Supporting Families in the Era of COVID-19

Spence-Chapin is committed to serving our families at all times.

As a community, we are facing unprecedented times with the COVID-19 pandemic.  In the face of these challenges, our staff remains available to each of our families – whether it is through counseling and coaching services to support you in the anxieties brought on by the pandemic, or to guide your family through the next steps in your adoption process.

We know that there are children here and around the world that need us more than ever – and need YOU more than ever. Our Home Study Services, International Adoption, Domestic Adoption, and Special Needs Adoption Programs are still up and running!  For those interested in pursuing an international adoption, the application to begin your process is now free.

Due to the public health guidance encouraging “social distancing” and local orders in NYC to “shelter in place” our staff are currently working remotely, each with full connectivity and access to a computer, email and phone. Regardless of where you are in the process, we are here to help you. Our staff is available to respond to your questions about the adoption process and adoption pathways and to answer any questions we can.

Can I still begin the adoption home study?

Yes. We are continuing to move families through much of the home study process. We are able to process applications for home study and move families through the home study paperwork and home study trainings. All families will continue to have a dedicated Spence-Chapin staff member to guide them through the paperwork and answer any and all questions about documentation. We are accepting documentation electronically during this time and will obtain the originals from each family when our office reopens.

How will I complete the home visit/s?

After your family completes all required home study paperwork, your case will be assigned to a social worker who will conduct your home study interviews. We are conducting initial interviews via video conferencing if permissible by your state of residence and the country from which you are adopting.

Our goal is to move cases forward as far as we can during this period and then resume home visits upon the lifting of current public health restrictions on travel and contact. A home visit is required in all home study cases and we cannot be certain when the “shelter in place” and “social distancing” guidelines will be lifted thereby allowing us to resume home visits.

What about post-placement/post-adoption supervision?

For families who are in post-placement or post-adoption supervision, we are conducting virtual visits via video conferencing at this time and will make in-home visits once the public health risk restricting community contact has passed.

We are closely following all state, local, and federal guidance about the COVID-19 pandemic. Your health and the health of our staff is our priority and so a decision of when to resume in-person interviews with clients and to make home visits will be made with thoughtful consideration of public health. While we hope to be able to resume in-person interviews and home visits soon, the timeframe is unknown at this time.

Have more questions? Our team would love to speak with you. Call us at (212) 400-8150 or email us at [email protected]