News & Impact

  By Tara Noone, MSW When Adoption Connection opened its doors over 30 years ago, open adoption was starting to blossom, but still in its infancy. As one of the first adoption agencies focused on open adoption, we found ourselves working to correct three common misconceptions, many of which are still common today. They are: that the adopted child would be troubled and confused by contact with birth parents; that continued contact would exacerbate birth parents’ grief; and that adoptive parents would remain in constant fear of losing their child or children. Although there has been plenty of anecdotal evidence… Read More

I recently read an article in The Wall Street Journal about if college students should or should not work while in school. I began researching about working in college as I was eager to find out people’s opinion on the subject. I first spoke extensively with Michelle Lamphere, the Director of the Financial Aid Center, at Jewish Family and Children Services. She believes having an academic focus in college is great, but holding a job too is an excellent way to gain real life work experience before embarking on a professional career. She thinks working during college will enhances… Read More

High school students preparing for college are faced with the challenge of figuring out what their total educational costs will be for their freshman year. Each institution states their cost of attendance differently. Colleges can show their costs by number of units, by semester or by year. This is made more difficult to understand when colleges don’t include everything on the same page, such as extra fees, health insurance, loan costs, and additional program expenses. Students may get lost in the excitement of getting accepted to their chosen school, and don’t consider whether their dream school will be an affordable… Read More

Today in the United States over 52 million family members are caring for a spouse or loved one (sometimes around the clock). For the family caregiver the rewards can be great – providing care in the safety and comfort of home brings ease, independence and connection. It may also mean keeping a frail or disabled family member out of a nursing home, or care facility, and the financial burden or loss of autonomy and family connection that may come along with such a choice. However, it can also be a great challenge for family caregivers. Family caregivers usually value their… Read More

Thanks to donations from more than 300 people, we raised $41,364 for emergency funds for JFCS’ Dream House in June. Victims of domestic violence will receive help with childcare, medical, and legal costs. Find out more about the campaign >… Read More

For family caregivers looking after an aging parent or loved one, reaching out to a senior care organization like Seniors At Home can feel like a betrayal of trust. Their loved one’s physical and mental condition is an increasing worry, yet they may keep insisting, “I’m fine and I don’t need help!” When Jonah called about his 86-year-old mother, he had finally realized that she needed more than his check-in calls and cross-country quarterly visits. “I was alarmed that she’d been slowed by arthritis and depression.” He knew approaching his mother about getting help would be a delicate proposition. Jonah… Read More