Kiker is chair of The Adoption Exchange—an organization that recruits families to adopt children who are school-age, have disabilities or have survived abuse and neglect—where she has volunteered for 15 years. The Adoption Exchange, which has placed 431 children since 2004, spends approximately $2,500 to place each child, compared with $20,000 per year it estimates it costs taxpayers for each child in state care. Kiker was the driving force behind establishing the organization’s post-adoptive services program, which trains caseworkers and supports new parents with education, childcare services, and small grants to cover unexpected expenses—with the goal of reducing the number of failed adoptions.
