Imagine finding a loving home for a child born without eyes, or a child who requires gastronomy tube and uses a wheelchair for mobility? Well Spence-Chapin’s A Special Adoption Program (ASAP) does this and more.
The ASAP program is a part of the Spence-Chapin’s domestic adoption program– going out of its way to place babies with current or prospective medical conditions and/or developmental challenges with forever families. For that reason, Spence-Chapin’s ASAP program was recently selected by New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to receive the 2011 Angels in Adoption™ Award.
Since 1995, Spence-Chapin has placed hundreds of infants with loving, adoptive parents prepared to face the joys and challenges of parenting a special needs child. Staff meaningfully involve the birth parents of each child whenever possible in the selection of the adoptive family best likely to meet that child’s needs and who support open adoption as a model– encouraging the birth and adoptive parents to meet and continue to exchange and share information. Spence-Chapin provides interim care families, medical care, and early intervention services until an ASAP child is placed their adoptive family.
The Angels in Adoption™ Program, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s (CCAI) signature public awareness program, raises Congressional awareness about the thousands of foster children in this country and the millions of children around the world in need of permanent, loving homes. The Angels in Adoption™ event provides an opportunity for members of Congress to commend their outstanding constituents who have enriched the lives of children through their advocacy of adoption and foster care issues.
Spence-Chapin’s Susan Watson, director, National & Community Partnerships, accepted the award, shown here with the coalition’s co-chair Senator Mary Landrieu.
