Adopt Change hosts fundraising screenings of LION

** MEDIA RELEASE**

ADOPT CHANGE HOSTS FUNDRAISING SCREENINGS OF LION

Sunday January 15

Sydney, Monday 9 January – Adopt Change, supported by Transmission films, will host advanced screenings of the Golden Globe nominated film, LION, this Sunday 15 January at 10.30am in six Australian capital cities.  
The advanced screenings will help raise funds for Adopt Change to continue its advocacy and research work to ensure that more children have permanent, stable, loving homes. 

Adopt Change CEO, Renee Carter, says LION raises a number of important topics surrounding adoption including, 

• the need for accessible pre and post adoptive supports for adoptive families 

• the importance of family tracing services

• the value of family of many kinds including birth families and adoptive families

“We are very excited to be hosting advanced screenings of LION,” Ms Carter said. “In 2016 only 278* children were adopted (local and inter country), the lowest number on record in Australia.”

“The figures alone indicate a broken system and we hope that the film will help raise awareness about adoption, different kinds of family and the urgent need for reform to Australian adoption laws, practices and supports.”

Adopt Change Founder and Patron, Deborra-lee Furness, said, “LION is a beautifully crafted film, both poignant and very moving. I defy anyone to leave the theatre without shedding a tear.

“This film for me, reinforces the importance of having gold standard pre and post adoptive services in place to provide ongoing support for adoptive families, which is what Adopt Change is passionately advocating for in Australia.”

The fundraising preview screenings will take place on Sunday 15 January 10.30am in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and Perth. Fore more information and to purchase tickets please go to https://www.adoptchange.org.au/events

View LION trailer here: http://www.lionmovie.com.au

ENDS

Available for interview: Renee Carter, Chief Executive Officer, Adopt Change.

About Adopt Change and National Adoption Awareness Week (NAAW)

Adopt Change believes that every child has a right to grow up in a permanent, loving family, and embraces adoption as a positive and important way of forming that family.

Adopt Change’s mission is to raise community awareness, encourage ethical reform, and empower all Australians to engage with issues affecting adoption.

Adopt Change is committed to working with community and governments to transform attitudes and laws affecting adoption in Australia.

Adopt Change advocates for open adoption as the first permanent option considered for children who cannot live with their family or kin and will otherwise spend their childhood in Out of Home Care. 

National Adoption Awareness Week (NAAW) is coordinated by Adopt Change to promote reform of Australian adoption laws and practices to facilitate a pro-adoption community. NAAW was founded by Deborra-lee Funess in 2008 and is the second week of November each year. 

About Renee Carter

Renee Carter is the CEO of Adopt Change and member of the Institute Advisory Group for the Independent Research Centre Institute of Open Adoption Studies (The University of Sydney). 

Renee has a strong background in communications and executive management, along with board level experience in the corporate and not-for-profit sectors and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD). Her experience includes three years as Chair of charity Child Abuse Prevention Service (CAPS), an organisation focused on early intervention, education and support of families and communities. 

Renee is passionate about influencing policy and practice to deliver timely and effective outcomes for children, by garnering community, sector and government support. 

For more information on Adopt Change

Website: www.adoptchange.org.au

Instagram: https://instagram.com/adoptchangeau/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/adoptchangeau

Hashtags: #adoptchange #adoption #NAAW2016

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdoptChangeAU

References

* There were 196 Australian child adoptions in total in 2015-16, comprised of 45 local adoptions and 151 known child adoptions, including 24 children 18 yrs of age or over, and 70 by a known-carer. 68 of these known-carer adoptions were from NSW. (AIHW) Source: AIHW 2016 Adoptions Australia 2015-16, AIHW, Canberra. http://www.aihw.gov.au/adoptions/