A DAY IN THE LIFE: INTERIM CARE PROVIDER

From the moment she gets a call from Spence-Chapin about a newborn coming into care, Carmela Grabowski goes into mommy mode. “I put fresh linens on the bassinet, clean the car seat, make formula, sterilize the pacifiers, change out all the diapers from size 2 to 1, and sort the clothes depending on the season […]

BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATED WITH JAVAKA STEPTOE

On a sunny afternoon in February 2011, dozens of Spence-Chapin families gathered to celebrate Black History Month with noted author/illustrator Javaka Steptoe. The families, all part of the African-American Parents Advisory Committee (AAPAC), were abuzz with excitement as they waited for direction. Steptoe was there to guide the group through a collage-making activity. The goal […]

REFLECTING ON BIRTH PARENTS AND PLACING A CHILD IN ADOPTION

As a social worker in the International Department at Spence-Chapin, I’ve been enlightened by so many aspects of adoption: the way hearts of adoptive parents can break, heal, stretch, and grow; the tenacious resiliency of children; and the conflicted governments who don’t always recognize the fate they hold in their hands. But, I had not, […]

RECENT ARTICLES BY AND ABOUT BIRTH MOTHERS

Amy Silverman, Spence-Chapin’s Assistant Director of Birth Parent Services, recommends recent articles by and about birth mothers in Newsweek and The New York Times. “I am all too aware of the stigma and misunderstanding experienced by our birth parent clients.  The general public continues to have outdated notions of adoption.  Few people realize that ethical […]

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