Recognizing the need to give expectant women of color a greater choice of adoptive families, in 1999, The Cradle launched The Ardythe and Gale Sayers Center for African American Adoption with a focus on adoptive parent recruitment in the African American community. The goal of the Sayers Center Program is to educate the African American community about the process of adoption and to provide ongoing support and opportunities for connections to all families who have adopted African American and Biracial children.

The Sayers Center, named after NFL Hall of Famer and Cradle adoptive dad, Gale Sayers, and his wife, Ardythe, is part of The Cradle’s domestic adoption program and is one of the only programs in the country that promotes adoption awareness specifically within the African American community.

The Sayers Center also provides cultural understanding and connectivity to transracial families who have adopted African American and Biracial children, in addition to transracial families who have adopted Black children internationally.