Helpful Links

Adoption Resources

Adoptive Families Magazine

A national magazine providing information and resources for adoptive parents before and after adoption.

Adoptive Parents Committee, Inc.

A support group with chapters in New York City, Long Island, and upstate New York. APC also sponsors an annual conference in November offering a full-day of education for pre- and post-adoptive families.

Creating a Family

A nonprofit, Internet-based community filled with education, resources, and support. I find the weekly podcast to be particularly informative.

The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute

A national organization devoted to improving adoption policy and practice.

Spence-Chapin

From their website: “Our mission is to provide adoption and adoption-related services of the highest quality. The organization focuses on finding adoptive homes for children who need families; promoting the understanding of adoption through counseling and public education; and improving adoption’s image and practice.”

IAC Center

From their website: “Perhaps you’re here to explore alternative family-building options. Or you have questions about parenting through adoption or donor options. Or maybe you found your way to us in an effort to fully understand the feelings you have about your own childhood adoption. Whatever your current situation, we’re ready to help. Within the IAC Center’s supportive and informative environment, you can develop the tools to decide what is right for you, your family and your lifestyle. Our work with individuals experiencing infertility, and those in all phases of the adoption life cycle helps us to understand the multiple perspectives and lifelong themes associated with these issues.”

Affording Adoption

Adoption Finance Coaching

I have partnered with Kelly Ellison to provide financial coaching at no cost to my clients. Learn more about the resources, webinars and one-on-one sessions that Kelly.

HelpUsAdopt

Helpusadopt.org is a national 501(c)(3) financial grant program that helps couples/individuals, regardless of race, religion, gender, marital status and sexual orientation, with the costs of their adoptions - domestic, international, special needs or foster care - by awarding grants of up to $15,000.

Adoption Tax Credit

The federal government offers a tax credit of up to $13,190 (in 2014) for qualified adoption expenses. This is the single most helpful resource to most families when determining how to afford adoption.

LGBTQ Families

It’s Conceivable Now

A web resource gathering information about family building, pregnancy and parenting for LGBTQ couples and single people.

The LGBT Center’s Center Families Program

The LGBT Center in Manhattan offers an array of program for LGBTQ individuals and couples, including groups about adoption, planning biological parenthood for men and women, and a monthly legal clinic. The Center’s monthly play days are a great way to meet other LGBTQ parents.

Gay Parents To Be

From their website: “GayParentsToBe is an informational resource and link to gay parenting services. We strive to provide the best care for LGBTQ couples and individuals as they navigate all of the options to bring a child into the world and their homes. To better serve our LGBT community, Reproductive Medicine Associates of CT launched GayParentsToBe to more completely address the unique challenges same-sex couples and LGBT solo parents face when building their family. Our Connecticut and New York locations are supportive of gay, lesbian and transgender couples as well as individual parents by choice. Working with an established professional network, including gestational carrier (surrogate), egg donor and sperm donor agencies, we provide full service care to help you realize your dream of building a family.”

Family Equality Council

From their website: “Family Equality Council connects, supports, and represents the three million parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer in this country and their six million children. We are changing attitudes and policies to ensure that all families are respected, loved, and celebrated—including families with parents who are LGBTQ. We are a community of parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren that reaches across this country. For 30 years we have raised our children and raised our voices toward fairness for all families.”

Human Rights Campaign: All Children – All Families

HRC has created a set of benchmarks of cultural competency of adoption agencies. You can find participating agencies that completed assessments and have achieved these benchmarks on this site.

Surrogacy

50 State Map via Creative Family Connections

Surrogacy laws vary widely from state to state. These maps are updated regularly and will help you determine whether surrogacy is permitted in the jurisdiction you are considering, and the means by which you will establish legal parentage of your child.