Center for Adoption Support and Education

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Center for Adoption Support and Education

A national leader transforming the mental health of the adoption, foster, and kinship community. The Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.)

nurtures, inspires, and empowers children, families, and professionals across the adoption, foster, and kinship ecosystem—making permanence possible through adoption-competent care, education, and advocacy. We Provide:

Direct services to children and families, offering adoption-competent therapy, case management, and support that sustains permanence. Training and education to professionals natio

nwide so they can respond to the unique needs of adoptive, foster, and kinship families. Systems change by building bridges between the child welfare and mental health systems—removing barriers that stand between families and the care they need. Visit our website to learn how C.A.S.E. is making a lasting impact and making permanence possible for adoptive, foster, and kinship families nationwide. Our Mission:

To improve the well-being and permanence of children and their families by providing adoption competent mental health services, advancing learning to build a responsive national network of professionals, and transforming policy and practice through research and advocacy.

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C.A.S.E. is dedicated to advancing meaningful conversations around mental health support for individuals and families connected to adoption, foster care, and kinship care, and we are committed to respectful dialogue. Personal attacks, discriminatory language, and spam will be removed, and repeat violations may result in a restriction.

24/04/2026

"The Heart That Found You," a vibrant picture book by Anna Schocket, is a heartwarming exploration of adoption. The story follows Heart, the main character, as they travel across mountains, oceans, and more in pursuit of love and belonging.

Lauren Lynch, adoptive mom and C.A.S.E. Training Coordinator, recommends this book as a starting point for adoptive families with very young children. In her review, she explores its portrayal of diverse families and how it can open the door to early conversations about adoption.

🔗 Read more: https://adoptionsupport.org/freeresource/book-review-the-heart-that-found-you/

23/04/2026

[S*F Webinar] Bridging the Gap: Preparing Expectant Parents for Open Adoption

Thursday, May 21, 2026 | 1:00-2:30 p.m. EST

Use coupon code EXPECTANT to receive free registration at checkout.

Join us for the May installment of our 2026 Strengthening Your Family Webinar (S*F) Series. This session will be presented by Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Ethical Family Building and Katie Monroe, MSW, Social Worker at Dignity Health.

In the adoption world, open adoption is often marketed to expectant parents and emphasized in adoptive parent education. However, expectant and birth parents often lack access to essential tools for long-term success in open adoption relationships.

This interactive webinar is led by two birth parents working in the field — bridging the gap and offering professionals comprehensive strategies to educate and support expectant and birth parent clients throughout their open adoption journey.

In partnership with The Jockey Being Family Foundation, C.A.S.E. offers 600 FREE registrations to each Strengthening Your Family (S*F) Webinar.

Learn more about the presenters, session objectives, and registration details today: https://adoptionsupport.org/resource/event/syf-webinar-bridging-the-gap-preparing-expectant-parents-for-open-adoption/

22/04/2026

At the start of the year, we introduced our Seven Core Issues in Adoption and Permanency series exploring the seven interconnected issues of Loss, Rejection, Shame & Guilt, Grief, Identity, Intimacy, and Mastery & Control that offer language for experiences that are often felt but not always named.

Throughout this series, you'll hear from a range of voices within the adoption constellation including adoptees, first/birth parents, adoptive parents, and adoption-competent professionals.

By centering lived experience alongside clinical insight, we aim to deepen understanding, reduce stigma, and support all members of the constellation with honesty and compassion.

On the topic of Shame & Guilt, adult adoptee and C.A.S.E. Training and Content Development Specialist Tony Hynes, Ph.D. shares his poem, "What Lived Beneath My Name," reflecting on how he has wrestled with shame and guilt throughout his adoption journey.

https://adoptionsupport.org/freeresource/series-seven-core-issues-in-adoption-and-permanency-shame-guilt/

21/04/2026

Access to adoption-competent mental health care shouldn't be the exception. But for many individuals and families, it is.

It's Counseling Awareness Month, an observance that celebrates not only professional counselors but also the individuals and families who seek out this important support. Yet for many, access to specialized, adoption-competent care remains out of reach.

C.A.S.E. Policy Advisor Ashley Garcia Rivera breaks down the gaps that prevent individuals and families from getting the care they need, and why intentional investments across child welfare, policy, workforce, and training are essential to lasting change.

Read the blog on our website: https://adoptionsupport.org/resource/blog/when-just-get-therapy-isnt-that-simple-the-access-gap-in-adoption-competent-care/

20/04/2026

"You were already someone before any story about you began."

Contributing writer and adult adoptee Sherry Sandor-Kelly explores what it means to want to know where you come from, and why that curiosity is never something to apologize for. Her piece is a thoughtful reflection on roots, identity, and the permission to hold more than one truth at once.

Thank you, Sherry, for sharing this with us and our community. 💚

Read her full piece, "You Were Already Someone," on our website: https://adoptionsupport.org/resource/blog/you-were-already-someone-on-roots-belonging-and-the-permission-to-want-both/

16/04/2026

One word says it all. Watch our guests describe C.A.S.E.’s 2026 Gala, “Empowered Voices. Brighter Futures,” in their own words. Thank you to everyone who made this year’s gala an evening to remember! 🌟

Your presence, generosity, and commitment to our mission mean everything to the individuals and families we serve.

