Below is a list of resources* adoptive families have found most helpful. If you have any suggestions for additions, please contact us.
*No resources are specifically endorsed by Wisconsin Adoption & Permanency Support or the State of WI Department of Children and Families. Annotations are taken from the organizations’ websites.
Birth to 3 Program
The first three years are the most important building blocks of your child’s future. The Birth to 3 Program is a federally-mandated program (Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act—IDEA) to support families of children with delays or disabilities under the age of three.
International Adoption Clinic – Milwaukee
Based in the Child Development Center, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin’s International Adoption Clinic offers services to families adopting children from outside the United States, many of whom may have medical or developmental needs.
International Adoption Clinic – Twin Cities, MN
Providing pre- and post-adoption medical guidance (including Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders evaluations) plus academic research to help mitigate the long-term effects of early childhood adversity.
State of WI Adoption Assistance Program
Adoption assistance helps support parents raising a child with special care needs who meets the eligibility criteria for adoption assistance in Ch. DCF 50 Administrative Code. This assistance may include:
- medical assistance for some medical costs not covered by the family’s health insurance
- a monthly amount to help care for the child
- reimbursement of reasonable and necessary expenses to complete the adoption
State of WI Adoption Records Search Program
The Adoption Records Search Program helps adopted persons get information about themselves and their birth relatives. Persons whose birth parents have terminated their parental rights in Wisconsin can also get information about themselves and their birth relatives.
State of WI Kinship Navigator Portal
The Kinship Navigator Portal can be used by any relative caregiver throughout the state to identify services and resources available to them based on their specific caregiving situation. Caregivers will be asked to answer a set of questions specific to their situation, and based on those answers, they will be provided with an array of information about their eligibility for various programs.
The Coalition for Children, Youth & Families
The Coalition for Children, Youth & Families is a statewide information and support organization. They operate the Wisconsin Foster Care and Adoption Resource Center, a valuable guide to any new or current foster family, families considering adopting a child whom they are currently fostering, relative and kinship families, and foster care licensing staff, as well as the Wisconsin Adoption website, a go-to resource for information about all types of adoption.
WI Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Resource Centers
The Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Program collaborates with national, state and community-based partners to link children to appropriate services, close service gaps, reduce duplication and develop policies to better serve families.
Well Badger Resource Center
The Well Badger Resource Center is a health information and referral service operated by the Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation (WWHF), in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services . Well Badger is the new home of the Wisconsin MCH Hotlines, Wisconsin First Step, and Wisconsin Informed Consent Help Lines. The Well Badger Resource Center provides Information & Referral (I&R) services to individuals, families, and health professionals throughout the state. We specialize in information and referrals for health care services and resources including WIC, BadgerCare Plus, Wisconsin Well Woman, services for children and youth with special health care needs, mental health services, and many more.
Wisconsin DHS
Directory of child and adolescent day treatment programs.
Wisconsin Family Ties
Wisconsin Family Ties is a statewide not-for-profit organization run by families for families that include children and adolescents who have emotional, behavioral, and mental disorders. It provides advocacy, support groups, information and referral and education. Phone: 608-267-6888 or toll free for parents only 800-422-7145.
Adoption Learning Partners
The mission of Adoption Learning Partners is to offer meaningful, timely, web-based educational adoption resources for professionals, parents, adopted individuals, and the families that love them.
Adoption Network Cleveland
Adoption Network Cleveland is a non-profit educational, support and advocacy organization for all those touched by adoption — adoptees, birthparents, adoptive parents, foster parents, foster children and former foster children, and the professionals who serve them.
Adoptive Families Magazine
Adoptive Families, the award-winning national adoption magazine, is the leading adoption information source for families before, during, and after adoption.
American Adoption Congress
Represents those whose lives are touched by adoption or other loss of family continuity. We promote honesty, openness and respect for family connections in adoption, foster care and assisted reproduction. We provide education for our members and professional communities about the lifelong process of adoption.
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Child Welfare Information Gateway promotes the safety, permanency, and well-being of children, youth, and families by connecting child welfare, adoption, and related professionals as well as the public to information, resources, and tools covering topics on child welfare, child abuse and neglect, out-of-home care, adoption, and more.
Creating a Family
Creating a Family is the national adoption & infertility education organization. Their mission is to strengthen families through unbiased education and support for infertility patients, adoptive parents, and allied professionals. Their website contains an extensive variety of educational videos, articles, radio shows, blog posts, and more.
Empowered to Connect
Empowered To Connect offers resources for adoptive and foster parents to help them develop strong and life-changing connections with their kids. Based on Dr. Karyn Purvis’ work and research at TCU’s Child Development Center.
Foster Parent College
We provide innovative, research-based, interactive online courses for foster, adoptive, and kinship parents.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Established by Congress in 2000, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) brings a singular and comprehensive focus to childhood trauma. NCTSN’s collaboration of frontline providers, researchers, and families is committed to raising the standard of care while increasing access to services. Combining knowledge of child development, expertise in the full range of child traumatic experiences, and dedication to evidence-based practices, the NCTSN changes the course of children’s lives by changing the course of their care.
National Council For Adoption
Passionately committed to the belief that every child deserves to thrive in a nurturing, permanent family, National Council For Adoption’s mission is to meet the diverse needs of children, birth parents, adopted individuals, adoptive families, and all those touched by adoption through global advocacy, education, research, legislative action, and collaboration.
North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC)
NACAC promotes and supports permanent families for children and youth in the U.S. and Canada who have been in care—especially those in foster care and those with special needs.
- Federal Adoption Tax Credit information from NACAC
On Your Feet Foundation
Founded in 2001 by adoption professionals, adoptive parents and a birthparent, On Your Feet Foundation was the first organization dedicated to providing post-placement services to birthparents who have placed their child for adoption. Recognizing the lack of available support, On Your Feet’s founders focused on helping clients build a better life by giving them the tools they need through case management and coaching, monetary grants and through the creation of a community of birthparents.
Rudd Adoption Research Institute – UMass Amherst
The mission of the Rudd Adoption Research Program is to advance knowledge about the psychology of adoption through original research; mentor the next generation of adoption-competent researchers; engage with community partners to incubate and evaluate innovative programs that have potential for national impact; and provide research-based information to influence practice and policy at agency, state, federal, and international levels.