As Families Evolve, So Do We

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Adoption Supports: Strengthening Families

For more than 126 years, Children’s Aid and Family Services has been transforming lives through adoption, placing over 11,000 children into loving, permanent homes. Adoption remains a core part of our mission, and our commitment has only deepened over time. As the definition of family continues to evolve, so too have our services. Today, we proudly support a wide range of adoptive families, including grandparents raising grandchildren and other nontraditional caregivers, by offering resources that promote stability, resilience, and lifelong connection.

Please feel free to share these resources with anyone who may benefit from them.

Helping Older Children Find Families

Today, many of the children we serve are between the ages of 8 and 18 and have experienced trauma, abuse, or neglect. These young people need families who can provide stability, compassion, and understanding.

We provide:

Comprehensive training for adoptive parents
Ongoing support for managing trauma, grief, and behavioral needs
Counseling and guidance through every step of the adoption journey

Therapy for Adoptive and Kinship Families

Children’s Aid and Family Services has extensive experience supporting pre- and post-kinship and adoptive families on their unique journeys. Our therapists work with both parents and their families in a collaborative partnership to help the child recover from trauma as well as strengthen family relationships.
Therapy is available for pre- and post-adoptive and kinship families with children 20 years old and younger who live in New Jersey and were placed through New Jersey’s Child Protection and Permanency agency.

Ensuring Safe Adoption Processes

We also conduct Adoption Complaint Investigations (ACI), as ordered by the courts for adoptions not handled by an agency. Our thorough reviews help determine whether the adoption can proceed in the child’s best interest.

In step-parent adoptions, we assist with required background checks and provide full investigations if needed, helping ensure every child’s safety and well-being.

Birth Parent Counseling

Children’s Aid and Family Services offers compassionate, confidential, and free counseling for individuals considering adoption for their child. Our staff helps expectant and birth parents explore all available options and create a plan that prioritizes the well-being of both parent and child. Services are available to residents of the state of New Jersey at our offices in Bergen and Essex Counties.

Search and Reunion

Children’s Aid and Family Services provides background and search services to persons adopted through this agency or the Sister Mary Eugene Foundation. Services include:

Background information for adoptees
Searches for birth parents and adopted siblings
Counseling and guidance through the emotional steps of reunion

Birth Family Reunion Planning and Support

Many adopted individuals make the decision to research, seek, and locate their birth parents or members of their birth family. For those who have taken this step and have obtained the contact information for individuals they believe are members of their birth family, we help them navigate the next steps in their reunion journey

Statewide Support Through NJ ARCH and KinKonnect

Adoption is a lifelong journey, and so is the need for support. To that end, we’re proud to provide resources and support for anyone touched by adoption in New Jersey through NJ ARCH (New Jersey Adoption Resource Clearing House). Services include:

A statewide directory of adoption and support resources
A free lending library of adoption and parenting materials
A Toll-Free Warm Line: 877-4ARCHNJ
Workshops and training for adoptive parents and professionals
Learn more: www.njarch.org

We also offer KinKonnect, a support hub for families raising relatives’ children through kinship care or Kinship Legal Guardianship (KLG). Resources include: