Spence-Chapin's Role

Adoptive families and birth parents work closely with Spence-Chapin to plan an adoption. Most adoptive families meet birth parents. Some are present for the baby's birth. Open adoptions are taking place with greater frequency today as adopting families and birth parents plan to have direct contact in the future. Our role in these new relationships is active, supportive, and fully focused on the many benefits that openness can provide for adopted children.

Spence-Chapin oversees all legal aspects of relinquishment by the birth parents. We also do our best to obtain thorough medical histories from birth parents to share with the adoptive parents.

Our Service Area

We provide counseling, medical and other pregnancy-related services for birth parents who live in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. If families who advertise or network make a connection with a pregnant woman who is considering adoption and she lives outside our immediate service area, we can complete the home study and suggest other adoption resources to provide the birth parent with services and help the family complete the adoption.

	Suggested Resources
	Children of Open Adoption, by Kathleen Silber, M.S.W. & Patricia Martinez Dorner, M.A., L.P.C..
	How to Open an Adoption: A Guide for Parents and Birth Parents of Minors, by Patricia Martinez Dorner
	Open Adoption Pocket Guides: Birth Parent Grief, by Brenda Romanchik
	Additional Books &  Resources

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For more information, please attend a free information meeting by contacting
the Adoption Department at 212-369-0300.