6 months after the merger: The journey so far and the path forward
Last fall, OA&FS became a program of Boys & Girls Aid. Now, nearly six months later, we spoke with Boys & Girls Aid Senior Director of Permanency and Adoption, Sarah Kopplin, and OA&FS Program Director, Delphine Veith, about how things are going.
What’s something you’ve learned?
Delphine: As we navigate the merger while maintaining our values and program integrity, I’ve learned there is much to be said for embracing curiosity and allowing myself and others to ask “why?” Reflecting on our practices is always important, and during this time in particular, we have ample opportunity to do this. I’ve also learned that it’s helpful to pace ourselves in regard to change, when we have that choice, to give time and space for things to settle in and for new ideas and capacities to emerge. Sarah has been a steady leader and support in this regard, as she has taken time to learn deeply about our program model, while being open to many new ideas (as well as contributing quite a few!).
Sarah: I have learned so much from Delphine and her team throughout this process. It’s one thing to uphold the values of ethical, child-centered adoption but so much more to actually put them into practice. It has been inspiring to witness the commitment to these values and the lasting impact they have on the expectant parents and families that we serve. I’ve also learned that when you work intentionally to build trust and collaboration, “big ideas” are possible to execute — even in times of uncertainty and challenge.
What’s been different than you expected?
Sarah: The support from Boys & Girls Aid leadership and staff as well as our community partners has been wonderful. Every time we hit a roadblock, there are people ready and willing to help us figure out how to move forward. In addition to this, I don’t think I expected to enjoy this process as much as I have! Even though our to-do lists are miles long, and a lot of things haven’t gone the way we planned or hoped, it’s also been energizing and motivating. I’m enjoying the new partnerships, the blended perspectives, and working alongside such skilled, compassionate people.
Delphine: The integration of two organizations, even like-minded ones, takes longer and comes with a steeper learning curve than I had anticipated. The official merger on November 1, 2025, was a meaningful transition step, but the work of helping OA&FS staff learn and flourish within the larger infrastructure and concurrently supporting BGA staff in learning and supporting OA&FS program needs is definitely ongoing. This journey to integration makes me deeply appreciate the expertise, wisdom, and flexibility that the OA&FS staff bring to our work, as well as the welcoming spirit, specialized skills, and commitment to learning we’ve encountered with our new BGA colleagues.
What’s something you’re looking forward to together?
Delphine: Learning more about other BGA programs, and particularly those within the permanency team, has opened the door to potential collaborations between staff and among clients and families we serve. We’ve already been able to consult regarding the transition process for an adoption beyond the newborn age, and have had some rich conversations about the similarities and differences between private adoption and adoptions from the foster care system. We are having our first cross-team training coming up with other permanency staff to dive more deeply into the intersections of our work, and potential opportunities for overlap in trainings, events, and resources to support families. It feels exciting to cultivate our connections and keep learning with and from each other.
Sarah: I’m looking forward to reaching a point where we’re no longer referring to aspects of the program as “pre-merger” or “post-merger”. As we continue on this path, I’m confident that we will grow into a fully integrated, self-sustaining entity. One that continues to grow into a trusted source of support for those who need it. I’m also excited to work together to help advance efforts toward meaningful adoption reform on the national level.
What’s a success you could point to from the past six months?
Sarah: There have been many small moments of success, but one that stands out to me is integrating all prospective adoptive families (who were previously in the BGA program) into the joint waiting pool on our official merger date of November 1, 2025. It took a lot of moving parts in a truncated timeframe to make that happen.
Delphine: I have really appreciated the tremendous amount of support OA&FS has received during this process, from BGA colleagues as well as from our clients and community. As we have moved through this transition, we have also benefited from having the autonomy to carry forward our work and program model with the full trust of BGA leadership and staff. The respect for OA&FS generally, and for the depth of experience we bring to our work in options counseling and open adoption services has been notable. The balance between feeling supported and having autonomy to carry on in our work feels like a huge success.
What’s a challenge you’ve had to work through?
Delphine: Moving from being a small independent agency to becoming part of a much larger organization has come with a variety of challenges, many related to learning new systems and protocols. As the Program Director, and as someone who has been involved in planning the merger from early on, I’ve been able to get to know BGA staff and systems earlier than our other staff, which at times has put me in the role of teacher, problem solver, and general responder to “how does this work now?” As we have gotten more settled in, OA&FS staff are gaining familiarity with new systems and who to go to for support outside of our program, and are helping other BGA staff to better understand our work and processes.
Sarah: So many to choose from. Initially, knowing how best to support the OA&FS staff while they were navigating so much change and loss was difficult. As one of the leaders from the “welcoming” agency in this merger, my instincts were to pour out as much reassurance and empathy as I could, thinking that would help make everybody feel better. But I also had to remember that these were new relationships, and it would take time to build trust. And I would say we are still in that relationship-building process, which is great! Now our challenges are largely around program integration, and all the seemingly small (but yet so important) details that we didn’t have time to resolve at the beginning but need attention now. Because even while keeping the OA&FS model intact, transitioning an entire agency into another one is no small feat. And the added workload for everyone involved — not just program staff, but those in our ancillary departments, for example, finance, advancement, marketing, etc. — is something we are still working through.
Thank you to Delphine and Sarah for sharing your thoughts!