Christopher and Erin

Pepe Main Profile Photo

Hello, we are Christopher and Erin, and we live in New York City. We have both called NYC home for more than 20 years and work in the fashion industry.

Chris grew up in upstate New York in a close-knit Italian American family with many relatives nearby. Erin is originally from Iowa and has family throughout the country. Her parents recently retired and moved close to us in New York, which has been especially meaningful as we prepare to grow our family.

We met the old-fashioned way—on a blind date arranged by a mutual friend in January 2009—and we have been together ever since. Over the years, our work has given us the opportunity to travel around the world, experience different cultures, and build a life together filled with love, laughter, and adventure.

We have always hoped to become parents. Adoption has long been familiar to both of our families: Erin’s aunt was adopted, and Chris has several adopted cousins. Although we were unable to have a child biologically, adoption does not feel like a second choice to us. It feels like a natural and meaningful way to build the family we have always imagined.


About Christopher

Chris Profile Photo

Job Description
Footwear Brand Owner

Hobbies
Running, cooking, exploring NYC, watching sports, spending time with family and friends.

Fun Fact
Chris understands Italian but can barely speak it.  His maternal Grandmother didn’t speak English, but she would speak to him in Italian, he’d respond in English. 


About Erin

Erin Profile Photo

Job Description
Vice President of Digital at a Fashion Company 

Hobbies
Reading, exercising, traveling, dog mom, spending time with friends and family.

Fun Fact
Fresh mozzarella is my favorite food, and I’ve learned how to make it.


Our Lives

We lead active lives and share our home with a small dog who adores children. She will happily play fetch for hours and is always ready to perform a few tricks for Cheerios—or whatever happens to be dropped from the highchair that day.

We spend a great deal of time with Chris’s brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew, who live about an hour outside the city. Their home has a large backyard where the children and dog can play, as well as a neighborhood pool where we spend many summer days. Erin worked as a lifeguard and swim instructor when she was younger, so swimming with our niece and nephew has become one of our favorite family activities.

Cooking is also an important part of our life together. Chris learned to cook from both of his grandmothers, and food remains closely tied to our family traditions. We love welcoming friends and family into our home and are known for our Sunday dinners and elaborate Christmas celebrations.

We also enjoy traveling and have been fortunate that our work has taken us to Europe regularly. Experiencing different cultures and cuisines is something we value deeply, and we often bring those influences home with us, whether through a new recipe, a family meal, or a tradition we hope to share with a child one day.


Our Family

Family is a central part of our lives. We are especially close to Chris’s brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew, who live about an hour outside the city. They visit us often, and we regularly spend weekends at their home, helping with childcare, attending family celebrations, and simply enjoying time together.

Chris also has two other brothers, both of whom have children. One lives with his family in Nashville, and the other lives in Rochester, New York. Although we do not see them as frequently, we stay connected and come together for holidays, birthdays, vacations, and other family occasions. Erin has a brother who lives in Iowa, and he is also an important part of our family.

We are very close to both sets of parents. Erin’s parents have a home just a few blocks from us in the city, so we see them several times a week for home-cooked dinners, movies, sporting events, or simply spending time together. They chose to establish a home nearby in anticipation of our becoming parents so they could be actively involved in our child’s life and available to help with childcare when needed.

Since moving closer, Erin’s parents have also become close with Chris’s brother and his family. We often celebrate holidays and other special occasions together, which has created a strong connection across both sides of our family.

Chris’s parents divide their time between Florida and upstate New York. We see them regularly for holidays, birthdays, travel, and family gatherings. Over the years, our parents have also become close friends, and it means a great deal to us that our families genuinely enjoy spending time together.

Our child will grow up surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins across several states, with a close circle of family nearby in and around New York City.


Final Thoughts

We would be deeply honored if you chose us to become your child’s parents. We are ready to provide a loving, stable home and a close extended family that is excited to welcome and support a child throughout their life.

~ Christopher & Erin


To learn more , contact our Adoption Team at 212-400-8150 or email us at [email protected].

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Elizabeth L. Smith

Mentorship Facilitator

Elizabeth L. Smith, LMSW (she/her) is a compassionate, trauma-informed, and adoption-competent therapist. In her Adoptee Support Sessions, she provides non-clinical support services to adopted people. Her clinical training, narrative work, and living experience as an adopted person inform her perspective and practice. Elizabeth possesses deep awareness, empathy, and understanding of the shifting complexities of adoption, reunion, search, and the importance of being together in community.

Waiting Children Profiles

Thank you for your interest in adopting through Spence-Chapin! We are able to share the profiles of children who are considered to be the most in need and are waiting internationally to be matched with an adoptive family. The children featured on this page have been waiting for the longest to find families and consist of children who are older, part of a sibling group, or children with a diagnosed medical condition. In order to respect the privacy of these children, this page has been password protected.

Spence-Chapin takes the privacy rights of the children that we are seeking to place very seriously, and share the profile with you under the following conditions:

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1. Misuse of the content, and/or linking to any sites that reflect practices that involve the sale, abduction, exploitation, or trafficking of children is strictly prohibited.

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3. The confidentiality obligation shall continue indefinitely, including at all times after my association with Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children.

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7. Thank you for your interest in providing a loving home for a waiting child! We look forward to connecting with you soon to continue discussing adoption paths at Spence-Chapin. We hope that you like us on Facebook, follow us on twitter, and keep up with our families through our adoption blog!

Warm regards,
The Adoption Team at Spence-Chapin

Phone: 212-400-8150
Email: [email protected]

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