The Doc McStuffins Adoption |Bringing Adoption to Disney Jr.

DOC MCSTUFFINS – The McStuffins family experiences the joys of adoption and also now must adjust to a new baby in the house in a multi-episode story arc of Disney Junior’s Peabody Award-winning animated series “Doc McStuffins,” beginning FRIDAY, MARCH 4 (8:00-8:30 a.m. EST) on Disney Channel. (Disney Junior)

The Doc McStuffins adoption is happening today on Disney Jr! I was thrilled to see that this great show is showcasing adoption. As an adopted person myself, I love that Doc McStuffins is making adoption normal and joyful and just another way to make a family.

I love that the Doc McStuffins adoption can help explain my own beginnings to my children. And maybe it will help your children understand the adopted Chinese girl at school, the adopted little boy at church who doesn’t look like his family, or the adopted cousin who suddenly appeared even though the aunt never looked pregnant.

Starting today, the McStuffins family will experience the joys of adoption. Doc and her little brother Donny will learn to adjust to having a new baby in the house when Mom and Dad McStuffins reveal that they are adopting a baby! The multi-episode story arc begins today, March 4, and will include storylines focusing on a variety of emotions and situations young children can encounter when a new baby arrives in the family, regardless of how that baby comes.

 Experts Adam Pertman, President and Founder of the National Center on Adoption and Permanency and author of “Adoption Nation,” and David Brodzinsky, Ph.D., Director of Research, National Center on Adoption and Permanency, and Professor Emeritus of Clinical and Developmental Psychology, Rutgers University, served as consultants on the episodes.

Check out a clip from the first episode about the Doc McStuffins adoption titled “Baby McStuffins:”

Experts Adam Pertman, President and Founder of the National Center on Adoption and Permanency and author of “Adoption Nation,” and David Brodzinsky, Ph.D., Director of Research, National Center on Adoption and Permanency, and Professor Emeritus of Clinical and Developmental Psychology, Rutgers University, served as consultants on the episodes.

“Children’s shows can have a significant impact on how their young viewers understand the world, so it’s wonderful that Disney Junior is depicting adoption as a normative, positive way to form a family,” said Pertman. “Even more than that, it’s heartening that the producers sought professional input in order to ‘get it right’ about the language, people and sensitivities involved.”

“Doc McStuffins” has been lauded globally for its imaginative storytelling about a young girl who aspires to be a doctor like her mom and runs a clinic for stuffed animals and toys. Through Doc and her toys, the series models good health practices while imparting to young viewers the importance of taking care of oneself and others.

Here is the full premiere schedule for the Doc McStuffins adoption story arcs:

(All episodes will air at 8:00 a.m. EST on Disney Channel.)

• FRIDAY, MARCH 4: “Baby McStuffins” – Mom and Dad announce that they are adopting a baby and give Doc a new baby doll to practice her babysitting skills.
• FRIDAY, MARCH 11: “Runaway Love” – Doc’s little brother Donny worries that the arrival of the new baby will take attention away from him so he hatches a plan to run away. Meanwhile, Doc is so busy helping her parents prepare for the new baby that Lambie also starts to feel left out.
• FRIDAY, MARCH 18: “Hooty’s Duty” – When Doc realizes that the arrival of a new baby means a new group of baby toys will also be coming home, she seeks to put one of her own toys in charge of them, and Professor Hootsburgh proudly volunteers for the job.
• FRIDAY, MARCH 25: “Bringing Home Baby” – The baby’s gender will be revealed during this special 22-minute episode. Mom and Dad get the call that the new baby is on the way, so Grandma McStuffins arrives to take care of Doc and Donny. Grammy Award-winning singer and actress Dawnn Lewis (“A Different World”) guest stars in the new recurring role of Grandma McStuffins.
• FRIDAY, APRIL 1: “Baby Names/Night Night, Lala” – The McStuffins family comes up with the name for
  the baby and baby’s new toy, Lala, has a hard time adjusting to her new environment.

  Want more of Doc McStuffins? You’re in luck. Season fourof “Doc McStuffins” will debut later this summer and will find Doc and her toy friends magically transported to a make-believe town, made up entirely of toys, where Doc serves as chief resident of the Toy Hospital.

  Anthony Anderson (ABC’s “black-ish”), Molly Ringwald (“Sixteen Candles”), Ellen Pompeo (ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy”), Gabourey Sidibe (“Empire”), Vanessa Williams (“The Good Wife”) and Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges (“Furious 7”) will guest star in the new season.