THE ACADEMY PROJECT
https://www.theacademyproject.org
The Academy Project (TAP) 501c3 provides resources, services, and advocacy to foster youth in Los Angeles, CA through community, education, and empowerment. The youth we serve actively guide TAP and its current and future programming, contributing a deep understanding of the challenges foster youth face today. We bring these insights to every aspect of the work we do. The design of TAP’s program of services has been heavily influenced by research and findings that show placement stability and at least one relationship with a consistent, caring, responsible adult have significantly beneficial effects on changing outcomes for foster and at-risk youth.
The Co-Op, TAP’s after-school program for foster youth, launched in 2017 and has been partnering with Los Angeles Unified School District to bring the programming to foster youth in LA. A year ago, TAP moved to its own, stand alone location which has allowed them to greatly improve their program and serve more foster youth from many schools in the area. Camp Xavier is a week-long day camp for 50 foster youth ages 8-11, provided in partnership with Loyola High School Los Angeles. TAP is going into its 10th year this July!
For more information please reach out to lcosta@theacademyproject.org.
AVIVA FAMILY & CHILDREN’S SERVICES
We support and strengthen families for LA’s most vulnerable children. We stabilize and protect every child’s sense of belonging. Aviva Family & Children’s Services is a licensed nonprofit social services agency dedicated to supporting Los Angeles County’s most vulnerable and neglected children, from birth to age 18. We provide safe, nurturing homes through trained and compassionate foster families who are committed to helping children heal, grow, and thrive.
For more information please reach out to our Foster Family & Adoption Agency at 323-876-0550 X 1115 or foster-adoption@aviva.org.
THE BARKER ADOPTION FOUNDATION
301-664-9664
www.barkeradoptionfoundation.org
The Barker Adoption Foundation is a non-profit adoption agency licensed in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Since 1945, we have been providing comprehensive adoption services and have placed over 7,000 children into loving families. Our mission is to serve all members of the adoption community including – persons who have been adopted, birth parents, adoptive parents and adoption professionals. Barker is actively seeking prospective adoptive parents for our older child adoption program, our dual program (for those open to both infant and older child adoption) and our inter-country adoption programs for children with specialized needs. Our comprehensive adoption programs will work with couples and single individuals regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and marital status to assist them with identifying the right program. Currently there are estimated to be over 100,000 children in the US foster care system who are eligible for adoption, most of them between the ages of 10 –17.
If you or someone you know might be the right family for a waiting child, please reach out to us, or visit our website to learn more.
Website: www.barkeradoptionfoundation.org
Phone: 301-664-9664
E-Mail For Inquiries: tlusane@barkerfoundation.org
CELIA CENTER – Support for the Adoption & Foster Care Constellation, a non-profit organization.
Based in Los Angeles, CA
www.celiacenter.org
(323) 541-4088 / info@celiacenter.org
Follow us on Instagram: @celiacenter
We provide healing-centered support for everyone impacted by foster care and adoption—birth parents, adoptees, foster youth, adoptive parents, and professionals. Founded by adult adoptee and therapist Jeanette Yoffe, our mission is to nurture connection, community, and healing through every stage of the journey.
We offer free support groups, educational workshops, conferences, and creative arts programs tailored to the unique needs of the adoption constellation. Our trauma-informed, attachment-focused approach helps individuals process complex emotions, navigate identity, and build stronger relationships.
"You don’t have to walk this path alone."
Celia Center is a place to be heard, to be held, and to heal.
FAMILY LEGAL ADVOCACY GROUP, LLC (FLAG)
(410) 884-0400
flagfamilylaw.com
With changes in the law, LGBTQ individuals and families in Maryland still face unique legal issues. Family Legal Advocacy Group, LLC (FLAG) can assist you with your legal issues.
As the legal landscape for LGBTQ families continues to evolve, having an attorney who is knowledgeable about the best and most current ways to secure family rights is extremely important.
FLAG can assist you with:
• Reproductive Rights and Protection
• Estate and Medical Care Planning
• Marriage and Divorce Issues
• Name and Gender Changes
FLAG believes in supporting all individuals with family-related legal issues. Whether your family consists of a single individual or many members, our attorneys understand how to assist clients in getting the appropriate legal protections for their families.
Although we often work with parents who are separating, one of the most rewarding areas of our practice is helping to protect families as they are newly forming.
Contact FLAG at 410-884-0400 for assistance with any LGBTQ legal issues.
HEPHZIBAH CHILDREN’S ASSOCIATION
Founded in 1897, Hephzibah Children's Association is a child welfare agency in Oak Park, IL offering a residential treatment program, foster care, intact family services and day care programs.
