New Jersey Adoption Resource Clearing House

Need help with career advice, navigating resources, or just want to connect? This space is here for you!

When?

Starting December, join us every 2^nd Thursday of the month from 6 PM-7PM (EST}

Where?

Virtually on zoom! Zoom link will be shared

Who Should Attend?

• Experienced foster care or are currently in foster care
• Been adopted
• Been impacted by the criminal justice system
• Experienced human trafficking
• Had an incarcerated parent during their childhood

Why attend?

• Get answers to your questions
• Receive guidance and support
• Connect with someone who understands your journey

This is voluntary and unpaid. It is designed to support and empower eligible youth in achieving their goals

Helping Children Heal from Sexual Abuse is a Free, virtual Parent Support Group for adoptive, foster, or kinship families raising children who have previously suffered sexual abuses.

WHEN: Scheduled to meet monthly on the third Tuesday at 7 PM

WHERE: Exclusively in the in the AFFCNY.Network

Just Adoptees: A Monthly Virtual Support Group JUST for Adopted Adults

Have you ever been told or made to feel like you’re Just an Adoptee? If so, then have we got the space for you! The fourth Wednesday of the month is, currently, set aside for Just Adoptees.

“Just Adoptees” is a peer led adoptee-centric support group just for adopted adults. We believe being adopted can come with complexities that only another adopted adult can understand. Our goal is to let every adopted person know they aren’t alone and the way they feel is normal for a not normal situation. This isn’t therapy – it’s better! It’s a group designed to be a “safe space” for adopted adults to gather and share experiences regarding their adoption experience without judgement or expectations.

February 25, 2026; March 25, 2026; April 22, 2026; May 27, 2026; June 24, 2026; July 22, 2026; August 26, 2026; September 23, 2026; October 28, 2026; November 24, 2026; December 22,2026

Please join Hudson Valley AGAPE team for an open parent support group via video chat. We will provide educational discussion-based concepts of self-care, advocacy support for your child through their sometimes-difficult behavior, and a safe space to connect with other parents who share similar experiences.

We encourage all foster, adoptive, and guardianship parents to build connections with others who “get it.” During our bi-weekly virtual Hudson Valley Connection Group, we will show a brief training; leaving plenty of time to discuss the topic and open the floor up to anyone looking for resources, advice, or a non-judgmental space to share what’s on their mind.

2026 Schedule: 1st and 3rd Thursday from 7:30-9:00 pm–

May 21; June 4, 18; July 2, 16; August 6, 20; September 3, 17; October 1, 15; November 5, 19; December 3, 17

Have you ever been told or made to feel like you’re Just an Adoptee? If so, then have we got the space for you! The fourth Wednesday of the month is, currently, set aside for Just Adoptees.

Facilitated by our HelpLine Coordinator, Chester Jackson , and our Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator, Annette O’Connell, “Just Adoptees” is a peer led adoptee-centric support group just for adopted adults. We believe being adopted can come with complexities that only another adopted adult can understand. Our goal is to let every adopted person know they aren’t alone and the way they feel is normal for a not normal situation. This isn’t therapy – it’s better! It’s a group designed to be a “safe space” for adopted adults to gather and share experiences regarding their adoption experience without judgement or expectations.

“Just Adoptees” empowers adopted adults by allowing their voices to be elevated. This brings encouragement, a sense of community, support and a launching pad in finding their voices as they navigate their experience…together.

Scheduled to meet monthly on the fourth Wednesday

May 27, 2026; June 24, 2026; July 22, 2026; August 26, 2026; September 23, 2026; October 28, 2026; November 24, 2026; December 22, 2026

This is a free event open to adults of color who were adopted or are former foster youth. Space will be provided for participants to explore and share experiences around international adoption, foster care, transracial/interracial adoption, search and reunion, birth/first family and other topics of interest to the group.

Whether you’re planning a family reunion yourself or attending to meet and reconnect with family, you’ll learn the essentials to turn a get-together into a research expedition.

Join Pact’s Executive Director and fellow adoptive parent, Beth Hall, to find community and talk about transracial adoption, race and identity issues that may be coming up for you or members of your family. The focus for these calls is transracial adoption.

These free calls are open only to current members of Pact. If you have not purchased a Pact membership (or your membership is not current) you can join at pactadopt.org.

While financial concerns are often times the reason why birthparents choose adoption for their child, it is not the
only reason. It can sometimes be harder to battle your mind vs. heart when the reasons go beyond financial. This class is designed to explore reasons why birthparents consider adoption vs. parenting, and how additional pressure/people can influence their decision.

Designed for adoptees and their siblings in elementary school, our Mini Camps are a place for kids to have fun and make friends on days where the NYC public school system is out on break throughout the year. Each day is full of activities, crafts, games, plus lunch and snacks to fuel the fun. Sign up for one day or bundle and save!

Camp days are drop off events and run from 9am – 3pm. The 2026 schedule is as follows:

Thursday June 4th (Chancellor’s Day)

Friday, June 5th (Clerical Day)

Join us for an informative session learning about adoption & foster care options in Pennsylvania.

The information session can help you decide whether you are comfortable taking the next steps to become a licensed Diakon foster family. Sessions are offered without obligation; participants are not required to proceed following the presentation.

