The concept of what constitutes a family, and what is considered to be a “normal” one, has been controversial for generations – and has changed dramatically during our lifetimes. For over 15 years, Pulitzer Prize nominee Adam Pertman has been writing, lecturing throughout the U.S. and internationally, appearing in the media and educating a broad range of professionals in the public and private sectors about what he calls “a revolution in the family.” And, for over a decade, he has been a champion for the broad, expanding range of American families – and has been an effective, outspoken advocate for children – as President of the Donaldson Adoption Institute, a national nonprofit that is the pre-eminent research, policy and education organization in its field. To Pertman, who is one of the most sought-after speakers and experts in his field, adoption’s entry into the social mainstream is both a clear example of the changes taking place and a prism through which to view and understand the broader cultural transformation – which he argues directly or indirectly affects virtually everyone in our country.

Prior to his work at the Adoption Institute, Pertman distinguished himself as a senior writer and editor for over 20 years at the Boston Globe, where he was honored with a Pulitzer Prize nomination for his writing about adoption as a transformative social phenomenon. For the following decade, he established himself as one of the most-effective, respected organizational and thought leaders in the child welfare world. As head of a national nonprofit, he took a small, under-resourced organization and transformed it into the top think tank in its field.

Pertman is also the Associate Editor of Adoption Quarterly, the premier research journal dealing with adoption and foster care. In addition, he is the author of the groundbreaking Adoption Nation: How the Adoption Revolution is Transforming Our Families – and America, which has been reviewed as “the most important book ever written on the subject.” His latest book is Gay and Lesbian Adoption: A New Dimension in Family Diversity, and he has written scores of other book chapters and articles on family-related issues that have appeared in scholarly journals and mass-market publications in this country and many others.

Pertman has delivered hundreds of influential, inspiring and highly praised keynotes, trainings and other presentations nationally and internationally for companies including Microsoft Corp., State Street and Prudential Financial, as well as to major organizations such as the Child Welfare League of America, the American Adoption Congress, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Joint Council on International Children’s Services and the National Association of Child Advocates, among others. The audiences he speaks to include a wide range of professionals, from judges to journalists, from business leaders to mental health professionals, from educators to social activists. Most pointedly, whether the topic is adoption or race or LGBT rights or the need to find homes for children or any other component of family equality, those in attendance leave inspired with more to think about and better information.

Pertman’s commentaries on families and children have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, Boston Globe, Baltimore Sun, Miami Herald and on National Public Radio, CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox News, among others. Articles about him, his books and his work have appeared in numerous publications nationwide, including the New York Times and People. As a leading expert on adoption and family issues, he is widely quoted in the media and has been a guest on many programs, including Oprah, Today, The View and Nightline.

Pertman has received numerous awards for his important contributions to children and families; they include the Angel in Adoption award from the US Congress’ adoption caucus; the Special Friend of Children Award from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent psychiatry; the President’s Award from the African American Cultural Council of Virginia; and the Dave Thomas Center for Adoption Law’s first award for “the nation’s greatest contributor to public understanding about adoption and permanency placement issues.”

Pertman is a passionate, articulate and inspirational advocate for connecting our cultural, economic and geopolitical worlds in order to improve the lives of the tens of millions of people touched directly by adoption – especially children – and for using his expertise to promote better understanding of the profound, historic changes that affect us all. With eloquent, highly informed and deeply personal speeches that can be customized for individual audiences, he courageously and honestly addresses the key issues in our lives today. Audiences will receive the knowledge they need to address with the transformations occurring in schools, workplaces, families and, essentially, all of society – and they will be motivated to act.

Child Abuse, Parenting, Homelessness & Poverty, Diversity & Inclusion, Keynote, Diversity Topics