NYS Citizens' Coalition for Children, Inc.
CoaltioNet: Networking for Adoption

Executive Summary • Final Project Report

---

A. General Overview

The New York State Citizens' Coalition for Children (NYSCCC) is an organization of concerned citizens, agencies, and over 150 volunteer adoptive and foster parent groups across the diverse regions of New York State, dedicated to the right of every child to a permanent, loving family. In 1997 NYSCCC was awarded a three-year Adoption Opportunities grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to use computer technology to support member parent groups in their activities to promote sustainable, loving placements for children in need of families, and provide support for adoptive and foster families and children.

The CoalitioNet project design was based on the premise that groups of committed and well-informed adoptive and foster parents could make significant contributions to meet NYS foster children's needs for permanency and adoptive families' needs for support. Though adoptive and foster parent groups are widely recognized as effective recruiters and supporters of new adoptive families, NYS parent group leaders often reported that they were hampered in their ability to participate fully in group activities due to demanding family schedules and geographic barriers. Increasingly, group leaders asked for assistance with computers and use of the internet in order to develop more efficient ways of communicating with their members, their counterparts throughout the state, and others in the adoption and foster care community.

 NYSCCC planned to build on its leadership and expertise in working with diverse parent groups and use innovative technology to capitalize on the potential of the groups themselves to provide vitally needed adoption support services. Thus, the principal objective of the three-year project: "to use computer technology to increase the competency, effectiveness, and participation of New York State parent groups to enable them to deliver adoption support, recruitment, and advocacy services, hence increasing adoptive placements in New York State and reducing the potential for adoption disruptions."

Each year of the grant, parent groups from around the state were invited to submit a proposal for project participation and funding. The 24 local parent groups with successful proposals were awarded $1,500, a laptop computer, and training and technical support from NYSCCC. CoalitioNet project services to grantees and parent groups statewide included communication, networking, and education via the internet; three annual two-day statewide adoption training conferences; distribution of print newsletters and training materials; technical training conferences and workshops; and ongoing telephone and online technical assistance.

B. Project Outcomes

The New York State Citizens' Coalition for children is pleased to report achievement of all project objectives. A brief summary of significant activities and outcomes follows.

NYSCCC achieved a broad-based statewide electronic communications and training network by assisting adoptive and foster parent groups with computer hardware and software acquisition, redesigning and expanding the NYSCCC website, establishing a parent group email discussion group, conducting online meetings and chats, and forming an extensive email advocacy network. The website became an essential communication tool comprised of over 300 pages covering a wide range of adoption and foster care topics that received over 32,000 visits a month.

During the project, NYSCCC developed the email capacity to reach over 1,200 adoption and foster care advocates and sent out hundreds of advocacy alerts and informational bulletins via broadcast lists. The Coalition capitalized on the use of email and the website to support advocacy efforts intended to achieve state-supported post adoption services. The efforts resulted in a $3.3 million state appropriation to fund 13 regional or community-based adoption resource centers, a first in New York's history.

Sub-grants, consisting of $1,500 and a fully-configured laptop computer, were awarded to 24 NYS adoptive and foster parent groups in order to increase their participation in the electronic network and enable them to develop locally-based adoption support, recruitment, and advocacy services. CoalitioNet grantees far exceeded projected recruitment goals. Their projects resulted in the recruitment of 216 prospective adoptive and foster families, 90 adoptive placements, and 35 adoption finalizations.

Grantees were equally successful in developing locally-based support services and gaining recognition and respect within their affiliated agencies and communities. All grantees developed at least one new family support service, while many developed multiple services. Grantees reported receiving major media coverage, resulting in increased membership and local awareness of parent group activities. Several reported a new sense of respect from professionals and an improved working relationship with their local agencies.

Nine new parent groups were developed through the CoalitioNet grant program. Five serve primarily African American populations. Two additional grantees reorganized or revitalized existing groups, and another expanded services into two nearby underserved counties. During the third budget period, NYSCCC worked with 23 new or revitalized parent groups, in addition to grantees, to assist them with group development and management activities. 

