New Jersey Adoption Resource Clearing House

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

A Free, Virtual, Parent Support Group for adoptive, foster, or kinship families.

All the single parents (all the single parents) Put your hands UP!

We have a support group just for YOU! The parent who is doing the most rewarding and challenging job in the world!

We know single parenting isn’t for the faint of heart and we face unique issues. We don’t have a partner to “tag out” with when our kid is overwhelming us with their needs or to share the sense of pride when our kid learns to walk, scores a goal or graduates from high school. Our hope is to have a safe place where you can connect with other single parents to share your triumphs and joy, your strategies for staying sane amidst the chaos and also find new ways to recharge and take care of the most important person in your child’s life…YOU!

Scheduled to meet monthly on the second Friday from 7 to 8:30 PM

June 12, 2026; July 10, 2026; August 14, 2026; September 11, 2026; October 9, 2026; November 13, 2026; December 11, 2026

Professional Adoptees Networking is ONLY for those adults who have been adopted AND who work or volunteer in the field of adoption/child welfare. 

Are you an adopted adult who works or volunteers within the field of adoption and/or child welfare?

It’s time we reinvest in our own mental health. Let’s get together to talk, laugh, vent, maybe even scream about the emotional labor that goes into being a professional in this arena. Let’s face it…it ain’t easy. We want to know what’s on your mind and if there are any emotional landmines you, too, find yourself stumbling over. It will be a relaxed, open forum, where we can sit with each other as we navigate the intersections of our personal and professional lived experiences.

Remember, this isn’t a panel, it’s not therapy..it’s an open conversation that will center our – adopted person – voices and experiences. No filters … just honesty. Sometimes, sitting with that honesty can be uncomfortable or unsettling. Sometimes it can be triggering. But we all need to unpack our baggage, and we’d like this to be a space where everyone will feel comfortable doing that without fear of judgement or criticism.

June 17, 2026; July 15, 2026; August 19, 2026; September 16, 2026; October 21, 2026; November 18, 2026; December 16, 2026

WHEN: 1st Thursday of Each Month, 7:00 – 8:30 PM EST

WHERE: Zoom

COST: FREE!

In this monthly group facilitated by adult adoptees Tony Hynes and Rachel Shifaraw, adoptees will share, build community, and learn from other adoptees as they explore their experiences. In acknowledging the lifelong journey of adoption, the Adult Adoptee Support Group fosters an environment where participants will be able to voice some of the challenges, triumphs, and identity work unique to adult adoptees. We look forward to seeing you there!

WHEN: Third Wednesday of Every Month, 7:00-8:30 PM EST

WHERE: Zoom

COST: One-time fee of $25

This support group will provide a space where interracial adoptive parents of children (and adults) of all ages can share their experiences about parenting children of a different race, while fostering a sense of community. Without the support of their parents, interracial adoptees are at a disadvantage. However, sometimes, it can be hard for parents to know what is going on with their children and when to step up, step back, or take a different route entirely. This support group offers a free-flowing environment where participants can share anything relevant to the discussion surrounding their families. Additionally, within the support group, how to form and maintain secure attachments in interracial adoptive households, the importance of creating diverse environments, how to talk about race and racism with children, navigating birth family relationships, and the urgency of examining our own biases as we attempt to support the needs of interracial adoptees, are all topics the group expects to talk about with great vulnerability. We look forward to seeing you!

Open to ALL Foster, Kinship and Adoptive Parents Throughout the State!

Dates:

July 23, 2026; August 27, 2026; September 24, 2026; October 22, 2026; November 26, 2026, rescheduled for 3rd Thursday November 19^th; December 24, 2026, rescheduled for 3rd Thursday December 17th

FREE!

This Virtual Support Group for Parents of Teens is for adoptive and foster parents of teenagers looking to make connections and build a network of support with other parents in a similar stage of life.

The virtual group will be held for 6 weeks starting Monday, September 14, 2026, through October 19, 2026, from 6:00 – 7:30 PM EST.

Meeting Dates: 9/14, 9/21, 9/28, 10/5, 10/12, and 10/19

FREE!

Please note: This workshop is for caregivers raising adopted, foster, or kinship children who have been exposed prenatally to alcohol or drugs.

This evidence-based, trauma-informed workshop helps parents recognize the signs and symptoms of prenatal substance exposure and trains them on techniques that work best with kids exposed prenatally to alcohol and drugs. Each 90-minute session is held on Zoom and includes facilitated discussion with other caregivers working with these children. We are able to offer this free workshop through the support of the Jockey Being Family®Foundation.

Workshop Dates (4.5 CE hours for 3 sessions):
All Sessions begin at 7 pm Eastern Time Zone. Seating is limited.

Course Price: $350

In this 3-session, 6-hour interactive course, participants will explore how the typical developmental tasks of the teen years are intensified and complicated by adoption, particularly if teens are being raised by parents of a different race or culture.

Participants will gain an understanding on assessment of how adoption influences the developmental process of identity formation, separation from parents, and interpersonal relationships, including birth family connections.

Based on the book, Beneath the Mask: Understanding Adopted Teens, by author and C.A.S.E. CEO Debbie Riley, LCMFT, this training highlights “the six spots where teens get stuck” as key vulnerabilities around the adoption experience in adolescence. Assessment considerations and clinical strategies will be explored for application in clinical practice.

In this adoptee-led program, we will navigate adulthood alongside a supportive community of peers and adult adoptee Mentors. Hosted September through June via monthly Zoom meetings, this group welcomes adoptees ages 18-24 worldwide.

2026 is CUB’s 50th year providing support and community for anyone impacted by adoption. Our retreat planning team is hard at work creating another wonderful annual retreat for our community!

• We’ll be gathering at a beautiful Pacific Northwest setting on Lake Washington at The Hyatt Southport Lake Washington next to the 50 acre Coulon Beach Park to enjoy walks along the lake.
• We have a terrific mix of educational, advocacy, and support sessions planned, as well as a night of story telling and a night of film in the works!
• Early retreat registration is open now.  Prices: Members (Earlybird) $355.00, NonMembers $399.00, Single Day $215.00.

• Your registration includes all sessions & events, and 4 hosted meals: breakfast and dinner on Friday and Saturday.

Your registration includes all sessions & events, and 4 hosted meals: breakfast and dinner on Friday and Saturday.

Intended as a safe space for Birth Families, Adoptees, and those who support us.

An intended safe space for Adoptees and First Parents to step out of isolation, and join others no matter where they are on their adoption journey. We also include spouses, siblings, children, and others who support the Adoptee or Birth/First Parent in their life. This is a space to check in and share experiences and learn from one another.

Our International Team is excited to host this webinar and to share information about adopting from South Africa. Spence-Chapin is proud to have the longest history of any US-based agency of facilitating adoption from South Africa and we work with adoptive families living across the entire United States. The South Africa program welcomes adoptive applicants regardless of marital status or sexual orientation. In this webinar we will discuss common medical and developmental needs of children who are currently living in South Africa and waiting for their forever families. We will provide an overview of the adoption process. We look forward to answering any questions you may have about adoption in general and specific questions about adoption from South Africa.

** 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, 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.

A peer support group for extended birth family members of children placed for adoption, facilitated by an AFTH social worker. This group offers a supportive space to connect with others who share a similar experience, share your story if you wish, gain understanding, and learn from one another. Together, participants can find encouragement, support, and connection from others who truly understand the unique perspective of extended birth family members.

A Zoom link will be sent to you after you register.

Questions: contact your social worker or support group facilitator, Brandi McMullen at BrandiM@afth.org

Individual Ticket – October: $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.