“We will liaison with attorneys to accomplish the placement of infants and older children into adoptive homes,” says Jewish Family Service Executive Director Beth Schwartz. “However, we will eventually discontinue providing pregnancy options counseling.”  The agency will work with current pregnancy clients, but accept no new pregnancy cases.

 

None of these changes will affect any services provided to past adoptive families. “We are here for anyone who has ever been served by our agency, whether last week or 60 years ago,” Schwartz stresses.

 

For adoptive families, Adoption Connection will continue to provide all homestudy, educational services, post placement, finalization, and post adoption services including mediation of any birth family contact. 

 

 “We remain committed to these services, especially search and contact mediation, for the life of the adoption. Insofar as this is concerned, nothing has changed,” she assures.

 

The agency will also continue to counsel birth parents that have placed with the agency and seek ongoing support.

 

Although Adoption Connection will apply to become licensed as a 'private noncustodial agency', it will continue hold its license as a 'private child placing agency' during the transition. "We will retain our license as long as we hold custody of our currently placed infants to allow for a smooth finalization of adoptions," promises Schwartz. 

 

This change in structure is triggered largely by ongoing fiscal concerns.

 

Schwartz acknowledged that Jewish Family Service has a rich history of providing exemplary infant adoption placement services through Adoption Connection. Jewish Family Service has built families through adoption for 65 years. Yet, over the recent years, the Board of Directors has discussed the long-term viability of Adoption Connection.

 

“Our work with birth mothers is intensive, as it should be, in order to help each one to make the right decisions for herself and her infant.  However, this work requires a large allocation of resources,” explains Schwartz. “As Adoption Connection is currently configured, it simply is not financially predictable or sustainable.”

 

Adoption Connection was originally established to offer a place for Jewish families to feel comfortable in the process of adoption.  It has changed and adapted over the years in order to stay true to that original mission while keeping pace with regulations, trends in adoption practices, and in recent years, the end of government funding for adoption.

 

“We believe that we will actually be able to help more families by working with attorneys and by providing innovative education, mentoring, and the tools families need to be proactive in pursuing their adoption goals,” says Schwartz. “These changes will allow Adoption Connection to achieve more mission-driven results.”

 

Schwartz adds that this is a bittersweet decision for the agency. “While we are excited about the potential of our new focus, we also feel the loss of a longstanding tradition of service,” she says.  “But by providing service in a new way, Adoption Connection will continue to be a source of pride and joy for our community.”