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.)
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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.

Our Annual Golf Tournament would not be possible without the generous support of our outstanding sponsors! Thank you to ...
15/08/2025

Our Annual Golf Tournament would not be possible without the generous support of our outstanding sponsors! Thank you to IBEW Local Union 26 for being a Grand Slam Sponsor for this year's event. Their sponsorship supports C.A.S.E.'s efforts to drive lasting change in the adoption, foster, and kinship care landscape through education, advocacy, and innovation.

As we wrap up our Summer Matching Gift Challenge, we’re excited to share 3 powerful ways your gift is changing lives for...
14/08/2025

As we wrap up our Summer Matching Gift Challenge, we’re excited to share 3 powerful ways your gift is changing lives for children and families. 💚

➡️ Swipe to see how C.A.S.E. is creating lasting change—thanks to the incredible support of our community!

To everyone who’s already given: thank you for your generosity! If you haven’t donated yet, there’s still time to double your impact before the match ends—don’t miss this chance to make a difference!

Give Today: AdoptionSupport.org/donate

Our C.A.S.E. team had an amazing time meeting families, sharing free resources, and celebrating the power of community a...
13/08/2025

Our C.A.S.E. team had an amazing time meeting families, sharing free resources, and celebrating the power of community at Frederick County’s National Night Out (Frederick Police Department) in Mullinix Park.

Whether through therapy, support groups, or free tools, C.A.S.E. is here to support adoptive, foster, and kinship care families every step of the way.

Thanks to everyone who came by our table, we loved seeing you! 💚

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞!Thanks to the generosity of the Dugan Family, ever...
11/08/2025

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞!

Thanks to the generosity of the Dugan Family, every donation made through August 15 will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000. That means your gift can go twice as far to support children and families navigating adoption, foster care, and kinship care.

Join the C.A.S.E. team in this final week to make permanence possible by donating today. Thank you for your commitment to ensuring that every child and family involved in adoption, foster care, or kinship care receives the support, encouragement, and resources they need to thrive.

Give Today: AdoptionSupport.org/donate

11/08/2025

Join us for a deep dive into what youth and families truly want from behavioral health services and how the National Center is helping providers meet those expectations.

Speakers Stacy Morgan, Executive Director of Mental Health Transformation Alliance-MHTA, and Millie Sweeney, Director of Learning and Workforce Development at the Family-Run Executive Director Leadership Association (FREDLA), will explore real-world outcomes that matter most to youth and caregivers: respect, cultural responsiveness, individualized care, accessible services, and meaningful collaboration.

Register today! https://events.zoom.us/ev/AsbE_fWVNaY8C-T_JU4ooxUANyMCEanwU7iML6M9I8yQtoIKI2Kz~AmWNnr-8AUCdQoIj2zJj3Jr7f516oOA0zYg7CSFVcyNEJ7MAn9HcIdpuJA

08/08/2025

We’re back with another Adoptee Author Series spotlight! 📖

Join us Thursday, August 21 at 7 PM EST, on Instagram Live () for a powerful conversation with award-winning children’s book author Natasha Tripplett!

Hosted by our Training and Content Development Specialist Tony Hynes, Ph.D., this series celebrates adoptee voices and stories. Natasha will share insights from her books that explore identity, foster care, and the meaning of family.

Natasha, a Jewish-Jamaican American author, lives in Northern California where she writes from a treehouse perched in a sycamore tree. As a baby, she was adopted into a Dutch, Christian family. Her multicultural background has allowed her to flow seamlessly through different cultures while bridging gaps that typically divide people. She has picture books published by HarperCollins, Chronicle and WaterBrook.

We can’t wait to see you there! 💬

Register today: https://adoptionsupport.org/resource/event/adoptee-author-series-natasha-triplett/

08/08/2025

Are you a foster family in Baltimore, Maryland with children in 3rd–5th grade? This event is just for you!

Join us for W.I.S.E. Up!® for Foster Families—an in-person empowerment workshop where children and parents explore how to confidently respond to intrusive questions about foster care.

🗓 Saturday, September 6, 2025
🕙 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
📍TouchPoint Baltimore (3201 Tioga Parkway, Baltimore, MD 21215)

W.I.S.E. Up!® is an empowerment program designed to create a safe space for children to express their feelings about being in foster care and equip them with tools to field intrusive questions from family, friends, and strangers.

This program teaches children that they can decide if, when, and how to share their story. When the questions begin, W.I.S.E. Up!® gives kids the tools to answer. Parents will meet separately to explore how they can also empower and advocate for their children in these situations.

We can’t wait to see you there! Register today: https://adoptionsupport.org/resource/event/w-i-s-e-up-for-foster-families/ (Registration ends on Friday, August 15 at 11:59pm.)

This workshop is provided at no cost thanks to a generous grant from The Aegon Transamerica Foundation and Whiting-Turner.

