Resource Library
We understand that going through the family building process can be overwhelming.
Here are some resources that can help guide you through the process and your options.
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Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA) - Professional organization of attorneys, law professors, and judges who are recognized as Fellows and have extensive experience in the practice of adoption law, ART law, or both.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation - A private philanthropy devoted to developing a brighter future for millions of children at risk of poor educational, economic, social and health outcomes.
Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (AAICPC) - Resources for ICPC, which is the uniform legal and administrative procedures governing the interstate placement of children and is statutory law in all fifty-two member jurisdictions and a binding contract between member jurisdictions.
AdoptUSKids - National project that supports child welfare systems and connects children in foster care with families.
Amara Adoption Openness Assessment - Resources for openness in adoption and the Inclusive Family Support Model (IFSM), a model designed to support adoptive parents in creating a spirit of openness for the benefit of adoptee.
Child Welfare Information Gateway - Adoption Resources - Child Welfare Information Gateway promotes the safety, permanency, and well-being of children, youth, and families by connecting child welfare, adoption, and related professionals as well as the public to information, resources, and tools covering topics on child welfare, child abuse and neglect, out-of-home care, adoption, and more. Part of the Children's Bureau under the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.
Child Welfare Information Gateway - Finding and Working With Adoption-Competent Therapists
Child Welfare Information Gateway - National Foster Care & Adoption Directory - The National Foster Care & Adoption Directory offers contact information for State child welfare officials, programs, organizations, and services with a focus on foster care, permanency, and adoption. Searchable by state and topic.
Children’s Bureau Adoption & Foster Care Statistics - Collected by Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS).
Creating A Family - Nonprofit with national infertility, adoption & foster care education and support.
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption - Nonprofit foster care adoption organization that finds homes for foster care children across the US & Canada.
Department of State Intercountry Adoption Process
The Donaldson Adoption Institute - An organization that provides independent and objective adoption research, education, and advocacy organization that addressed the needs of birth parents, adopted people, adoptive parents, the people who love them, and the professionals that serve them.
Families Rising (Formerly NACAC) - Nonprofit that supports, educates, inspires, and advocates so adoptive families thrive and every child in foster care has a permanent, safe, loving family.
Fund Your Adoption - Resource to help families overcome all of the financial barriers of adoption by providing the most informative, up-to-date financial resources that empower families to adopt debt free.
Helpusadopt.org - National 501(c)(3) financial grant program that helps couples/individuals (regardless of ethnicity, gender, marital status, religion, or sexual orientation) with the cost of their adoptions by awarding grants up to $15,000.
ICPC State Pages - ICPC Directory and resources for each jurisdiction with administrator contact information and other information.
National Council for Adoption - Adoption Advocacy and Awareness to meet diverse needs of children, birth parents, adopted individuals, adoptive families, and all those touched by adoption through global advocacy, education, research, legislative action, and collaboration.
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ABA Model Act Governing Assisted Reproduction - 2019, by the American Bar Association
American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) - ASRM is a non-profit nationally and internationally recognized leader for multidisciplinary information, education, advocacy and standards in the field of reproductive medicine.
ASRM Ethical Considerations for Gestational Carriers - 2022
ASRM Legally Speaking - A column highlighting recent court decisions affecting the assisted reproductive technologies and the families they create, written by Susan L. Crockin, J.D. and guest authors who offer unique perspectives and expertise on significant legal topics.
Cofertility - Resource for fertility questions and answers.
Donor Concierge - Resource to find egg donors and surrogate mothers by guided intended parents to trusted resource.
Fertility IQ - Resource to find fertility doctor and clinic that fits your needs.
Jewish Family & Children's Services - The Fertility Fund: A Gift From the Heart - Need-based fund for Jewish individuals and couples in the Philadelphia region to help subsidize the cost of fertility treatments.
National Embryo Donation Academy - Educational courses on embryo donation.
National Embryo Donation Center
Pay it Forward Fertility Foundation - Nonprofit that helps reduce the cost of fertility treatments by providing grants and educating couples about infertility.
RESOLVE - The National Infertility Association, a nonprofit with local chapters that provide advocacy and information on infertility-related concerns.
Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology
Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy (SEEDS) - SEEDS is a nonprofit organization founded by a group of egg donation and surrogacy agencies, whose purpose is to define and promote ethical behavior by all parties involved in third-party reproduction.
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Adoption Tax Credit Advocacy Kit by the National Council for Adoption
Adoption Tax Benefits: An Overview, by the Congressional Research Service
Helpusadopt.org - National 501(c)(3) financial grant program that helps couples/individuals (regardless of ethnicity, gender, marital status, religion, or sexual orientation) with the cost of their adoptions by awarding grants up to $15,000.