NYSCCC sponsored a statewide adoption training conference in Albany, NY each year of the project. Consisting of three plenary addresses by nationally-known speakers and 30 workshops over six workshop periods, the conferences averaged 260 attendees and received overwhelmingly positive evaluations. The conferences brought together adoptive and foster parents and child welfare and other child-focused professionals for a highly-valued learning and networking experience.

Technology trainings and various technical assistance were provided to parent group leaders throughout the project period, which resulted in increased knowledge and use of electronic communications and computer applications. Technology trainings included introduction to computers at annual grantee award meetings, three full-day technology conferences, onsite visits to grantee parent groups, website postings, frequent email and telephone communication, and publication of a CoalitioNet computer training manual.

All grantees attended technology training programs and demonstrated their mastery of computer applications. Grantees participated in online meetings and chats, the CCCAdopt email discussion group, and ongoing email communication with NYSCCC staff and their own networks. Several grantees created their own websites and formed local email groups to share NYSCCC advocacy alerts and email information broadcasts.

 CoalitioNet education and information services increased the knowledge of adoptive and foster parents, professionals, and other advocates, concerning adoption and foster care related issues. This was accomplished through distribution of the Coalition's newsletter, The Coalition Voice, to over 1,000 subscribers, website expansion, workshop presentations at quarterly membership meetings, presentations at numerous local, state, and national conferences, and wide-ranging information and referral. NYSCCC responded to hundreds of telephone and email information requests, increasing by an average of 100 requests per quarter between Year 1 and the last year of the project.

The CoalitioNet project expanded volunteer involvement in the statewide adoption and foster care movement and strengthened the adoptive and foster parent group network. By enabling more adoptive and foster parents to get online, the Coalition developed a potent advocacy network with the capability of responding instantly when needs arose. The activities conducted through the grant made it possible for NYSCCC to reach and teach hundreds of adoptive and foster parents, to focus their attention on the needs of children awaiting adoption and families needing services, and to guide them in ways to speak out effectively. In addition to contributing to the success of statewide advocacy efforts, network development activities resulted in a renewed sense of community among grantees and NYS parent groups.

C. Key Findings

The experience and technical expertise gained during the CoalitioNet project enabled NYSCCC to become a stronger and more effective organization, better prepared and equipped to achieve its goals and serve its constituency of adoptive and foster parent groups. Approaches developed and lessons learned substantially enhanced the Coalition's understanding and knowledge of parent groups' needs and improved parent groups' ability to further their local agendas and contribute to positive statewide system change.

Use and mastery of computer technology by grantees and other NYS parent groups grew substantially during the project period, as evidenced by demonstration, survey results, and grantee reports. Although much of the growth mirrors national trends, a significant portion of the increased use of computer technology among Coalition parent groups can be directly attributed to CoalitioNet activities. Also during the project period, NYSCCC gained increased awareness of the benefits and applications of electronic information and communication systems and developed more efficient and effective internal management and service delivery procedures.

The vast majority of grantee parent groups reported that the technological resources and training gained from their participation in the project simplified administrative tasks, thereby allowing them to increase their focus on recruitment and/or family support service development. Many groups were able not only to expand activities but also better able to respond to their local community's needs and strengths.

Project activities succeeded in developing an effective and widely used electronic communications network among NYSCCC staff, NYS parent group leaders, adoption and foster care professionals, state and national child welfare advocates, and adoptive and foster parents. Project activities that appear to have had the largest impact on building the network included expansion of the NYSCCC website, grantee website development, and widespread dissemination of NYSCCC email broadcasts. Parent groups reported increased access to useful information and an enhanced sense of connection to the larger parent group and advocacy community. Grantee and other NYS parent groups increased their participation in statewide systems advocacy and applied newly acquired information and technology to advance local agendas.

The CoalitioNet project clearly demonstrated that with a very small grant, knowledge of computer technology, and a variety of technical assistance and support services from the Coalition, volunteer citizen groups of adoptive and foster parents can be extremely effective in recruiting adoptive and foster families and developing support services to meet the needs of local families and children. Through the success of the project, the Coalition strengthened New York's adoption and foster care advocacy network, increased the knowledge and skills of statewide advocates, delivered needed education and support services, and helped achieve permanent outcomes for waiting children and increased services for families throughout the state.

10/30/02