Touching Lives
An estimated 6 million
Americans were adopted. Each one of them has
two sets of families, all members of which are
deeply affected. This means one third of the
U.S. population is touched by adoption. Yet
the effects of adoption are largely invisible to the
public eye.
PACER is an adoption support and
advocacy organization dedicated to truth, openness,
and transformation of the adoption system and the
laws that govern it. We are a volunteer
organization committed to changing the secrecy and shame
that surround adoption.
To read a brief
history of PACER, click here.
Our Goal...
... is to serve all members
of the adoption triad – adoptees, birth parents, and
adoptive parents – through education and
information, and to work for honesty and justice in
adoption policy and practice. We seek to enhance
communication among all those affecting and affected
by adoption, while simultaneously appreciating and
supporting the different experiences and needs of
each member.
In addition to serving
triad members, PACER works to educate adoption
professionals, counselors, social workers,
physicians, educators, lawyers, clergy and the
media.
Building Awareness
and Openness
Since 1978, PACER has
supported the concept that relinquishment and
adoption are lifelong experiences for members of the
adoption triad – adoptee,
birthparents and siblings, and the adoptive family.
We believe that all members of the adoption triad are best
served by an atmosphere of openness and honesty.
By
helping open both adoption records and the minds of the
general public and lawmakers to the profound impact
of relinquishment and adoption, we are working to
replace secrecy and shame
with healthier, more humanistic,
and more ethical adoption practices.
Our Board
PACER is led by a
volunteer Board of Directors. They are:
- Jim Gabbard
(adoptee)
- Doug Johnson
(adoptee)
- Mark Kunkel
(adoptee)
- Malcolm Pearson
(adoptee)
- Gene Sperring
(adoptive father)
- Kathy Waddill
(birth mother)
- Vicki White
(adoptee)
Your Support...
...and generosity will
facilitate our work in the adoption community.
PACER's rich collective experience and insights,
coupled with its volunteers' dedication and with adequate
financial support, can help validate the adoption
experience while serving all members of the triad
with fairness and compassion.
To join PACER and
support these efforts, click
here.