IRS Adoption Credit at a Glance
IRS Adoption Credit and Adoption Assistance Programs
IRS Nine Facts About the Adoption Tax Credit
IVF Loans: Financing Options for Fertility Treatment by Lend EDU
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ACLU of Pennsylvania: Same-Sex Parenting Birth Certificate FAQs - Review of PA Dept. of Health guidance to hospitals advising that for pregnant same-sex female couples who are married at the time of irth, the hospital should list both spouses as their child's parents on the birth certificate.
Family Equality Council – Nonprofit with a mission is to advance legal and lived equality for LGBTQ+ families, and for those who wish to form them, through building community, changing hearts and minds, and driving policy change.
Human Rights Campaign All Children All Families Initiative
Human Rights Campaign All Children All Families Resources
Legal Basics for LGBTQ Parents
LGBT Equality Alliance - Nonprofit serving LGBTQ+ community by facilitating programs and collaborating with local organizations to host social, health, education, and outreach activities in Chester County, PA.
Mazzoni Center - LGBTQ Health & Well-Being – Philadelphia centers dedicated to meeting the health and wellness of the LGBTQ communities.
Men Having Babies – Nonprofit providing surrogacy parenting advice and support for gay men worldwide.
Movement Advancement Project LGBTQ Equality Maps
Movement Advancement Project LGBTQ Maps on Foster and Adoption Laws
Our Family Coalition - Nonprofit that advances equity for LGBTQ families with children through support, education, and advocacy.
Pennsylvania LGBTQ Family Law - A Resource Guide to LGBTQ-Headed Families Living Pennsylvania - Guide drafted by the Family Equality Council that addresses legal rights and issues that affect LGBTQ individuals and their families.
Philadelphia Family Pride – Nonprofit membership organization for LGBTQ+ led families in the greater Philadelphia region.
US Dept of State Information on Intercountry LGBTI Adoptions
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2019 State of Child Welfare by Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children - PPC's Annual Report to gauge performance of Pennsylvania’s child welfare system in meeting the needs of the children and families the system serves. Search by county and review data of rural and urban environments.
ChildLine - Pennsylvania resources to report child abuse or neglect, and information on mandated reporters and clearances.
Community Legal Services of Philadelphia - Legal service nonprofit that provides free civil legal assistance to low-income Philadelphians.
Defenders Association of Philadelphia
Delaware Valley Adoption Council - Consortium of public and private agencies working together to promote and advance the cause of adoption through education, adoption awareness, and matching events in the Delaware Valley area.
Homeless Advocacy Project - Legal Services organization that works to meet the legal and advocacy needs of homeless individuals and families in Philadelphia.
Maternity Care Coalition - Maternity Care Coalition works to improve the health and well-being of pregnant women and parenting families, and enhance school readiness for children 0-3. MCC has assisted more than 100,000 families throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania, focusing particularly on neighborhoods with high rates of poverty, infant mortality, health disparities, and changing immigration patterns.
PA Dept of Human Services - Foster Care - PA DHS Information on Pennsylvania Foster Care.
PA Legal Aid Network - The Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN) is a statewide consortium of independent legal aid programs that provides civil legal assistance to low-income individuals and families. The Network is comprised of nine regional legal aid programs, providing legal assistance to eligible clients in every county in Pennsylvania, and six specialized legal aid programs, providing legal services in specialized areas of the law or to special groups of eligible clients.
PA Law Help - PA Law Help helps low-income individuals solve legal problems by providing information on civil legal issues and answers to many civil legal questions. This website provides searchable helpful resources about legal rights, the law and the courts, and how to locate legal assistance and forms that may be available to help you resolve your problem.
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children - PPC is a statewide, independent, non-partisan non-profit aimed to improve the health, education and well-being of children and youth in the Commonwealth.
Pennsylvania State Resource Family Association - PSRFA advocates and supports those who work with foster, adoptive, and kinship families, and with local foster parent associations and agencies who care for the children they serve. The vision is to involve all parts of the community to improve the quality of family life in Pennsylvania and to influence child welfare policy and practice, both nationally and internationally.
Philadelphia VIP - Legal service nonprofit that provides legal services for low-income Philadelphians related to shelter, employment, financial stability, education, and health.
Safe Haven Law for Pennsylvania Newborns - Information, hotline, and directory on Pennsylvania Safe Haven laws that allow parents to relinquish a newborn into protective custody and medical care. Our blog post with details what a Safe Haven law is and PA specifics is here.
Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN) - PA state program that serves children in the custody of county children and youth agencies. It is a cooperative effort of county children and youth agencies, juvenile court judges, foster and adoptive parents, private adoption agencies, the Pennsylvania Adoption Exchange and many others, working together on behalf of children who need permanent homes.
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Choice Moms - A community and library of resources for single mothers by choice and women contemplating building a family on their own.
Fatherly - Resources for fathers, with many articles for single parents.
Let’s Start A Family - A newsletter for all things family and family building, curated and written by a single mom by choice.
Motherhood Reimagined - Coaching and community for every stage of the single mom by choice journey.
SMC - Single Moms by Choice - A community and resource center for single people on their journey to parenthood.
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