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ADOPTION PUBLIC SERVICE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN WINS ADDY AWARDS

April 7, 2005

HHS, The Adoption Exchange Association and The Advertising Council PSA Campaign Honored by the American Advertising Federation

New York, April 7, 2005 - The Advertising Council, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families and the Adoption Exchange Association, the Collaboration to AdoptUSKids, announced today that their public service advertising (PSA) campaign to promote the adoption of children from foster care was honored by the American Advertising Federation. The PSA campaign won four Gold ADDYs including best public service TV campaign.

Introduced nationally in July 2004, the multi-media campaign was created pro bono by kirshenbaum bond + partners and includes television, radio, print and internet PSAs. The campaign issues a national call-to-action for parents to adopt children from foster care by offering important, accurate information about the foster care system and the adoption process. It also aims to significantly increase awareness of the need to provide loving, permanent homes for children in the foster care system, as well as to communicate to prospective parents that they don't have to be perfect to be a parent.

"We are tremendously excited that the Advertising Federation has given this campaign this prestigious award," said Wade F. Horn, Ph.D., HHS' assistant secretary for children and families. "Not only is this campaign creative, but it's working; to date, nearly 4,500 children pictured on the AdoptUSKids website have found permanent homes. This wonderful outcome is a testament both to the power of creative advertising and the good hearts of families all over America."

The ADDY Awards are the advertising industry's largest, most representative, and arguably toughest competition, recognizing and rewarding creative excellence in the art of advertising.

All of the PSAs direct viewers, listeners and readers to visit www.adoptuskids.org or call 1-888-200-4005 for information on how they can provide a permanent, loving home for a child. The television and radio PSAs feature real life scenarios, which highlight the notion that it's the everyday things that really make a difference. All of the PSAs end with the tagline "you don't have to be a hero to be a hero" or "you don't have to be perfect to be a perfect parent."

"People's biggest fear about adopting a child from foster care has nothing to do with the children but themselves. They simply fear that they won't be a good parent," said Rob Feakins, Vice Chairman, Executive Creative Director, kirshenbaum bond + partners, "There's enormous insecurity when it comes to parenting. The idea here is to reassure them by simply saying, sometimes just being there for a child is all you need to do. These situations show parents being perfect parents while being imperfect."

The Collaboration to Adoptuskids is a multi-faceted, five-year, federally funded project, whose purpose is to recruit families to adopt the children waiting in foster care for permanency. The Collaboration is managed by the Baltimore-based Adoption Exchange Association (AEA) through a cooperative agreement with the Children's Bureau of HHS.

About The Advertising Council

The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history of marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public. Having produced literally thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most pressing social issues of the day, the Ad Council has effected, and continues to effect, tremendous positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action, and saving lives.