To our generous sponsors + donors, dedicated board members, valued partners, and every guest who joined us, thank you for investing in families, futures, and our mission.

We hope to see you next year!

14/04/2026

W.I.S.E. Up!® is turning 25, and we’re celebrating with a brand-new look!

To mark this anniversary, the W.I.S.E. Up!® Empowerment Program has been refreshed with an updated PowerBook, a new website, and a modern design that reflects the diverse experiences of today's kids and families.

At the heart of it all is Casey the W.I.S.E. Up! owl, a trusted guide helping children and caregivers explore, grow, and find their voice together.

Meet Casey and learn more on our website! https://adoptionsupport.org/case-training-institute/w-i-s-e-up-program/

13/04/2026

A little birdie told us something big is coming. 🦉👀 Stay tuned!

09/04/2026

We are excited to celebrate this year's C.A.S.E. Gala honorees this Saturday: C.A.S.E. Star Awardees John Reardon, Kayla Blietz, and the Flynn Family (not pictured), and Harris K. Leonard Scholarship recipient Josephine Falola! 🌟

The C.A.S.E. Star Award showcases the resilience and strength of the families, teens, and young adults we are privileged to serve. The Harris K. Leonard Scholarship is awarded to a student who is currently in, has aged out of, or was adopted from foster care and is pursuing post-high school education in a college, university, or trade school.

Join us in congratulating this year's awardees in the comments! 👏🎉

You can read each recipient's full bio on our website: https://adoptionsupport.org/gala

07/04/2026

We're excited to share that two members of the C.A.S.E. National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI) team will present at the 37th annual NYS Foster Care and Adoption Conference. (Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York)

Shamele Hill, MSW, brings 20+ years of social work experience, a deep background in workforce development, and her work within the CASA network to her role as a Training and Implementation Specialist with NTI. Dr. LaShawnda Kilgore, also a Training and Implementation Specialist for NTI, holds a doctorate in Family Communication and has contributed significant research on resilience, childhood trauma, and child well-being—and she also brings her perspective from lived experience.

Together, they will present "Listening When Grief Shows Up: Adoption Competence and the Practice of Staying Present," a session that speaks directly to this year's conference theme of listening, learning, and leading.

We're proud to have them presenting on this important topic. Stay tuned for more from the conference!

Learn more about NTI on our website: https://adoptionsupport.org/case-training-institute/nti/

03/04/2026

While adoptive families access mental health services at rates three to five times higher than the general population, only 21% report receiving care from adoption-competent clinicians—highlighting a critical gap between need and access.

C.A.S.E. CEO Debbie Riley, LCMFT, shared that reality with members of Congress on March 26, testifying on how federal investments can strengthen permanency and outcomes for children and families. In her latest blog, Policy Advisor Ashley Garcia-Rivera shares an inside look at the key themes from Debbie's testimony and what federal policy must do next.

As policymakers examine how federal funding can better support youth and families, there is a clear opportunity to ensure adoption-competent care is treated not as an add-on, but as foundational to permanency and well-being.

Read Ashley's blog and Debbie's full testimony on our website: https://adoptionsupport.org/resource/blog/reflections-from-debbie-rileys-congressional-testimony-advancing-permanency-in-child-welfare-leveraging-federal-funding-for-adoption-programs/

02/04/2026

Emerging Leader Catey Yost reflects on the feelings of rejection, loss, and longing that have accompanied her life-long journey as an adoptee—and the moments of connection she has found along the way. The questions she asked herself as a child are the ones she is still sitting with today.

Read an excerpt from her blog below:
"I still sit between worlds, in partial reunion with my biological family, and a swirl of love and sometimes unnameable feelings within my adoptive family. I've found moments of deep connection and understanding, but feelings of rejection and deep loss remain ever present in my journey."

Thank you, Catey, for sharing this piece of your experience with us and our community. 💚

Read her full blog: https://adoptionsupport.org/resource/blog/letters-rejection-and-the-life-long-journey-of-adoption/

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Tuesday	09:00 - 20:00
Wednesday	09:00 - 20:00
Thursday	09:00 - 20:00
Friday	09:00 - 17:00

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+13014768525

Website

http://www.adoptionsupport.org/

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Nurture. Inspire. Empower.

In 1998, The Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) was formed, recognizing a long-standing dream that co-founder and adoptive parent Kathleen Dugan had to provide counseling services and educational resources for families touched by adoption and foster care. 20 years later, C.A.S.E. has grown to become the national leader in mental health services nationwide, nurturing, inspiring and empowering children, teens, adults, and the professionals who assist them and encouraging them all to grow and thrive.

Today, C.A.S.E. provides clinical services for families throughout the Washington DC. metro region and offers educational products, publications, webinars and workshops for families and professionals nationwide. C.A.S.E. is also developing training curricula for child welfare and mental health professionals across the country through the federally funded National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI). With 35 training partners in 22 states and Canada, 7 offices across the Washington, D.C. metro area and Capital Region of New York, 8 NTI pilot sites, 16 Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) Partners, and more than 6,000 families served, C.A.S.E. is proud to celebrate 20 years of service for the adoption and foster care community.