Navigating the Intersections of Race, Faith, and the Adoptee Experience.
About the Initiative
What is Shades of Belonging?
Shades of Belonging is a national research and community building initiative with a mission to uplift the experiences of adoptees of color. Led by researcher Dr. David McCarty-Caplan and funded in part by grants from Jews of Color Initiative and Jewtina y Co.
Did You Know...
2X
Jewish families adopt at 2x the rate of the the general population in the United States.
(Kredier 2003)
76%
By the 2010s, 76% of adoptions into Jewish families were non-white children adopted by white parents?
(Sartori 2016)
66%
Between 2000-2009, it is estimated 66% of adoptions to Jewish American parents were children adopted from another country.
(Sartori 2016)
500K
There are more than 500,000 American Jews whose families are directly impacted by adoption.
(National Jewish Population Survey 2001)
Our Mission
To uplift the voices of Adoptees of Color through cutting edge research and community building opportunities.
Learning & Engagement Opportunities
Initiative Creator & Researcher
Dr. David McCarty-Caplan, MA, PhD is a social work researcher, educator, writer and consultant. Adopted from Colombia as a newborn by Jewish American parents, David has focused his attention on exploring the experiences of Jewish adoptees of color. When delving into this topic a few years ago, he quickly discovered there is little published research on it. David decided to create it himself, and Shades of Belonging was born.
Community Festival Feedback
Our Sponsors
Shades of Belonging is funded by grants from the following non-profit organizations:
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