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I am an educator with 25 years experience an author sharing my life's journey as an adoptee in a world where people are afraid, ashamed, and embarrassed to talk or even ask about adoption. Why is it when we talk bout adoption... We whisper? Would we have 125,000 young people in foster care if this wasn't a topic that brought such shame? Would we have young adults aging out of a system without family if the world viewed adoption differently?
After over 45 years of not talking about being adopted, I debuted the story of my adoption journey in my memoir Finding Joi: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Love on March 30, 2019. If your organization is ready to open the floor to learn more about adoption legislation, the unspoken challenges adoptees face on a day to day basis, and to learn what you and your organization can do to help children and families then I'd be glad to lead the discussion with your group. My goal is to create Safe Spaces for Real Talk about Adoption. I am also an Entrepreneur and I enjoy creating brand apparel and catchy designs. I established Joi Renee Apparel in 2013. Joi Renee Apparel serves as a customer spotlight designer for ProWorld Inc with several designs (A9834D, A9444C, A9538C, A9644C...) on sale to heat press vendors. I am also the brand designer for Turtle Fitness & Performance Apparel and Finding Joi Apparel. |
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Finding Joi: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Love, centers around one woman’s plight to connect the dots to find her birth parents after being adopted at two months old by a loving family in Plainfield, New Jersey. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the NJCARE Team, Governor Chris Christie signed the Adoptee Birthright Act (P.L. 2014, C.9), which became the law on January 1, 2017. Joi was present at the New Jersey State House to witness this historic legislation take effect, and gave her hope for a new chapter in her life. Now, adopted New Jerseyans born between 1940 - 2015 can access to their Original Birth Certificates without a court order.
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