A world where every child and family connected to adoption, foster and kinship care thrives.
To improve the well-being and permanence of children and their families by providing adoption competent mental health services, advancing learning to build a responsive national network of professionals, and transforming policy and practice through research and advocacy.
Our highly trained adoption competent therapists are prepared to support the unique challenges of adoption, foster and kinship care. C.A.S.E. serves all individuals and families regardless of race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, military or veteran status, or any other category protected under applicable federal, state or local law.
Children, teens and parents connected to the adoption experience and the variety of concerns that arise at different stages of development.
Challenges that arise for youth in foster care, placed in an unfamiliar household, usually under traumatic circumstances; and for foster parents who seek to provide a stable, loving environment.
Children and teens who are raised by a family member – face similar challenges as other adoptive families. This type of care is referred to as a kinship family. Across the U.S., currently there are 2.5 million children and teens in kinship care.
Adults with adoptive, foster or kinship lived experience – often have challenges appear at significant life transitions such as marriage, pregnancy or parenthood; and when considering search and reunion with their birth parents.
If are considering an adoption placement or if you have a child who has been placed in adoption, foster or kinship care, we are here to provide support and tools necessary to navigate the wide array of emotions surrounding this profound experience.
If you are considering adopting a child or teen, C.A.S.E. will help you manage the complexities of the process.
Due to traumatic life experiences and compromised beginnings, many children who are adopted, who are being raised by relatives (kinship care), or have experienced foster care have higher risks for developmental, health, emotional, behavioral, and academic challenges. In addition, there are oftentimes complex racial, ethnic, and cultural issues inherent in families who adopt transracially, transculturally. Understanding and addressing the impact of these experiences is vital to positive outcomes. Seeking support from an adoption support center can provide essential resources and guidance for families navigating these complexities.
Building bridges between child welfare systems and state mental health systems is key to bringing about systemic change to improve the mental health outcomes for children in care and in adoptive and guardianship homes.
Funded by United States Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children & Families, Children’s Bureau in October 2023, the newly launched National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services will provide targeted technical assistance and evidence-informed training to strengthen coordination and capacity among child welfare and mental health systems to improve the quality of mental health services provided to children, young adults, and their families while in care and in adoptive and guardianship homes.
C.A.S.E. will work with national leaders as well as parents and young adults with lived experience to deliver new and enhanced support and training to states, tribes, territories, professionals, and peer support to professionals to meet the needs of children and families. The Center will be funded at $4 million for each of the five-year award.
At the C.A.S.E. Academy – Elevating Clinical Practice In Permanency, therapists of all levels will grow and deepen in adoption specialty practice. Participants will have the opportunity to immerse in evidence-based and informed trainings while benefitting from C.A.S.E.’s field-tested adoption competent therapeutic approach.
Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) is the nation’s premiere assessment-based certificate program for developing adoption competency skills.
This evidence-based, nationally accredited program has 19 training centers across the country, over 1,800 graduates (and growing) and received accreditation from the Institute of Credentialing Excellence (ICE), making it a recognized top-tier program dedicated to public protection and excellence in practice.
NTI is a free web-based training developed to help professionals working in the mental health and child welfare fields to better address the mental health & developmental needs of children in foster, adoptive, or kinship families.
NTI is funded through a cooperative agreements (#90CO1121) and (#90CO1144) between the Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, US Department of Heath and Human Services, and the Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.).
The support C.A.S.E. has provided to me, my husband, and our two adopted children has been phenomenal. Our case manager and therapist helped us access an expert psychological assessment for my son. This gave us more detail on his learning differences and has helped us to work towards an IEP that better meets his needs. We have also greatly valued the therapy provided by C.A.S.E. clinicians, as our children continue to come to terms with their histories and the recent passing of their birth mother. I cannot speak highly enough of the vital work C.A.S.E. do to support children, and to help parents advocate for their family. Foster and adoptive families face a particular range of challenges, and the support of C.A.S.E. has helped our family to become more resilient.
Great knowledge of the specific relationships, emotions, and phases of adoption through foster care; all of the resources for adoptive parents, children, and teens; and especially the personalized care and counseling (catered to my tweens style and interests) by our therapist!
NPAC post-adoption support coaches helped me obtain specialized services that my child needed.
My son really enjoys his sessions and likes to talk about what his thinking and feeling with his therapist. he likes when the issues he is dealing with are explained to him and it starts to make sense to him.
NPAC post-adoption support coaches suggested that my child may have sensory needs. We then sought help from an occupational therapist that helped a lot.
This was one of the most helpful trainings I have ever listened to. We recently adopted our son in March and I have had many questions like this that have gone unanswered from DCS and my agency. Thank you for the valuable resource!
The expertise of the therapists, the non-judgmental approach to helping parents, the compassion and understanding they show towards our family
This was one of the best webinars I have been in! So many practical applications… Being able to walk away, not just with knowledge, but with
Everyone [in the group] was very welcoming and I didn’t feel…alone, I met others who were adopted…which made it easier for me to talk openly about my adoption.
The presentation was very helpful. As a resource social worker, I felt that this training was essential for this time…
Being adopted is really not that easy. You get a lot of questions that you don’t want to answer but you don’t want to say it in a rude way.
The presenter was fantastic. She was extremely knowledgeable and engaging. She clearly had a passion for working with adoptive families/ad
For General Information: 301-476-8525 | caseadopt@adoptionsupport.org
Non-Discrimination Policy
All C.A.S.E. employees, interns, volunteers, consultants, subcontractors, clients and families have the right to be treated with courtesy, dignity, and respect and without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, military or veteran status, or any other category protected under applicable federal, state or local law.
C.A.S.E. serves all individuals and families regardless of race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, military or veteran status, or any other category protected under applicable federal, state or local law.
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Due to traumatic life experiences and compromised beginnings, many children who are adopted, who are being raised by relatives (kinship care), or have experienced foster care have higher risks for developmental, health, emotional, behavioral, and academic challenges.
Of therapy clients were children under the age of 18 in 2021.
Served in 2021 through therapy, case management, post-adoption services and Wendy's Wonderful Kids recruitment program.
Registrants for our monthly Strengthening Your Family webinars and parent support groups featuring a wide array of topics for the adoptive, foster and kinship community.
