DePelchin Children’s Center supports and sustains children and the families who care for them, providing comprehensive services focused on ensuring all children are part of safe, caring homes. They deploy evidence-based practices and strategies to prevent maltreatment, preserve healthy families, and bring healing to children who have experienced trauma by enhancing their physical health and mental well-being.

The After Harm, Hope book was designed to engage potential adoptive parents for the adoption of older children aged 5–17 from abusive backgrounds. These children brought with them the scars of physical, emotional and/or sexual trauma at the hands of their parents. And the commitment of prospective parents was even larger as many of these kids are part of sibling groups with multiple children, and the need to keep them together in the same home is paramount.

The book takes difficult subject matter and presents it in a compelling, hopeful manner. Vignettes of positive DePelchin adoption stories are presented, along with stories about the adoption process, FAQs and the benefits of adoption, for both the parents and child. The photographic style and narratives written by children who found their “forever family” warm the piece and reinforce the message of the importance of a child finding a permanent family, regardless of background.

This piece was produced as the result of an Ideas That Matter grant from Sappi Paper that I applied for and received. I was fortunate enough to be adopted one month after I was born, and I could not fathom the idea of being a school-aged child and not having someone to call “mom” or “dad.”