Adoption support and preservation services range from informal meetings or support groups among adoptive families to formal respite care programs or residential programs for adopted children and youth. Adoption support and preservation services care for adoptive families across the continuum, focusing efforts on preventing adoption issues through education and access to resources.
The availability of and access to postadoption services vary greatly and depend on the types of program, locality of the service, or funding source. Some states provide adoption support and preservation services statewide. Other states obtain services from regional providers. In this section you can find information on statewide postadoption services within the Adoption Assistance by State database.
In this section find resources on the range of postadoption services, including State and local examples.
How Adoptees Are Shaping Post-Adoption Services (PDF - 418 KB)
Kalb & Tucker (2019)
The Future of Adoption
Rudd Adoption Research Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Provides insights and perspectives from adult adoptees who have become more involved in efforts to shape adoption policy that advocate for the rights of adoptees.
Intervention and Program Catalog
Quality Improvement Center for Adoption & Guardianship Support and Preservation
Identifies evidence-based and promising practices that can be implemented to support the permanency needs of adoptive and foster families.
Introduction to the QIC-AG Permanency Continuum Framework (PDF - 210 KB)
Quality Improvement Center for Adoption & Guardianship Support and Preservation (QIC-AG)
Explains the QIC-AG Permanency Continuum Framework, which is designed to promote placement stability for children and adoptive families.
National Foster Care & Adoption Directory Search
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Searchable state-by-state contact information for public and licensed private agencies throughout the United States. Agencies offering postadoption services are clustered to the right in the search results.
| Series Title | Bulletins for Professionals |
| Author(s) | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
| Availability | View Download (PDF - 462KB) Order (Free) |
| Year Published | 2018 |
Support for Parents Who Adopt From Foster Care
AdoptUSKids
Discusses available subsides, services, and training available to foster and adoptive parents throughout the adoption process.
Support Matters: Lessons from the Field on Services for Adoptive, Foster, and Kinship Care Families (PDF - 1,454 KB)
AdoptUSKids (2015)
Outlines effective strategies for developing, implementing, and sustaining family support services.
Why Should Leaders Assess Their Family Support Services?
AdoptUSKids (2021)
Presents information from North Dakota and Maryland about their participation in an assessment of their family support services.
State and local examples
General Resources and Links
Quality Improvement Center for Adoption & Guardianship Support and Preservation
Provides links to a series of webinars highlighting various adoption preservation and support programs in several different states.
Post Adoption Services
Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition New York
Connects to a range of postadoption services for families in the state of New York.
Post-Adoption Services
Pennsylvania Statewide Adoption & Permanency Network
Discusses the three main postpermanency services for families in Pennsylvania: case advocacy, support group, and respite service.
Post-Adoption Services
California Association of Adoption Agencies
Outlines the preventative, supportive, and therapeutic services offered to families after adoption in the state of California.
Site Videos
Quality Improvement Center for Adoption Guardianship Support and Preservation (QIC-AG)
Chronicles the implementation of the QIC-AG permanency continuum framework at eight partner sites around the country, including one Tribe. The videos include the personal accounts of the staff and families that participated in the implementation.