About Heritage Camps For Adoptive Families
Impact Statement – Click to download PDF
This PDF includes information about our history, our village, program highlights, our history at a glance, plus a snapshot of who we are how we operate our organization. It is Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families in a nutshell.
Our Mission
Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families is a post-adoption resource dedicated to promoting healthy adoption, racial, and ethnic identities in transracial, transnational, and domestic adoptees by creating an intrinsic sense of belonging through our programming and community.
Our Vision
To continue to be a leading post-adoption resource and advocate, accessible to all adoptees and adoptive families, growing and adapting as adoption changes worldwide.
Who We Serve
Through our 9 camps, webinars, and other events, we focus on supporting international and domestic adoptive families, including adopted children, parents, non-adopted siblings, and extended family. We believe that “camp never ends” for an adoptee or an adoptive family. We have programming for Young Adult Adoptees (ages 18-23) and for parent alumni. Additionally, our camps are a resource for foster parents and waiting parents.
Adult adoptees are an essential part of the HCAF community. We believe in the importance of being guided by the experiences and perspectives of adoptees, and work to ensure that our programming amplifies their voices.
HCAF Non-Discrimination Statement
Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families, Inc. welcomes participation at the camps of all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, political affiliation, gender, sexual orientation and gender expression, physical or mental disability, marital status, or national and ethnic origin. This policy also applies to all employees, volunteers, and relationships with outside contractors, vendors, and consultants.
Our History
HCAF began in 1992 when 40 families with children adopted from Korea came together for a short weekend of Korean cultural immersion. From there, Korean Heritage Camp expanded to four days and many more families. Just four years later, we incorporated as a nonprofit organization, and have grown to serve over 1,000 adoptive families annually from across the nation at our nine camps, serving children born in over 40 countries.
Since our incorporation in 1995, HCAF’s Executive Director, Pam Sweetser, has provided vital leadership and management to the organization, initially on a volunteer basis. With eight other adoptive parents, Pam served on the first Board of Directors, and was the sole HCAF staff member from her appointment as Executive Director in 1995 until 2005, when the first part-time support employee was hired.
HCAF’s staff is comprised of four staff members, but the bulk of the organization’s extensive operations has always been handled by volunteers. HCAF’s team of volunteers includes camp parents, community members, and camp alumni — totaling 2,500+ individuals contributing over 650,000 volunteer hours each year.
With a strong history of smart growth, financial stability, and volunteer investment – plus the passionate involvement of our camp families – HCAF has made a difference in the lives of thousands of children and their families for 32 years.