Pre-registration is required so that the ZOOM link can be shared.

Free, monthly virtual support calls provide a safe space for BIPOC adoptive, foster and kinship parents of BIPOC teens and young adults.

Join Raquel Vivanco, Director of the Adoptive Parents of Color Collaborative (APCC) and fellow adoptive parent, to find community and talk about parenting adopted and foster teens and young adults of color, including challenges, and helpful strategies. We will discuss how relationships shift as our young ones grow in their journey and how we can support ourselves and our loved ones.

This call is for people of color who are parenting adopted/foster teens and young adults of color.  Please be respectful of their space.

Free live webinar. The recording will be emailed to those who register, or you may find the recording posted here after the live event.

Children do not always fit into just one diagnosis. Parents may notice that their child acts very differently from day to day. A child may have trouble paying attention one day but be very strict about the rules the next day. They may be friendly in some places but feel overwhelmed in others. When a child’s symptoms or behaviors do not clearly match ADHD or autism, parents may feel confused, blamed, or unsure where to get help. 

In this Ask the Expert webinar, child neurologist Sarah Cheyette, MD, discusses why ADHD and autism show up together. She talks about what a diagnosis can help explain and why a child’s behavior can change so much from one situation to another. By sharing real-life examples and simple ways to think about behavior, Dr. Cheyette’s goal is to help parents understand their child more clearly. 

This session is meant to help parents look past labels and better understand their child’s strengths, needs, and daily environment. A short live Q&A with participants will follow the presentation. 

Closed captions will be provided. 

Do you live in Arizona and are considering adopting an infant? Learn about Spence-Chapin’s Domestic Adoption Program for Arizona families! This free webinar is the first step for families interested in applying to Spence-Chapin as all webinar attendees will receive a Domestic Adoption Program application. Our team will share details the application process, open adoption, demographics of the children in need of adoption, the matching process, options counseling for birth parents, and more!

Bring your questions! The meeting will include ample opportunity to have your questions answered.

Spence-Chapin’s Domestic Adoption Program is open to residents of Arizona, New York, and New Jersey. Please register for a webinar event that corresponds with the state where you live by visiting our Events Calendar.

If you are unable to register for this webinar, please contact us to learn about other upcoming event opportunities or discuss additional pathways to grow your family through domestic infant adoption.

Are your kids turning to AI for advice and emotional support? Join the NJ4S Bergen Hub and licensed psychotherapist Lauren Muriello, LPC, for an eye-opening webinar on how children and teens are really using AI and what it means for their mental health. See live demos and learn practical ways to guide and protect your child in an ever-changing digital world.

Whether you just started exploring your family tree or you’ve been at it for a while and have hit the proverbial genealogy brick wall, this webinar will give you practical tools to dig deeper and make meaningful discoveries in your family tree. From simple but effective searches to more advanced tips and tricks, we’ll help you track down census records, birth certificates, immigration documents, and more. You’ll be telling our ancestors’ stories in no time!

Join us to learn about our new Costa Rica Adoption Program. Our Costa Rica Adoption Program is open to singles, married couples, and welcomes gay and lesbian parents. In this webinar, we will detail the pathways to adopt from Costa Rica. We will share information about the system of child protection in Costa Rica. We will discuss common medical and special needs of children who are awaiting adoption in Costa Rica. We will speak about eligibility factors for prospective adoptive parents in Costa Rica. Bring your questions – we’ll save time for Q&A.

** We have chosen the Go to Webinar Platform to respect that during the exploration phase, some families are not yet ready to share their hopes to adopt with others and in Go to Webinar, your names and faces will not be visible to other participants. But we are always happy to support families in building an adoption community! If you do feel ready to connect with other pre-adoptive or adoptive parents, please let us know and we can facilitate introductions for those who wish to be connected to other families.**

FREE!

The Meet the Model series from the Post-Adoption Center introduces the core components of the Post-Permanency Model, designed to guide states, tribal nations and territories in delivering coordinated services to adoptive and guardianship families. The model is outlined in detail in the Post-Adoption Center’s Program Manual, which services as the blueprint for building comprehensive, community centered and accessible post-permanency services. We break down the 253-page manual into smaller pieces. This session focuses on the Crisis Intervention Component.

Individual Ticket – June:  $25.00

Please join Spence-Chapin and Certified Doula and Newborn Care Educator, Robin Douthit, LCCE, CD (DONA), CLC, MA to learn all about the basics of caring for a newborn. This Baby Care Basics Workshop is designed for families who are preparing to welcome a newborn through adoption. Spence-Chapin’s adoption competent professionals will guide you through essential newborn care, including what to expect in the early days and ways to build confidence in daily care. Participants will leave the workshop feeling better prepared for the first weeks of parenting and supported in their journey.

Voices of Adoption (V.O.A.) is a virtual space for adopted people 18+ world-wide to join in conversation, meet peers and talk about the topics that are important to them. Hosted by Jessica M. Luciere, transracial adoptee born in Bogota, Colombia, and Manager of Community Engagement at Spence-Chapin, V.O.A. welcomes adopted people of all backgrounds to experience community amongst other adoptees.