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

FREE!

The virtual group will be held the 3rd Monday of the month from April 21, 2025 – March 16, 2026.

Meeting Dates: 1/19/2026, 2/16/2026, 3/16/2026

The Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) is excited to launch the Lunch Break – Parent Support Group for adoptive, foster, and kinship parents and caregivers! *

Topics covered include relationship building, grief and loss, birth family relationships, coping skills and self-care, and so much more.

In this monthly group we will engage in thought provoking, honest conversations, receive support and guidance, and leave better equipped with expanded knowledge, skills, and confidence – knowing you are not alone. We look forward to seeing you there!

This is a drop-in group and participation at every session is not required. *

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

You are warmly invited to join us in honoring Beth Hall and her remarkable contributions spanning 35 years as one of the founders of Pact.

Enjoy a celebratory evening featuring exceptional food and beverages in a historic Capitol Hill residence. This gathering offers an opportunity to share cherished memories, connect with friends, and express our heartfelt gratitude to Beth for her visionary leadership and dedication.

Suggested donation:  $100/individual, $150/couple

This is optional but will allow us to cover the cost of the event and bringing the Pact team into town.

Registration closes February 25th.

Celebrating Beth Hall, Founding Executive Director of Pact, An Adoption Alliance – 35 Years of Impact!

Followed by:
Building Your Adoption Parenting Toolkit

with Beth Hall, Pact Co-founder, Former Executive Director & current Development Director, Susan DG Leksander, LMFT, Pact Executive Director and Raquel Vivanco, Adoptive Parents of Color Collaborative Director

Date: March 1, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Capitol Hill location shared in registration confirmation email.
Cost: FREE

Registration required by February 26th. Childcare available with advance registration; Teens are eligible for 2 hours of community service.

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.

FEE: $30.80 per person for current Pact members; $38.50 per person for non-members. Join Pact HERE.

This 90 minute workshop will help participants recognize that behavioral outbursts in young people often follow a predictable “arc of escalation.” By understanding this arc—ranging from initial triggers and progressing to a full-blown crisis—caregivers and professionals can learn to anticipate behaviors, intervene early, and respond effectively at each stage. Participants will gain insight into the key stages of escalation, learn the importance of early intervention, and explore strategies for managing behavior during and after a crisis. This training emphasizes practical de-escalation techniques, effective communication strategies, and how to maintain safety and control. By mastering these skills, participants can defuse potentially volatile situations, reduce harm, and create more positive outcomes in both personal and professional environments.

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.

Fee: $30.00

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.

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.

Teen Voices of Adoption (V.O.A.) is a virtual community where adopted teens ages 13–17 from around the world can connect, meet peers, and have real conversations about the topics that matter most to them.

Hosted by Rebecca Fiore, transracial adoptee born in Paraguay, and Adoptee Advocate. V.O.A. welcomes adopted people of all backgrounds to experience community amongst other adoptees.

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.

Please join us to learn more about contemporary domestic infant open adoption and the work we do here at Open Arms! This free 90-minute information session is where the entire domestic adoption process is discussed at length. We cover the most commonly asked questions, including wait time, fees, laws, statistics regarding race/ethnicity of babies, substance exposures, mental health risk factors, etc. and any additional questions not covered can also be answered at this time. Open Arms is a non-profit adoption program licensed in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Join Pact’s Executive Director and fellow adoptive parent, Beth Hall, to find community and talk about parenting adopted and foster teens and young adults of color, including challenges, helpful strategies and how to support yourself and your loved ones.

This call is free and open to current Pact members only. If you have not purchased a Pact membership (or your membership is not current) you can join at pactadopt.org.

The webinar is a great way to learn more about Adoptions From The Hearts Open Adoption Program, which primarily places infants directly from the hospital.

IMPORTANT NOTE: AFTH is currently only accepting applicants who are open to adopting children of all racial backgrounds and heritages. Because we are an open adoption agency and have seen an increase in requested visits, all prospective adoptive parents must also be open to a minimum of 2 in person visits per year with birth parents. Direct communication such as text, phone, or email is also commonly requested.

As a private, non funded agency, there are fees associated with our services. AFTH can connect families to grant and finance coaching resources. If you would like fee information prior to the webinar, please email adoption@afth.org with your city and state, and we will connect you with your local office.

FREE for NAA Members

$25 Non-Members

Overview: In this dynamic training, attendees will explore how to shift their child welfare practice from transactional approaches to transformational engagement. Participants will explore how input from children and youth is essential for identifying, recruiting, and developing, sustainable permanent supportive connections and placement options including legal, cultural, and relational permanence.

Through interactive learning, participants will deepen their understanding of authentic child and youth engagement and examine the core competencies and characteristics developed through the QIC-EY project that are essential for putting engagement into meaningful practice. Presenters will focus on the QIC-EY competencies: “Partnering with Children and Youth” and “Supporting Youth Voice” which are vital to supporting permanency for children and youth with complex needs, as THEY are the experts on their own lives. Impact findings from the project will be shared.

Through an interactive and engaging presentation that includes group discussions, activities and videos, facilitators will provide concrete examples, practical tips, and insights that can help when it comes to partnering with children and youth to recruit, develop and sustain permanence.

This webinar is best for child welfare professionals. (1.5) CEUs are available for this webinar.