Birth parent resources
Choosing to plan an adoption for your child is life-changing, and it’s important for birth parents to have ongoing access to information and resources. It is also meaningful to have the opportunity to build community with others who share this life experience.
Here are some resources for birth parents.
OA&FS resources for birth parents
Join our monthly OA&FS birth parent support group! Gather with fellow OA&FS birth parents to seek support and find connection. Learn more and register here.
In-person retreats. OA&FS also hosts in-person birth parent retreats for birth parents who have placed through OA&FS. Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)info@openadopt.org to make sure you’re on our mailing list to hear about future retreats.
Connect online. Join the private OA&FS birth parent group on Facebook.
Get support. Our counseling staff provides free post-placement counseling and ongoing support to birth parents who have placed through OA&FS. Contact a counselor by calling 800-772-1115 or emailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
On this page, you’ll find additional opportunities for connection, support, and resources.
Support groups and connection opportunities for birth parents
First Families: Birthparents Journeying Together. This free virtual group from the National Association of Adoptees and Parents is hosted by Amy Seek and meets monthly. Visit the NAAP Eventbrite page to see upcoming dates.
Concerned United Birthparents hosts a 90-minute Zoom Peer Support Group for birth/first parents on the third Saturday of each month at 11 am PT / 2 pm ET.
Postpartum Support International hosts a free birth moms support group monthly.
MPower Alliance hosts a monthly online support group for birth mothers/parents on the third Wednesday of each month from 6 to 7:30 pm PT. The organization also hosts an annual retreat in California.
Adoption Savvy. This online birth mothers support group typically meets on the third Wednesday of each month from 6 to 7:30 pm PT. There is no cost for this group. Contact birth mother Amy Barker at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more information.
On Your Feet Foundation hosts support calls on Zoom twice a month. The organization also has peer-to-peer support through one-on-one mentorship opportunities and hosts virtual and in-person retreats for birth parents. Visit the website to learn more.
Knee to Knee lists support groups hosted by professional partners and community leaders who are certified through the Knee To Knee Post Placement Care Training.
Finding an adoption-competent therapist
C.A.S.E. accredited therapists. This is a national directory of therapists who have completed the Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) program through the Center for Adoption Support and Education.
Healing the Adoption Constellation. This database from Unraveling Adoption includes coaches, psychotherapists, hypnotherapists, art therapists, and others who work with members of the adoption constellation.
On Your Feet Foundation provides case management services for birth parents, including help finding therapists, coaches, and counseling.
Weaving Threads offers therapeutic counseling to first/birth mothers who are seeking supportive counseling regarding the experience of having had an unexpected pregnancy and having decided to place that child in the care of another family.
Additional resources about adoption-competent therapy.
Search and reunion resources
Washington Adoption Reunion Movement. This nonprofit organization is dedicated to reuniting families separated by adoption. The organization specializes in Washington state and also has cooperation with the Superior Courts in a number of other states.
DNAngels. This nonprofit search angel organization is dedicated to the assistance of individuals seeking to identify their biological parent(s) using DNA interpretation, mapping, and extensive research.
Resources for birth parents
AdoptMatch maintains a birth parent resource database that includes a state-by-state guide to therapists, support groups, and other resources.
On Your Feet Foundation provides post-placement support for birth parents through case management, therapy, retreats, and community building.
The Twisted Sisterhood podcast is hosted by birth moms Ashley Mitchell and Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard.
Mpower Alliance provides support for birth parents, including groups and retreats.