Quick Recap of 2024,

After our three adoption bills passed in the Idaho Legislature ... we created model legislation for those bills (see them our web site here) and offered those to other States across the US at the Live Action Summit. These templates enable other states to modify and introduce our bills. 

Our Efforts in 2025,
led to three more adoption bills becoming law in Idaho ...

This year we were able to get three more bills passed into law in Idaho's 2025 legislative Session:
(1)   Safe Haven Babies surrendered to “safe havens” go straight into the foster system in most states. Now, in Idaho, they now go into adoption instead of the foster system. 
(2)   Idaho's Fetal development bill requires schools to show students fetal development videos and ultrasound images when studying biology.
(3)  Idaho's Senate Concurrent Resolution 105 passed by unanimous voice votes in both House and Senate, and paves the way for Idaho to implement Third Option programs (see below). These are on-the-ground initiatives to build awareness about adoption as an option and improve care & support for the women who choose to make adoption plans for their babies.

We offered Template Legislation to States across the Country: 

After the Idaho Legislative Session, we share our new laws with other States and invite them to introduce our bills in their own legislatures. This year, we spread the word at three different venues: 

•  June: speaking at the National Adoption Conference in Minneapolis with a 90- minute talk on passing adoption reform laws at the State level; 
• August: the Live Action Lawmakers' Summit allows us to speak before 90 legislators from 40 states, 
• October: our Third Option coalition member Mary Browning shared these new laws at the National Association of Christian Lawmakers (NACL) conference.

National Press Coverage

Passing adoption law in Idaho is not our end-game. Spreading the ideas to the rest of the country, with Idaho leading the way, could bring about national change. We know you'll enjoy these two articles:   

• Idaho Sets Example for Other States in Promoting Adoption| National Catholic Register and  
• Adoption Empowers Woman to Choose Hope and Future for her Baby. 

We were also invited to a record number of conference keynotes and podcast guest spots. Most of these are listed here on our speaking page. 

A Year of Keynote Speaking & Podcast Interviews  

This year I was pleased to be invited onto several different podcast shows. Most of these are listed on our speaking page. 
The latest one to post was on 'Thriving Adoptees' with Simon Benn, which is here.  Sometimes life requires us to make a leap of faith. Listen in as we talk about leaps of faith, unconditional love and more...

Other States Embraced & Introduced Idaho Bills

We set our sights beyond Idaho ... offering our bills to all other States in the country. Several did take up the Idaho bills and introduce them. In California, for example, Terri testified in the Sacramento Assembly's committee hearing for our education bill. She went "toe-to-toe" with Planned Parenthood as they opposed adoption education in the schools. One committee member said at the hearing, "If Planned Parenthood opposes this, so do I (!)"  Disappointing, for sure, but we are working to introduce this bill again in January.

We launched The Third Option this year:

"The Third Option" was unveiled to 95 lawmakers from 40 States at the Live Action Summit in August. The “Third Option” coalition is a group of adoption professionals and non profit leaders who aim to advance adoption and birth mother care & support through State-administered programs in states across the country. We know that fewer than 1% of the women facing unplanned pregnancy choose adoption, and we'd like to see that increase. So all those States at the conference were invited to join Idaho as Third Option States, about a dozen have started conversations with us to do just that!  

Our Amicus Brief in the Case of First Choice v NJ AG

This year we served as an "Amici Curiae" supporting Petitioner in the case of First Choice Women's Clinic v the Attorney General of New Jersey, Matthew Platkin. 

Unplanned Good was in great company with the Manhattan Institute and the Religious Freedom Institute, supporting First Choice as they fend off the AG's unconstitutional subpoena for their donor info. 

The case was just argued before the US Supreme Court on December 2. 
READ our Brief before the US Supreme Court.

Our Board - all of whom bring a passion for adoption - is excited and ready to take on 2026!!

This year we added

• Sydney Curtin, a birthmom, author & influential social media powerhouse, 
• Jen Nazarowski, an adoptive mom, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, college professor, and ...
• Linda Davidson-Gafford, an adoptee, Chair of PATH, the Boise pregnancy center and wise leader of Idaho non-profits, pictured left. 

READ MORE about our new Board of Directors here.

More Opportunities in 2026!

Your support has enabled us to accomplish so much in our adoption advocacy this year!

We see more opportunities in 2026 to reach both States and those at the Federal level. We encourage them to increase awareness of open adoption as an option for women facing unplanned pregnancy, and to support & care for the brave women who choose life, then adoption, for their babies.  Will you partner with us to make this happen?

All of us on the Board are honored to do the work of Unplanned Good. We are driven by a passion for healthy, open adoption. Terri and the Board take no salaries for our work or our time. 

AND, for the first time in our history, the opportunities facing Unplanned Good FAR exceed both our funding and the number of hours in our day. If you can assist in either – donate to help cover our expenses or volunteer your time – we’d be most appreciative.  Every dollar is put toward spreading our message about the beauty of adoption. Please go to www.unplannedgood.org/donate 

Merry Christmas!

We thank you for your encouragement and support during this past year. You make our work possible!

From all of us here at Unplanned Good, we wish you and your families a blessed, loving and peaceful Christmas season.

Terri