Founded in 2005, the adoptee-led NYC Teen Mentorship Program welcomes adoptees in Middle and High school to join for monthly events throughout New York City from September to June. This program functions as a group mentoring program connecting teens with adult adoptee mentors 25+, creating spaces for fun activities and thoughtful conversations, all while creating new friendships and community. Discussion-based days center around the adoptee experience, identity formation, how to talk about difficult topics and how adoptees navigate new spaces as we get older. Registration is offered to families per semester, or per year.
For more information, please contact [email protected].
Jessica was born in Bogota, Colombia and grew up on Long Island, NY. Jessica is a wife and mother to two young children. Currently, the Associate Director of the Family & Community Support Department at Spence-Chapin, Jessica creates and oversees all community programming that supports adopted people and their families. Jessica was one of the founding Mentors in the NYC Teen Mentorship program which began in 2005, she now facilitates the program. As an Adoptee Advocate, Jessica has worked in adoptee spaces for over 20 years creating programming that uplifts and centers the adoptee voice & experience.
Our Mentors are all Adoptees themselves!
They volunteer as Mentors because they understand the importance of having Adoptee-centered spaces and creating positive role models for young Adoptees.
Every year, we welcome new faces into our group, and this year is no different! Some Mentors return year after year because this program has made such an impact on them.
Our Mentors are passionate about the work they do in creating open spaces for our adoptive community to connect and learn from one another.
GET TO KNOW OUR MENTORS!
Ruby
Cristina
Luke
Cristina
Jacqueline
Ross
Doreen
Yuriy
Understanding the importance of community, adoptive parents are invited to participate in a separate monthly group. Topics include talking about adoption, advocating for your child and navigating birth family search. Parents whose children participate in the mentorship program are automatically enrolled. If your child is between the ages of 11 and 18 but is not participating in the program, you are welcome to join us.
Waiting Children Profiles
Thank you for your interest in adopting through Spence-Chapin! We are able to share the profiles of children who are considered to be the most in need and are waiting internationally to be matched with an adoptive family. The children featured on this page have been waiting for the longest to find families and consist of children who are older, part of a sibling group, or children with a diagnosed medical condition. In order to respect the privacy of these children, this page has been password protected.
Spence-Chapin takes the privacy rights of the children that we are seeking to place very seriously, and share the profile with you under the following conditions:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF PASSWORD ACCESS
That you acknowledge and understand that
1. Misuse of the content, and/or linking to any sites that reflect practices that involve the sale, abduction, exploitation, or trafficking of children is strictly prohibited.
2. You have been given limited access to confidential information in the form of images that you will not disclose to any person or in any manner that is inconsistent with applicable policies and procedures of Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children.
3. The confidentiality obligation shall continue indefinitely, including at all times after my association with Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children.
4. You are not permitted to release, copy, distribute, or sell any of these images to third parties in any form.
5. Impermissible disclosure of the images may result in legal actions being taken against you, by or on behalf of that person.
6. You are doing this freely, voluntarily and with a full understanding of what you are agreeing to by entering/accessing this blog.
7. Thank you for your interest in providing a loving home for a waiting child! We look forward to connecting with you soon to continue discussing adoption paths at Spence-Chapin. We hope that you like us on Facebook, follow us on twitter, and keep up with our families through our adoption blog!
Warm regards,
The Adoption Team at Spence-Chapin
Phone: 212-400-8150
Email: [email protected]
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