JF&CS Adoption Resources was granted funding by the Krupp Family Foundation to deliver targeted support to LGBTQ families who pursue adoption as a means of creating and expanding their families. Adoption Resources plans to mitigate the financial burden and the financial risk of adoption for LGBTQ families, boost the program's capacity to provide LGBTQ-inclusive services, and provide support specifically to LGBTQ adoptive families through community outreach and education programming.
For many LGBTQ families, the financial obligation and risk of adoption will necessitate a delay to start their family while they work to save the necessary funds. Sometimes these financial barriers preclude adoption altogether. While there are other financial resources available for adoptive parents, many of these exclude LGBTQ families because of religious restrictions and are simply insufficient to meet the needs of the many families who require financial assistance in order to adopt. Thanks to this newly awarded and very generous funding, Adoption Resources will be able to pilot a new loan program to allow LGBTQ families to undertake the adoption process when they are ready by partially funding their placement fees and providing flexibility to repay the loan over time with zero interest.
In addition, Adoption Resources is excited to create workshops and educational sessions for pre- and post-adoptive families on topics such as transracial adoption, financing adoption, private adoption, navigating open adoptions, and caring for substance-exposed newborns. A number of these workshops will be co-sponsored by Keshet, a national organization that works for full LGBTQ equality and inclusion in Jewish life. While these educational workshops will be targeted to the LGBTQ community, they will be open to the community at large and many topics will be relevant to adoptive families of all backgrounds.
Betsy Hochberg, Director of Adoption Resources, shared, "JF&CS Adoption Resources has a rich history of serving all families. Our work focuses on finding homes for every baby. We hope that this grant will enable us to develop a truly diverse group of waiting adoptive families."
Idit Klein, Executive Director of Keshet, stated, "We applaud JF&CS Adoption Resources and the Krupp Family Foundation for their leadership on this important issue. Responding to a critical need in the LGBTQ community, we hope that this initiative will set a new standard for LGBTQ-inclusive adoption practices for JF&CS and other adoption providers nationwide."
Betsy Hochberg, LICSW, is a clinical social worker who has extensive experience working with birth and adoptive families. She began her work in the adoption field 25 years ago after adopting her daughters and has been the Director of Adoption Resources for the past 15 years. In her role as Director, Betsy has spoken widely about adoption-related issues and has served on the boards of RESOLVE New England and Adoption Professionals Association of Massachusetts. Betsy's warmth and sense of humor are appreciated by all who work with her.
