will help ACS to educate more potential adoptive parents about their options and requirements, and hopefully lead many New Yorkers to open their minds and hearts to children in foster care," the Mayor added.

"As a result of the PSA campaign, many more foster children could find permanent, loving homes. I want to thank both the Kellogg Foundation for providing funding for this project and other ACS adoption initiatives, and Shepardson Stern & Kaminsky for giving us their time and expertise on a pro bono basis to create this wonderful public service announcement," the Mayor concluded.

This television PSA marks the third phase of the "Should I Adopt?" ad campaign, and features Rochine, a seven-year-old boy who was adopted through the NYC foster care system. Rochine's adoptive parents, Michael and Carrie Jefferson, have adopted six foster children including Rochine and his three brothers.

Commissioner Scoppetta said, "ACS began the 'Should I Adopt?' campaign in December 1997 to encourage New Yorkers to consider opening their homes to the hundreds of New York City's foster children who long for a permanent place to call home. Since the creation of the agency in 1996, we have completed an astonishing 15,322 adoptions (through FY'99). And we want to see even more children in happy families like the Jefferson's. With this campaign, we hope to reach out to parents who have thought about adoption but still have questions about adopting children who are older, children who are part of large siblings groups or special needs children in foster care. This PSA is an important addition to ACS's adoption initiatives and I want to thank Shepardson Stern & Kaminsky for providing us with a compelling PSA, which will enable us to further this commitment to the children of our City."

Lenny Stern said, "We are grateful to ACS Commissioner Scoppetta, the Kellogg Foundation, and the Mayor's Office for the opportunity to work on a campaign as meaningful as this one. Our hope is that this PSA raises awareness about the ACS Parent Recruitment Hotline, a valuable resource for people who have real questions about how to adopt children in foster care. ACS plays a critical role in our community as it guides New Yorkers through the process and provides resources that turn peoples' dreams about adoption into a reality. In addition to all the folks at Shepardson Stern & Kaminsky who developed the campaign, I'd like to thank the director, Jim Fields at Smokestack Productions, the editor, Nick Martin at Chinagraph, Pete Nashel, who did the music, Jacob Trollbach, who did the animation, and the many other folks who gave their time and resources on the project."

Of the 35,200 children in foster care, ACS estimates that one-quarter will not be able to return home to their birth parents for various reasons. Most of these children live in pre-adoptive homes with their foster parents but there are currently about 1,000 foster children who still need homes right now.

The "Should I Adopt?" ad campaign was started by ACS with the help of
Shepardson Stern & Kaminsky in 1997. The campaign publicizes the ACS Parent Recruitment Hotline number (212) 676-WISH. The Parent Recruitment Hotline, in operation from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, is staffed by 5 full-time adoption representatives who can answer questions in English and Spanish. The print and radio PSA's were seen and heard throughout NYC in 1998 and 1999.

Shepardson Stern & Kaminsky, a Manhattan-based advertising firm generously provided their services at no charge to ACS. The firm conducted focus groups with prospective adoptive parents and with parents who have already adopted foster children to explore attitudes, opinions, and procedural issues related to adopting children in foster care. The results of the research were used to design the campaign.

The "Should I Adopt?" campaign was funded through part of a $4 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation's New York City Families for Kids initiative. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation provides funding for a series of special projects designed to achieve the goals of promoting and expediting adoptions. The "Should I Adopt?" advertising campaign is part of the comprehensive reform of ACS's adoption process which includes streamlining internal procedures and coordinating efforts with the Family Court and the State Department of Social Services.


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