Friends in Adoption to Hold Adoption Workshop in New York City

New York, NY, November 06, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Friends in Adoption (FIA), a leader in the adoption field for 30 years, is holding two workshops in New York City to inform and educate prospective adoptive parents. FIA is widely known for its advocacy of open adoption, keeping adoption plans on the needs of the baby, and respecting the unique needs of all individuals involved in the adoption plan.

A free informational session will be held on Thursday evening, November 15th from 6pm until 9pm at the W Hotel, 541 Lexington Avenue, Manhattan (between 49th and 50th Streets). "Please come and hear first-hand from adoptive families and birth mothers, learn about open and closed adoption, the adoption process, and how Friends in Adoption works," said Beth Miller, FIA's Adoption Coordinator. This informational session is open to the public and no registration is required.

For those looking to become adoptive parents and wanting in-depth information about adoption, Friends in Adoption is hosting their full day workshop, "Get Acquainted Workshop" (GAW) in NY City, on Saturday, November 17th from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, also at the W Hotel at 541 Lexington Avenue. "Traditionally, the GAW is held in Vermont, so we are very excited to bring it to NY City for the first time," said Miller.

The GAW is a unique educational opportunity for anyone who wants to adopt a child. Guest speakers — birth parents, adoptive parents, social workers and FIA team members — share their personal experiences through relevant adoption-related topics such as “Placing, a Birth Mother Tells Her Story”, “Our Adoption Journey, Stories from Adoptive Parents”, “Visible Adoption, Considering Transracial Adoption”, “Adopting as a Same-Sex Couple”, “Navigating Post-Adoption Complexities” and “How to Create a Support Team for your Adoption Journey". The GAW also outlines the steps on how to adopt an infant with FIA. The cost of the workshop is $395 per couple, which covers meetings and lunch. For more information or to register to a GAW, visit FIA’s website at friendsinadoption.org/gaw or call Friends in Adoption at 1-800-982-3678.

Friends In Adoption is a licensed, not-for profit adoption agency founded in 1982 by an adoptive mother, Dawn Smith-Pliner, who saw that the many needs of adoptive families and birth parents were not being met in adoption situations. From its inception, FIA has been committed to compassionate treatment for all parties involved in an adoption plan. Smith-Pliner recognized the importance of educating both adoptive and birth families about adoption and then supporting their freedom to choose the type of adoption that works best for them. These same fundamental concepts still guide this unique, non-traditional adoption agency today. Currently, FIA is a full-service agency placing an average of 40-50 infants (primarily newborns) annually. FIA works with pregnant women/couples all over the United States and places children of all races. To adoptive parents, FIA offers introductions to prospective birth parents, support resources, home study referrals and post placement services and counseling.

Friends in Adoption welcomes all families and respects all choices made by pregnant women/couples.

If you'd like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Beth Miller, please call Beth Miller at 800/982-3678 or e-mail Beth at beth@friendsinadoption.org