Help with Your Unplanned Pregnancy

Special Needs Adoption

The Special Needs Adoption Program at Spence-Chapin began in 1995 to help ensure that children with severe medical challenges have the opportunity to thrive in a permanent, loving family who can care for their ongoing needs. The program offers the following: free counseling and support services to parents who are considering adoption for their child and no professional service fees to adoptive families. It is the only program of its kind in the country.

Learn more about how birth families drive the matching process and how adoptive families are chosen on our blog.

Baby Matthew is a beautiful little boy with gorgeous brown eyes. Matthew was diagnosed with Alagille Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that impacts the liver and heart and often requires a myriad of interventions and surgeries throughout the individual’s life. Matthew was placed with an extraordinary family who received extensive training on how to care for Matthew’s unique needs. Matthew is currently doing well, and his parents are vigilant to get him the best possible care for his various medical interventions and therapies. He is settling in well with his brothers and sisters, who absolutely adore the youngest member of their family, and they all celebrated his first birthday together last June.

Angela, a beautiful, sweet baby girl, had a rough start. She was rushed into neonatal intensive care immediately after birth with acute respiratory distress, and was diagnosed with Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome with Chromosome 4p deletion, an extremely rare genetic condition that can cause a variety of symptoms, including delayed growth and development, unusual facial features, seizures, and other congenital abnormalities. Now a happy three-year old with a big personality, Angela continues to receive treatment and has undergone several surgeries, but is thriving with the love and support of her family.

Charlie’s giggling is contagious, but his journey to toddlerhood has been a remarkable and challenging one. Charles was born with Prader-Willi Syndrome, an incurable condition that affects cognitive function, appetite, and growth. Spence-Chapin was able to identify a wonderful adoptive family for Charles who is caring for his ongoing needs. Now a rambunctious toddler, he loves spending time with his parents and older sister and has had several visits with his birth parents. Both families are delighted at the progress Charles has made and how well he adapted to his forever home.

Keagan’s mom fell in love at first sight upon seeing his photo on Spence-Chapin’s website. She knew immediately that she was meant to care for this baby boy. Keagan was born with Giant Nevus which causes mole-like birthmarks to cover the body, and in Keagan’s case, they were also present in his brain, a serious and potentially life-threatening condition. When she arrived at the hospital to meet him in person for the first time, she brought with her a bag full of clothes that were Giant Nevus-friendly, meaning they did not irritate the mole-like birthmarks that covered 50% of Keagan’s body. She had also already identified a Nevus expert in her area, and had connected with support groups online. Since that day at the hospital three years ago, Keagan has made remarkable progress, and has even been the poster child for an international Nevus conference!

Birth Parents

Expectant parents who are given an unanticipated diagnosis, or who experience a complication during pregnancy or after birth and are unsure about parenting may not be aware of all their options. Spence-Chapin is available to help families consider and explore all permanency options for their infant or child. Our social workers will meet with parents in a confidential and convenient location in Arizona, New York, New Jersey, or virtually. Spence-Chapin’s services are confidential and we can work with any client regardless of age or immigration status.

The Children in Need of Adoption

The infants and children we serve have a variety of special needs, from significant developmental delays to serious medical and congenital conditions.

The conditions usually require therapeutic and/or medical interventions during the child’s entire life. These non-correctable conditions can include:

Genetic Disorders
Brain Anomali
Neurological Disorders
Rare Syndromes
Cardiac and Pulmonary Disorders
Shortened Life Span
Excessive Drug and/or Alcohol Exposure
Significant Risk of Psychiatric Disorders

Children may be eligible for early intervention services, Social Security Disability, Adoption Subsidy, and Medicaid.

Adoptive Parents

Adoptive parents live across the country and often have experience caring for or parenting a child with medical needs. Their wish is to provide a loving home for an infant or child who is medically fragile or terminally ill. Adoptive families are carefully screened and receive specialized training to ensure they are well equipped to be excellent parents to the child they adopt. There are no professional service fees to adoptive families. The only fees incurred by adoptive families are for getting a home study and finalizing the adoption.

Through the generosity of our supporters, Spence-Chapin is able to waive all professional services fees for the Special Needs Adoption Program. This ensures that there are no financial barriers for families who wish to adopt, allowing each child in our Special Needs Adoption Program to be placed with the perfect family, who can focus on providing ongoing care for their needs right away.

Special Needs Adoption

Birth Parents

The Children in Need of Adoption

Adoptive Parents

Learn more about Spence-Chapin’s Special Needs Program:

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand honored Spence-Chapin with an ANGELS IN ADOPTION™ AWARD: