WBIR: Adoptive parents form an organization aimed at improving state adoption, foster policies

TENNESSEE, USA — If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade and gives the states the power to ban abortion, adoption systems are expected to take on more cases in Tennessee. However, some parents are concerned the system is already full of hurdles.

A new organization is working to ease the process and make it easier to foster or adopt in Tennessee. The Adoption Project was launched in March by two adoptive parents frustrated by the complex process.

Jeremy Harrell teamed up with a former coworker, Jennifer Donnals. They are both former public service workers in the office of former governor Bill Haslam. They said their first-hand experience in government helped them re-focus on a new challenge — adoption.  

"In that conversation, I very clearly got the response, 'Well, Jeremy, if you think it is so messed up then why don't you do something about it?'" Harrell said.

"If we can make it easier for other families to adopt, that's our goal and that's what's driving this work," Donnals said.

That personal experience is driving them to push for changes in the adoption process… Keep reading from WBIR (with video) >