New Mexico Children, Youth
and Families Department
Foster a Future — Adopt a New Mexico Child
In 1999, Cooney, Watson & Associates, Inc. was
selected by the New Mexico Children, Youth & Families (CYFD)
Department to develop a campaign to recruit prospective foster and
adoptive parents. The need was critical – with more than 2,500
children needing foster care on an annual basis and hundreds of
children waiting for new adoptive families.
Challenges
-
Overcome pervasive misperceptions about eligibility for becoming
a foster/adoptive parent regarding income, home ownership and
age
-
Overcome a perception that qualifying as a foster/adoptive
parent was a long, difficult process
-
Overcome misperceptions about the type of children needing foster/adoptive homes
-
Educate the public on the very great need for foster/adoptive
children
Activities
-
Production of a 30-minute television special, hosted by actor
Edward James Olmos, that featured actual adoptive and foster
parents in New Mexico talking about their experiences with the
New Mexico Children, Youth & Families Dept
-
A series of six public service announcements in English and
Spanish that were spun off from the television program and continue
to be placed in public service advertising schedules/rotations
this year
-
Focus group research among current, potential and former foster/adoptive
parents in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Grants, Gallup, Las Cruces
and Roswell. The research revealed barriers and misperceptions
among these individuals before they got involved in the program,
and suggested improvements to help recruit/retain foster and
adoptive parents on an ongoing basis
-
Creation of print materials including a brochure, poster, post
card and rack card, in English and Spanish, that could be distributed
through CYFD offices, private adoption agencies and at special
events such as the New Mexico State Fair
-
Widespread duplication/dissemination of the 30-minute television
special for use in recruitment activities and efforts at CYFD
offices throughout the state
-
Development of a campaign website (www.cyfd.org) that utilized
the same graphics as other materials and included photos and
biographical sketches of more than 115 children currently available
for adoption. The web site is now updated several times a year.
-
Creation and publication of the Futures adoption magazine,
a 56-page book that includes photos and biographical sketches
of more than 115 children currently available for adoption which
we now update and produce twice a year
-
Assistance in training/development of the existing 1-800-432-2075
hotline that prospective adoptive/foster parents call to ensure
leads were being tracked and responded to in a timely basis
-
Development and implementation of the first annual "Foster
& Adoptive Family Reunion", which attracted more than
600 members of families involved in the CYFD program to a picnic/party
at the New Mexico State Fairgrounds
-
Creation and distribution of a press release to kick off the
program that was distributed on a county-by-county basis with
figures of children available for adoption by county
Results
Since the campaign was launched, the CYFD reported the following
results:
-
Overall inquiries from prospective foster/adoptive parents
had increased by 250 percent statewide and more than 400 percent
in some targeted regions of the state
-
Visits to the web site have increased by 200 percent
-
The campaign received First Place and a Judge’s Choice
Award in the 1999 New Mexico Advertising Federation Addy Awards
competiton
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Materials developed
for this campaign:
- Brochures in English and Spanish
- Rack cards in English and Spanish
- Picnic for more than 700 parents and foster children
- Press conferences
- 30-minute television special
- 7 Public service announcements
- Website
- Adoption guide
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