In the age of Google and tech-savvy toddlers, answers to questions about adoption are often just a click away. For adoptees looking to start the process of tracking down birth parents, these national websites offer a jumping-off point:
Adoption Registry Connect
Adoptive Families
American Adoptions
Center for Adoption Support and Education
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Find My Family
How to Investigate
OmniTrace
But while the information may be more accessible, the emotions surrounding adoption can still prove complicated. Below are local support groups and services for adoptees and their parents:
Adoptive Parents Committee
516-223-9584
A nonprofit parent support group dedicated to improving the conditions of adoption and foster care on all levels. APC offers education about adoption issues, pre- and post-adoption discussion groups, and guest speakers who inform members and the public about adoption.
Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau
1011 First Ave., Manhattan; 212-371-1011
A domestic and international adoption program that offers its services throughout the metropolitan area. ?The organization serves families and children in all communities and at all stages in the adoption process. Counseling is also offered to expectant mothers seeking parenting options.
Foster and Adoptive Parent Association of Nassau County
58 Elm Court, New Hyde Park; 516-481-2049
Supports adoptive parents and advocates for children under their care. The organization offers resources that inform families on how they can adopt, how they can maintain a healthy household, and what to expect throughout the process. Recreational activities are also available for foster and adoptive families.
Mercy First
525 Convent Road, Syosset; 516-921-0808
Reaches out to children and families who have been traumatized from growing up without parents. Provides children and teenagers a foundation for a brighter future through foster programs, support groups, preventive services, and individual care.
Nassau County Department of Social Services
516-227-8284
Offers educational resources on all aspects of adoption and foster care. The website provides assistance with foster care and adoption services as well as information on counseling, medical care, adoption placement, and foster care home.
New Beginnings
87 Mineola Blvd., Mineola; 516-747-2204
Offers services for families and children that assist with the adoption process, education on adoption services, and the post-adoption stage. It also prepares families for placement and provides service once the child is in the home.
New York State Citizen’s Coalition ?for Children
501 Fourth St., Park Slope; 607-272-0034
Provides support, information, and advocacy for foster and adoptive parents and professionals in New York state.
Pederson-Krag Center
3600 Route 112, Coram; 631-920-8500
Offers community-based programs supporting adoption, including counseling, parenting workshops, support groups, parent advocacy, and in-home family education.
SCO Family of Services
1 Alexander Place, Glen Cove; 516-671-1253
Offers services for adoptive parents as well as those looking to adopt. Support and encouragement are the main essentials of this organization, which seeks permanent adoptive homes for children.
Spence-Chapin Post Adoption ?Resource Center
1363 Veterans Memorial Highway, Suite 40, Hauppauge; 631-979-5863
Provides support, workshops, and counseling services for birth mothers, adoptive parents, and adoptees of all ages. The center also counsels pregnant women considering adoption and offers programs for those looking to adopt.
Suffolk County Department of ?Social Services
Foster care: 631-854-9359; Adoption: 631-853- 5437
The website includes information on counseling, medical care, adoption placement, and foster care homes.
