My Adoption Social Work History

 In 2012, my husband and I brought home our first child through international adoption. That fall, I told my husband that I wanted to start my master's program to get another social work degree, but with the ability to work at a masters-level with adoptive families. From 2013-2014 I worked toward this goal, and ultimately completed a 500 hour field internship with Alabama Baptist Children's Homes, a local Christian foster care agency. After my internship was completed, I stayed on as a contract worker, writing home studies for prospective foster families. 

In 2015, my family moved to New York City, where we were a part of a beautiful church community in Brooklyn. At this point we had two young children and were soon expecting our third. In March 2018, I was ready to go back to work and begin serving prospective adoptive families again. I contracted with a few adoption agencies and also worked alongside a lawyer from 2018-2022. During my time in New York, I partnered with expectant and birth families, offering unbiased counseling as they made important decisions about their pregnancies. I was able to be in the hospital when birth and adoptive families met for the first time. I was able to draft legal paperwork for placements, complete home studies and post-adoption supervision for many families. In the final year of my time in New York, I served as the New York Program Manager for a large multi-state adoption agency, managing my own caseload of prospective adoptive families and birth parents, but also hiring, training and supervising consultant social workers. I led support groups in-person and virtually, trained families on adoption issues, and had really beautiful moments walking through the highs and lows of adoption with my clients. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything, and many of my clients hold a very dear place in my heart!

In 2023, my family has started a new chapter as we have relocated to Alabama. Our pace of life has changed and I am excited to have a new opportunity to partner with prospective adoptive families through domestic and embryo adoption through Christian Adoption Consultants. I am so excited to work with a company that is ready to offer Christian support on such an important journey. If you are interested in either of these programs and would like to reach out to find out more, please email me at rebekah@christianadoptionconsultants.com

I am so excited to use the skills and experience I have with agency work and partner with prospective adoptive families in a new way. Thank you for reading and I appreciate your prayers as I shift into this new role!