Dear Friends,

Last year, Spence-Chapin changed the lives of 179 families in a wonderful way through adoption. Forty-one of these families adopted children at-risk for health or developmental problems. The birth parent department counseled 264 pregnant women about their options. The Adoption Resource Center and its child development unit, SPARK, served another 1,499 people through counseling, educational workshops and playshops. We also changed the lives of children in orphanages through our granny programs which give children individual attention and encourage their development.

Recent initiatives to help even more children include The Collaboration for Permanency, which is working to keep infants from unnecessarily entering the foster care system where they may remain for many years before they are adopted. In partnership with the NYC Administration for Children's Services, Spence-Chapin is teaching child welfare workers, both on-site and in the Bedford-Stuyvesant field office, about current adoption practicies and options counseling, so they can ensure that their clients have the chance to consider parenting or adoption before a decision is made to place a child in foster care.

Spence-Chapin's work is enduring and ultimately priceless. However, bringing together potential parents and children in need of a home is challenging and complicated work. With fees for services covering less than 30% of the agency's annual operating costs, contributions are essential to fill the gap. We receive very little government funding and therefore rely on foundation grants and donations from caring individuals to allow us to continue the good work that we are already doing and help us reach our goals.

As Spence-Chapin approaches its 100th Anniversary, its commitment to helping children remains steadfast. Your gifts to Spence-Chapin matter because they will keep the agency strong for its second century of service to birth mothers, children and families.

Thank you,

Verina M. Crawford	Mary Ellen Geisser