DISNEY JUNIOR'S PEABODY AWARD-WINNING "DOC MCSTUFFINS" TO FEATURE ADOPTION STORYLINE WHEN THE MCSTUFFINS FAMILY WELCOMES BABY THIS SPRING

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. Geared toward kids age 2-7 and their families, baby-themed episodes will continue to roll out on Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney Junior on Demand throughout the spring, with storylines focusing on a variety of emotions and situations young children can encounter when a new baby arrives in the family.

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.

Following is the full premiere schedule (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.

Created and executive-produced by Humanitas Prize and Emmy Award-winning Chris Nee and directed by Emmy-winning Norton Virgien, "Doc McStuffins" is a production of Dublin, Ireland's Brown Bag Films in association with Disney Channel. The Hollywood Health & Society division of the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center serves as its health and medical consultants, advising on basic health issues that are relevant to young kids and families. "Doc McStuffins" airs daily on Disney Channel and Disney Junior.