On any given day in Illinois, there are nearly 20,000 children in foster care. Foster care is a temporary arrangement while parents and children receive the services and support they need to succeed as a family unit. Hephzibah’s foster care program helps ensure there are licensed families in the Chicagoland area available to provide a safe and nurturing environment during this time. If reunification cannot be achieved, foster parents may be asked to consider becoming a child’s forever family through adoption.
As a licensed Hephzibah foster parent, you’ll never feel alone. We provide a variety of services to help you create a safe and nurturing environment for a child. Services include:
• Foster parent training, mentoring and support groups
• A 24-hour crisis hotline
• Family events and activities
• A summer camp experience for siblings living in different foster homes
If you would like to learn more about opening your HEART and HOME to a child in need, please contact Julie Dvorsky jdvorsky@hephzibahhome.org or call 708-649-7173.
LAWRENCE HALL
lawrencehall.org/our-programs/foster-care/
Across the foster care system, LGBTQ+ youth face unique challenges, often encountering rejection, discrimination, and a lack of understanding due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. These young individuals are at a heightened risk for mental health struggles, homelessness, and unstable placements when placed in non-affirming foster homes.
Lawrence Hall has an urgent need for affirming foster parents who are open to supporting and providing a safe, supportive, and understanding environment for LGBTQ+ youth. Lawrence Hall receives an average monthly of 2-3 requests from within the state of Illinois for LGBTQ+ youth who have experienced significant trauma and need a loving, affirming home. These young individuals often carry the weight of rejection, discrimination, and abuse, which can hinder their emotional and psychological growth. By providing a welcoming and supportive environment, Lawrence Hall aims to offer these youth a chance to heal and grow in a space that recognizes and celebrates their identities.
A loving, affirming foster home not only offers safety and stability but also plays a crucial role in helping these youth rebuild trust and develop healthier coping mechanisms. It provides a foundation where they can express themselves freely, develop self-worth, and feel accepted for who they are. This type of environment fosters resilience and can significantly impact their ability to navigate the challenges they’ve faced, encouraging emotional recovery and a healthier lifestyle moving forward.
Lawrence Hall’s commitment to recruiting and training affirming foster parents ensures that these young individuals are placed in homes where they can heal, feel validated, and grow into their fullest potential. With the right support, these youth can overcome their past struggles and begin their journey toward a healthier and more positive future.
By focusing on both the physical and emotional needs of these LGBTQ+ youth, Lawrence Hall helps to ensure that every young person receives the care, love, and affirmation they deserve, allowing them to thrive despite the trauma they have experienced.
Contact us today at fosterparent@lawrencehall.org to schedule a consultation and learn more about becoming an affirming foster parent, or visit lawrencehall.org/our-programs/foster-care/ for more information. Together, we can provide LGBTQ+ youth with the loving, supportive home they need to heal and thrive.
OLEAGA LAW, LLC
Janene Oleaga, Esq.
Janene@NYreproductionlawyer.com
www.NYreproductionlawyer.com
Offices in Huntington, New York and Portland, Maine
254 Commercial Street, Suite 245, Portland, ME 04101 - (207) 200-6780
133 New York Avenue, Suite C, Huntington, NY 11743 - (631) 840-7967
Oleaga Law LLC is a boutique law firm dedicated to all aspects of family formation law. Representing LGBTQ individuals, intended parents, egg donors, sperm donors, and embryo donors, Janene's mission is to guide and protect your family as you navigate the world of assisted reproduction and adoption.
Janene is experienced with gestational carrier agreements, egg donation/sperm donation agreements, embryo disposition, embryo donation, and all methods of securing legal parentage including confirmatory adoptions, pre-birth/post-birth orders, and judgments of parentage.
Oleaga Law LLC serves clients in New York, Maine, and New Hampshire and international.
SPENCE-CHAPIN
212-400-8150
www.spence-chapin.org
Spence-Chapin is a licensed and accredited nonprofit organization offering quality adoption services for more than 100 years. Our mission is to help find loving families for children whatever their needs or circumstances and provide counseling and support for all children and the families to whom they have been born or entrusted. Our mission is driven by the belief that every child deserves a family.
Spence-Chapin focuses on finding permanent homes for children who need families; promoting the understanding of adoption through counseling and public education; and improving adoption's image and practice. Through our post-adoption support services and community programs, we help each family member navigate their individual adoption stories with clarity and confidence. Spence-Chapin's roots can be traced to the early 1900s and the pioneering work of Clara Spence, and Dr. and Mrs. Henry Chapin, who independently established nurseries out of concern for homeless infants abandoned in hospitals and shelters.
Today, Spence-Chapin is proud of our role as a prominent voice and leading advocate for adoption, and of our commitment to the well-being of birth parents, adoptive parents, and their children.
To learn more about adoption programs as well as post-adoption support, visit our website at www.spence-chapin.org or call us at 212-400-8150.
