Special Needs Adoption

Since 1995, Spence-Chapin has found adoptive families for more than 550 children who are medically fragile. In order to reduce barriers to special needs adoption, all professional service fees are waived for this program. The Special Needs Adoption Program is able to find incredible, permanent families across the nation for the children in this program. Learn more about how birth families help to drive the matching process and how adoptive families are chosen on our blog. 

Our Special Needs Adoption Program relies on the generosity of our supporters. We invite you to learn more about becoming a supporter of this unique and critical program.

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For Families looking to adopt

Spence-Chapin’s Special Needs Adoption Program is a matching and advocacy program for children born or residing in New York and New Jersey who have special and medical needs and are ready to be matched with their forever family. This program works with home study approved families, across the United States, who are already working with an adoption agency or attorney for their adoption journey. 

Spence-Chapin is currently accepting home studies and pre-applications from families who are open to adopting a child with significant medical needs. Complete our free pre-application below to be considered. Please send us a copy of your current home study (completed within the past 12 months), conducted by a licensed adoption organization. Home studies can be emailed, mailed, or faxed to the following:

Email: asap@spence-chapin.org
Mail: Special Needs at Spence-Chapin, 120 E 16th St 11 Floor, New York, NY 10003

We encourage you to read through our FAQs which provide more detailed information about our Special Needs Adoption Program.

Children in need of adoption

The children in our Special Needs Adoption Program are born in New York or New Jersey and are from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. The infants and children in need of adoption have a variety of special needs, from significant developmental issues to serious medical and congenital conditions.

The conditions usually require therapeutic and/or medical interventions during the child’s entire life. These non-correctable conditions can include:

  • Genetic Disorders
  • Brain Anomali
  • Neurological Disorders
  • Rare Syndromes
  • Cardiac and Pulmonary Disorders
  • Shortened Life Span
  • Excessive Drug and/or Alcohol Exposure
  • Significant Risk of Psychiatric Disorders

 

Many children are eligible for Early Intervention Services, Social Security Disability, Adoption Subsidy, and Medicaid.

How to support the special needs adoption program

Through the generosity of our supporters, Spence-Chapin is able to waive all professional services fees for the Special Needs Adoption Program. This ensures that there are no financial barriers for families who wish to adopt, allowing each child in our Special Needs Adoption Program to be placed with the perfect family, who can focus on providing ongoing care for their needs right away. Spence-Chapin also covers the cost of medical treatment and interim care for a child while they await their forever home, and provides counseling and other services to birth parents at no charge. 

If you would like to learn more about supporting this critical program, please contact us via email at development@spence-chapin.org, or by phone at 212-360-0623. We also encourage you to review our Special Needs Adoption Program Giving Menu.  

Support the Special Needs Adoption Program

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Donation Total: $250.00 One Time

Learn more about Spence-Chapin’s Special Needs Program:
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand honored Spence-Chapin with an ANGELS IN ADOPTION™ AWARD:
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