The state of Georgia recently made history by restoring a long-denied right to thousands of adopted individuals. For the...
05/08/2025

The state of Georgia recently made history by restoring a long-denied right to thousands of adopted individuals. For the first time in decades, those adopted in Georgia can now access their original birth certificates without navigating the courts, hiring attorneys, or seeking anyone’s permission. Policy Advisor Ashley Garcia-Rivera provides insights about the law as well as the waves of impact policy reform is making across the nation.

Read more about Andee’s Law on our website: https://adoptionsupport.org/resource/blog/georgia-restores-adoptee-access-to-original-birth-certificates/

As we gear up for our Adoptee Authors Series spotlighting Natasha Triplett, it’s the perfect time to check out our lates...
04/08/2025

As we gear up for our Adoptee Authors Series spotlighting Natasha Triplett, it’s the perfect time to check out our latest book review! Lauren Lynch, adoptive mom and C.A.S.E. Training Coordinator, reviewed one of Triplett’s newest books, Planted with Love: Growing into a Family, illustrated by Adriana Predoi.

Planted with Love tells the story of a young boy named Lamar who, after years of moving, begins to heal in a home where patience, care, and a garden help him feel grounded. Read a snippet of Lauren’s review below:

“In this children’s picture book, author Natasha Triplett does a beautiful job of using gardening as an allegory for one’s life. Each page contains colorful images of flowers and will break your heart while simultaneously filling it with the hope of a brighter future.”

Read the full review on our website and be sure to join us for our Adoptee Author IG Live event () with Natasha Triplett on August 21 at 7pm!

https://adoptionsupport.org/freeresource/book-review-planted-with-love-growing-into-a-family/

𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨-𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐟𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬?At C.A.S.E., we’re committed to supp...
01/08/2025

𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨-𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐟𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬?

At C.A.S.E., we’re committed to supporting adoptive, foster, and kinship families with expert, family-focused services, and a strong, compassionate community. Guided by research, lived experience, and deep expertise, C.A.S.E. empowers families and professionals through adoption-competent mental health care, education, and advocacy.

For over 25 years, our co-founders Kathleen and Mike Dugan have championed this mission—since the day C.A.S.E. opened its doors in 1998. Today, they’re inviting you to stand with them.

Your gift will go twice as far during our $50,000 matching challenge, made possible by the Dugan Family. That means your donation helps even more children and families thrive.

Together, we’re making permanence possible—one child, one family at a time.

Give Today: AdoptionSupport.org/donate

“What If? An Adoptee’s Loyalties Amidst Search and Reunion,” written by Emily Kwiatkowski, C.A.S.E. Emerging Leader. Reu...
31/07/2025

“What If? An Adoptee’s Loyalties Amidst Search and Reunion,” written by Emily Kwiatkowski, C.A.S.E. Emerging Leader.

Reunion can bring both answers and questions. In this thoughtful reflection, Emily shares how experiences with reunion have been connected to her professional work—and her own journey through grief and growth. Read a snippet of her blog below.

“While the search for and eventual reunion with my birth family highlighted loyalties to both my birth and adoptive families, these feelings had been simmering for years prior. I look back at my grieving 15-year-old self and wish I could tell her that what is ahead will be difficult but never a path to regret taking. That some puzzle pieces will lock in place while others cause more questions to emerge, further expanding the number of pieces altogether. Most of all, I want her to know that healing will not be instantaneous. My early 20s have taught me that this healing journey is lifelong and that grief shows up as little jabs to my heart in the places I am sometimes least expecting it to appear.”

Thank you for sharing your story with us Emily! 💚

Read the full blog on our website: https://adoptionsupport.org/resource/blog/what-if-an-adoptees-loyalties-amidst-search-and-reunion/

“Search and Reunion: Through the Eyes of Adoptees” written by Tony Hynes, C.A.S.E. Training and Content Development Spec...
30/07/2025

“Search and Reunion: Through the Eyes of Adoptees” written by Tony Hynes, C.A.S.E. Training and Content Development Specialist

Tony shares his personal insights and experiences navigating the complex journey of search and reunion as an adoptee. Drawing from his participation in adoptee support groups and his own lived experiences, Tony offers a thoughtful reflection on the emotional intricacies that can accompany efforts to reconnect with birth families. Read a snippet from his blog:

“To many, ‘search and reunion’ might sound like a simple two-step process: you search, and you find—or you don’t. But for adoptees, it’s far more layered. The search often leads to more questions that spark new searches. Reuniting with our birth families might be thought of as an entirely wholesome, joyful event—and it sometimes is. However, for those in the [support group] circle, reuniting was also difficult.”

Tony emphasizes the importance of finding support—whether through a therapist, support group, or fellow adoptee—as a vital part of navigating the search and reunion path. Tony now facilitates several support groups at C.A.S.E., each tailored to various family and adoptee identities and experiences. If you're interested in finding community and connection, we invite you to explore our support group offerings linked below.

Thank you, Tony, for sharing your honest reflections and encouraging adoptees to seek the support they need.

Read his full blog: https://adoptionsupport.org/resource/blog/search-and-reunion-through-the-eyes-of-adoptees/
Explore our Support Groups: https://adoptionsupport.org/resources/event/support-group/

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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.