Judah: A Special Needs Adoption Story
Baby Judah was born nine weeks before schedule, at the beginning of 2023. His young mother was unprepared for the many medical diagnoses he would receive.
DOMESTIC SPECIAL NEEDS ADOPTION AT SPENCE-CHAPIN: WHO CHOOSES THE ADOPTIVE FAMILY?
Families often have questions about what the matching process is like in our Domestic Special Needs Adoption Program. Similar to Spence-Chapin’s Domestic Infant Adoption Program, the matching process in our Domestic Special Needs Program is driven by birth family whenever possible. Spence-Chapin’s Domestic Special Needs Adoption Program (formerly called ASAP – A Special Adoption Program) […]
REFLECTIONS ON SPENCE-CHAPIN HISTORY DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Written by Antoinette Cockerham (COO) This month as we celebrate Black History Month, I have found myself taking time to reflect on the history of African American adoption, the role that Spence-Chapin has played in that history, and the many encouraging changes I have witnessed in my 25+ career working in adoption. A little over […]
SPENCE-CHAPIN, A LEADER IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND BLACK INFANT ADOPTION
Spence-Chapin has been a leader in African-American and Black infant adoption and recruiting African-American adoptive parents. In honor of Black History Month, we revisit the efforts made by those who have fought to break barriers, making African-American and Black children from all parts of the world a focus and a priority. In the 1940’s, Gladys Randolph, former […]
ADOPTION IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
In November of 2005, Ed Gordon of National Public Radio (NPR) sat down with Spence-Chapin’s then-Assistant Director of Domestic Adoption Antoinette “Toni” Cockerham and Spence-Chapin adoptive parent Lisha Epperson about African American adoption. Their conversation highlights the history of African American Adoption at Spence-Chapin, some of its challenges at the time, as well as its […]
LETTER FROM A BIRTH MOTHER
by Latoya Sinclair July 24th is my son’s birthday. He turned 7 this year and it pains me because I know he is no longer just a baby, but a big boy who is growing into his own personality. What hurts me is that I am not able to hear his voice; I haven’t heard […]
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, […]
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