Open Adoption & Family Services cares deeply for the health and well-being of our community. We hold you all in our thoughts as we collectively work to keep our families, our communities and our world healthy and safe for everyone. Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by this global pandemic.

During this time of uncertainty, we want to reassure you that we are deeply committed to continuing to provide our full array of services as you move forward in your process. In accordance with CDC recommendations to minimize the spread of COVID-19, we’ve modified the ways we deliver services and will continue to adapt as needed. In order to remain consistently available while prioritizing the health and safety of our clients, employees and community members, we’ve made the following changes:

• Counselors will continue meeting with clients for pregnancy options counseling, application & intake interviews, homestudy interviews, adoption planning meetings, and post-placement visits.
• These meetings will occur via phone and video-conferencing platforms such as Google Hangouts, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams. There will not be in-person meetings.
• Your counselor will let you know how they will approach coordinating the services you need.
• Clients and community members can continue to contact OA&FS in the ways we’ve always been available (OA&FS phone number, online inquiries, email).
• All OA&FS staff is working remotely. Our physical offices are closed for the time being.
• All group meetings and gatherings will be held via video conferencing. This includes the Adoption Information Meetings, the Pre-Adoption Seminar; Waiting Family Pool Parties.
• OA&FS counselors will continue to facilitate placements, adapting to prevailing guidelines and recommendations.
• Outreach presentations to community service providers will be conducted via webinar or video conferencing.
• Our Facebook groups remain a wonderful way to connect with fellow members the OA&FS community, and our monthly Bulletin will continue.

Thank you for your understanding, flexibility and trust. We look forward to embracing creative opportunities for connection with you all, and will continue to be in touch as we navigate this together. We remain committed to supporting vibrant and healthy open adoption relationships with all of you who are part of our community.

2020 is a milestone year for our agency and open adoption community as we mark 35 years of providing high-integrity services. OA&FS is the first and only agency in the Pacific Northwest founded on the philosophy of openness in adoption. We do more domestically-born newborn placements than any other agency in the region, and since our first office opened in Eugene in 1985, we’ve grown to provide services throughout the entire United States.

To celebrate OA&FS’ 35th anniversary, Executive Director Shari Levine reached out to our community for fresh perspectives by requesting video diary submissions from birthparents, adoptive parents, adoptees and even service providers. These are being produced into a series of videos which you can view here. It’s been a fun trip down memory lane! So great to hear back from families both recent and from the past.

As an expectant or adoptive parent, you have the right to high-integrity adoption services. At Open Adoption & Family Services, we recognize and honor this. Our gallery of tips highlight some of the most important aspects of an adoption agency’s practices. These reflect the values we bring to every adoption.