Finding Joi: A True Story of Faith, Family, & Love
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 2 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 law on January 1, 2017. Joi was present at the New Jersey State House to witness this historic legislation take effect, which gave her hope for a new chapter in her life. Now, adopted New Jerseyans born after November 14, 1940, can access their original birth certificates without a court order. Finding Joi is a candid and transparent journey of Joi's struggles with her identity, low self-esteem, body image, and other aspects of healing that could only be resolved or answered by her biological parents. Joi sheds light on the many challenges adoptees and their children face due to a lack of information or awkward experiences as they engage in everyday undertakings like doctor visits, school projects, and social settings. Joi has filled a long-overdue void in her life and is committed to helping other adoptees along their journey.
Choosing Joi: An Adoptee's Journey and Finding Belonging
Singing with Joi: There Are Many Different Ways to be a Family
The school talent show becomes another opportunity for Joi to tell her truth when Joi signs up her and her dad to be a music act. Joi is sick of being the only family who looks different, so she vows to be the best music act there. But things start to go wrong when a mean comment makes Joi question her worth. Fun turns to fear, and Joi’s desire to win to prove everyone wrong has bad consequences when Joi’s dad is injured. Can Joi overcome her struggle, embrace the value of being different, and teach the other kids about what family can mean?
