Annual Report 2024

EVERY CHILD DESERVES A

home

Annual Report 2024

BUILDING ON 40 YEARS: Strengthening Families, Growing Community

THE FLOYD FAMILY: IN THEIR OWN WORDS

“Our Adopt America Network family social worker never let us give up. Through the hardest days, she reminded us that love grows slowly, and that every small step forward mattered.” - Shannon Floyd

moments of silence, frustration, and fear. We didn’t always feel like a family. Some days, it felt like we were strangers trying to figure out how to belong to one another. The truth is, we questioned our decision more than once. But even in the hardest moments, our hearts kept urging us to keep going.

We showed up every day with as much love, grace, and patience as we could muster. We learned to celebrate the small victories; a shared laugh, a bedtime hug, a moment of trust. We discovered that healing doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen. Slowly, the walls began to fall. Little by little, love found its way in.

Today, our home is filled with joy, noise, and a kind of love that only comes from walking through something hard together. Our boys light up our world; with their wild imaginations, goofy jokes, endless energy, and kind hearts. They’ve turned our living room into a video game command center, our front yard into a soccer field, and our family into something stronger and more beautiful than we ever imagined.

We didn’t just adopt children. We became a family.

Adoption doesn’t always start with a picture-perfect moment. Sometimes, it begins with brokenness, uncertainty, and a lot of prayer. For us, it started in Ocala, Florida, with three incredible boys: Irvin, who is now 12, I’Zarion, now 11, and Julius, now 9.

When the boys first came home, it was hard. Really hard. There were tears; theirs and ours. There were

Adoption is not about rescuing, it’s about becoming.

Becoming safe places. Becoming steady hearts.

Becoming home. We always said we wanted to give our kids the chance to grow up safe, loved, and free to become the people God created them to be. Now, every day, we get to watch that promise unfold in the most extraordinary ways.

To all the hearts behind Adopt America Network, thank you. You are the reason three brave boys now fall asleep knowing they are loved, protected, and truly home. You didn’t just help us adopt. You helped build a forever family.

PLAY TOGETHER, STAY TOGETHER Adopt America Network’s Play Together, Stay Together initiative is making a big impact by giving adoptive families joyful, low-stress opportunities to bond. Nearly 60 caregivers, children, and staff recently spent a day together at the Toledo Zoo — a place chosen not just for fun, but for connection.

“We chose the zoo because it’s a very family-friendly Toledo attraction to inspire learning, exploration, and to create good memories for the family to experience,” said Wendy Spoerl, President at Adopt America Network. “It can also be very expensive for a family with multiple children, especially without a membership.”

2024 BY THE NUMBERS

662 FAMILIES SERVED

39

925

NEW CHILDREN SERVED

OAKS PROGRAM EVENTS FOR FAMILIES, PARENTS, TEENS, AND CHILDREN

HOME, SCHOOL, AND VIRTUAL SUPPORT VISITS PROVIDED TO FAMILIES BY AAN STAFF

38 By covering admission, meals, and transportation, families were able to focus on what mattered most: being together. Caregivers built stronger connections with their children, while families formed new friendships with one another. Staff also deepened their understanding of each family’s unique needs — relationships that often grow into broader support through Adopt America’s OAKS program.

“These events are about more than just having fun,” Spoerl shared. “Bonding doesn’t always happen in structured moments — sometimes it’s in a joke, a shared snack, or a surprising animal encounter. Those are the moments that help forever families truly stay together.”

To learn more about Play Together, Stay Together, or to join an upcoming event, email adoption@adoptamericanetwork.org.

104

CHILDREN PLACED:

PLACED ARE 37% CHILDREN AFRICAN AMERICAN 42% CHILDREN HAVE SIBLINGS HAVE A MENTAL 84% CHILDREN HEALTH DIAGNOSIS

1,051 REQUESTS FOR HOME STUDY SERVICES

876

COMPLETED HOME STUDIES

2,254

WAITING CHILDREN REFFERED TO WAITING FAMILIES

FINANCIAL RESULTS 2024 REVENUE: $4,149,243

2024 EXPENSES: $3,450,430

2%

3%

95%

Programs: $3,290,932

61%

2%

8%

Annual Giving & Grants: $310,290 Child-Focused Recruitment Grants: $1,099,555 Fundraising: $129,613 State Contracts: $2,530,705

Fundraising: $87,686 Management: $71,812

Other: $79,080

26% 3% 2024 NET ENDING ASSETS: $3,065,092 BOARD MEMBERS Mike Hanson, Chair Amy Tyson,Vice Chair Brendan Karchner, Treasurer Rebecca Nighbert, Secretary Dan Silvers, Past Chair Wendy Spoerl, AAN President Brooke Budion Casey Clark Tammy Corral Brandon Daniels Julia D’Arcangelo

Marlen Kemmet Ben Klopping Addie Nelson Kelly Oliver Barbara Riggs Phillip Rudolph, Jr. Sarah Stephens Bill Windnagel

ADVISORY BOARD

ENDOWMENT TRUSTEES

Al Bianco David Bruhl Nick Cherry Tony Geftos Sharon Gillespie Mike Hart Shannon Irmen Mark Karchner Mark Knierim Beverly Landy Bill Life

Wendy Sowers, Chair Wendy Spoerl, AAN President Sharon Gillespie Mike Hanson Dan Silvers

HOME FOR GOOD GALA 2025 FORMAL INVITATION COMING SOON Featuring awardee & guest speaker:

Barbara Machin Letitia Marth Jani Miller Tonya Rider Kenneth Wise

Saturday, November 1, 2025 Parkway Place 2592 Parkway Plaza Maumee, Ohio 43537

Bishop W.C. Martin & Mrs. Donna Martin whose story of adoption inspired the movie “Sound of Hope: the Story of Possum Trot” 3100 W. Central Ave., Ste. 225, Toledo, Ohio 43606 419-726-5100 www.adoptamericanetwork.org

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