Adopt America Network
http://www.adoptamerica.org/index.html
The Adopt America Network, whose base lies in Toledo, Ohio, has made it their mission to
provide "permanent, loving adoptive homes for children that weight." This agency places special
needs children (sibling groups, minority children, those who have been abused, children with
developmental disabilities, etc) all over the country and has adoption specialists (fieldworkers)
in almost every state. This website also offers information about special needs children, who can
adopt, and the adoption process. There is also an application for those interested finding out more
information.
National Adoption Information Clearinghouse
http://www.calib.com/naic
The National Adoption Information Clearinghouse was established jointly by the Children's
Bureau, Administration on Children Youth and Families, the Administration for Children and
Families, and the Department of Health and Human Services. The NAIC offers a variety of information
about adoption for professionals, birth families, adoptive parents, and adopted individuals. It
offers a current list of statistics and laws, in addition to a library with over 4500 documents
that provide useful information about adoption. The NAIC also provides helpful information and
useful definitions about special needs adoptions, adoption disruptions, the adoption process, and
many other different types of adoptions (i.e. international adoptions, kinship adoptions, single
parent, etc.)
Spaulding for Children
http://www.spaulding.org
Spaulding Adoption Programs are found all over the country and are designed to "provide help
to children who wait the longest for permanency and support services for their adoptive, foster,
and kinship families." The main purpose of this site is to build a resource center for special
needs children and their adoption. It provides information on the types of children waiting for
adoption, adoption support services, and treatment foster care. The site also provides telephone
numbers, addresses, and email addresses so parents or prospective parents can get help in answering
their questions.
AdoptOhio
http://www.state.oh.us/odjfs/oapl
In this country, there is an overabundant amount of children who have been removed from their
biological family's home and are looking for permanent adoptive placement, as with most of the
children, parental rights have been terminated. AdoptOhio was established in 1997 by the Ohio
Department of Job and Family Services. It was designed to offer a place for prospective adoptive
families to search a listing of available special needs children in the state of Ohio. Hundreds of
pictures are posted every year, along with brief write ups about the child. This site also contains
the Ohio Adoption Guidebook, which contains information on searching for an adoption agency,
homestudy processes, financial concerns, frequently asked questions, and post placement issues. The
site is also currently building links to different support services in Ohio.
National Resource Special Needs Adoption Center
http://www.nrcadoption.org/index.html
The NRC for Special Needs Adoption is a website compiled with hundreds of links to various
Internet sites about special needs adoption. Their goal is "assist Sates, Tribes, and other
federally funded child welfare agencies in building their capacity to ensure the safety, well
being, and permanency of abused and neglected children." Links include such agencies as the
Children's Bureau, Department of Health and Human Services, National Adoption Center, and the Child
Welfare League of America. They also provide information about statistics, post-adoptive services,
and laws. They also provide addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of people to contact for
more information or questions.
Northwest Adoption Exchange
http://www.nwae.org
The NWAE is a northwestern adoption agency for the states of Washington, Oregon, Utah, Idaho,
Alaska, and Nevada. They are intending to recruit parents from all over the United States and
provide information on training and support services that are available for special needs adoption.
They also desire to create awareness about the status, implications, and longevity of the problem
of children with special needs that are waiting for adoption. There is also a sample of
photolistings of children waiting for adoption, places to get more information, and a variety of
links to learn more about adoption.
Special Needs Adoption: What Parents Should Know
http://adoption.about.com
This is a comprehensive site established by the About Network and offers an extensive amount
of information about adoption. It provides a library about special needs adoptions, single parent
adoptions, gay and lesbian adoptions, openness, search and reunion techniques, and problems, laws,
cultural issues, and support services for adoptees, adopted parents, and birth families. It
provides suggestions for parents that are considering adoption, the adoption process and on
evaluating photo listings (there are also links to photo listings of waiting children from around
the country). This is by far, one of the most dedicated sites to provide information about all
aspects of adoption.
Special Needs Adoption Program (SNAP)
http://cfc.state.ky.us/cbs-snap/
This SNAP program is based in Kentucky and established by the Cabinet for Children and
Family. This site is intended to provide services to families in Kentucky that are interested in
special needs adoption. It contains information about the adoption process, support groups, search
techniques, and photo listings. SNAP also provides an extensive list of monetary support that is
available for families: Medicaid/Medicare, AFDC, health insurance, food stamps, and other available
subsidies. It also intends to create awareness about many of the issues that arise with special
needs children: child abuse, sibling groups, older children, etc.
ComeUnity- Special Needs Adoption
http://www.comeunity.com
ComeUnity is a volunteer created site intended to provide support and adoptive information
for prospective and current adoptive parents. Their mission is to "provide high quality information
in a supportive environment to encourage parents and advocate for children so that special needs
children can reach their full potential." It has lists of articles about parenting adoptive
children, international adoption, medical care, infertility, the adoption process, and book reviews
on a variety of adoptive books.
Aid to Adoption of Special Kids
http://www.aask-az.org
AASK is an agency based out of Arizona designed to find homes for children with special
needs. It provides necessary information about who can adopt, eligibility requirements (age, state
of residence, employment, etc), characteristics of special needs children, and information on
services they provide to families. Some of these services include birth family counseling, adoption
training, and post-adoptive services (group outings, respite care, and referrals). There is also a
sample listing of some of the children waiting for adoption and links to finding out more
information about special needs adoption, photo listings, foster care, adoption advocacy groups,
and support services.
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