Laura & Matt

Hello, we are Laura and Matthew. Thank you for taking the time to read our profile! We met in 2003 and have been in a very happy relationship ever since. The secret ingredients of our marriage are mutual respect, a lot of silliness, and a whole lot of love! We live in a wonderful part of Brooklyn that is rated one of the best neighborhoods in the country to raise kids. Laura has a PhD in education and is the director of an award-winning after-school program focused on social justice. She loves her work and feels so lucky to have the opportunity to work with young people. Matt earned his PhD in physics and is a manager of a data science team and a self-confessed data-nerd.

On any given weekend, we are usually either enjoying Prospect Park, meeting up with friends and their kids, playing guitar, or volunteering at a local dog rescue organization (we have fostered around 25 dogs!). We both love to travel and have visited over 20 countries backpacking together and lived in Brazil for two years. We speak Spanish, English and Portuguese and love meeting people from all over the world. We are so thankful for the many adventures we have embarked on and are now ready for the most meaningful adventure of becoming parents. Our families are incredibly supportive and equally as excited for us to expand our family through adoption.


About Laura

Job Description
Director of an after-school program for high school students

Hobbies
Traveling, hiking, surfing, Capoeira (Brazilian martial arts), dancing, and foster rescue dogs

Fun Fact
Laura learned how to swim when she was two years old


About Matt

Job Description
IT Manager & Data Scientist

Hobbies
Traveling, running, guitar, astronomy, fostering rescue dogs, studying Portuguese, surfing, and data science

Fun Fact
Matt has a small tattoo on his toe that says, ‘Tattoo’


Our Life

We are down-to-earth, goofy and happy people. Matt was born in Trinidad and raised in Wales, while Laura was born in Tucson and grew up in the Chicagoland area. Our home in Brooklyn is full of love, affection, stability, and laughter and we would be so happy to share this with a little one. We are quite active and social people, so your child’s life would be filled with friends, community and lots of opportunities to try new things. We love to travel and to spend time outdoors, so we look forward to family vacations in the mountains and at the beach, as well as visits to Matt’s Welsh family in the UK and Laura’s family in Chicago. Matt loves science and astronomy and hopes to share this wonder with a small scientist. Laura feels a deep commitment to making the world a better place and looks forward to instilling values of kindness, compassion and empathy in her son or daughter. We are excited about bedtime stories, playing in the park, being actively involved in our child’s school, hosting birthday parties, making up songs together (Matt makes up the BEST silly lyrics), and family holiday seasons. We promise to raise him or her in a loving and supportive home and offer as many opportunities as possible so that she or he can flourish. We feel strongly about ensuring that your child knows that you chose adoption for him or her out of love and courage, and we will always honor your unique place in our family.


Our Family

We come from loving families who are really excited about welcoming a new baby into their lives. Laura’s brother and sister were adopted as infants, so her family has experienced firsthand the joys of growing a family through adoption…

Both of our parents served as wonderful role models and we want to provide that same nurturing upbringing for our child. We both come from families that value education and thanks to their love and encouragement to pursue our passions, we both hold advanced degrees. We wish to provide the same support, so our child can realize his or her dreams, whatever they may be.

In addition to our immediate families in Chicago and Wales, we are so fortunate to have an extremely close-knit group of friends who live within walking distance and are simply amazing parents. It has been a joy babysitting their young ones and seeing them develop and grow. We look forward to future playdates, birthday parties and holiday celebrations so our child will always be surrounded by other youngsters and adults who love them.


Final Thoughts

“We are so grateful for the opportunity to grow our family through adoption. We are humbled by your strength and love for your child to choose adoption. We promise to provide a lifetime of unconditional love and to provide as many opportunities as possible so that your child can thrive and live his or her best life.”

-Matt and Laura

To learn more , contact our Adoption Team at 212-400-8150 or email us at info@spence-chapin.org.