Friends in Adoption to Hold Adoption Workshop in Saratoga Springs, NY This Coming Friday; Registration Open to All Families

New York, NY, January 04, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Friends in Adoption (FIA), a leader in the adoption field for 30 years, is holding a full day workshop in Saratoga Springs, NY this coming Friday, January 11, to inform and educate prospective adoptive parents. FIA is widely known for its advocacy of compassionate open adoption, ensuring that all adoption plans are focused on the needs of the baby. FIA respects the unique needs of all individuals involved in an adoption plan.

This full day workshop, known as the "Get Acquainted Workshop" (GAW), will be held in Saratoga Springs, NY, at the INN at Saratoga, located at 231 Broadway, on Friday, January 11th from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. "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.

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 for 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 1-800-982-3678 or e-mail Beth at beth@friendsinadoption.org