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Important update from Madison Adoption Associates!
Dear Friends of Madison,
I am excited to share that as of January 1, 2024, our agency will begin the official integration process of combining our programs and staff into The Gladney Center for Adoption.
Over the last several months, Madison has been working closely with our friends at Gladney, collaborating on ways to improve international adoption, and partnering to bring more services to families. As both agencies share a similar mission and passion for adoption, we have decided, as stated perfectly by Helen Keller, “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.” The current Madison staff will ultimately join and lead the international division of The Gladney Center for Adoption.
The Gladney Center for Adoption has been helping children, birth parents, and adoptive families since 1887. They are a pillar in the adoption community and have an outstanding legacy for humanitarian work as well as in advocacy for adoption supportive legislation. Gladney is based in Fort Worth, Texas, but is also licensed in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Florida, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. Although they have both international and foster care programs, Gladney is best known for their specialization in domestic infant adoption as well as their post adoption support programs. In response to the increasing need for adoption-informed counseling and support for families, Gladney recently launched a counseling center in Texas, and has plans to expand these services in their licensed states.
While we will be working diligently over the next year to bring the new programs and staff into Gladney, I want to also assure you that families are the first priority for both Madison and Gladney, and our shared priority will result in a better process for our families and in the ability to help more children. With a collaboration of this magnitude, all involved understand the importance of taking our time to ensure the transition is done seamlessly, with no interruptions to any family’s adoption case, Madison’s or Gladney’s. We have already initiated getting Gladney accredited in each MAA country program, as well as getting licensed in each additional state where MAA resides. Our goal is to have the full integration complete by January 2025.
This assumption marks a significant step forward in our collective mission to build and support loving families through adoption.
As we embark on this new chapter, we are eager to highlight the incredible benefits that this alliance brings to our prospective adoptive families:
- Growth and diversification of adoption services, including domestic and adoption from foster care;
- Expanded post-adoption support for our families;
- Greater and more diverse opportunities for staff development and career growth, leading to greater employee retention and recruitment
For Gladney, bringing in Madison’s staff and programs offers:
- Additional stability and growth of International programs;
- Expansion of their post-adoption support, including the addition of SWAN services in Pennsylvania;
- Addition of a dedicated, passionate staff and foreign providers with stellar reputations
Together, our long-term goals will include the following:
- Getting more children into loving, qualified, well-equipped homes;
- Providing high quality, clinical adoption services to a larger population of clients;
- Implementation of a wider network of specialized, therapeutic counseling;
- Increased focus on clinical services and educational programs to all members of the adoption community;
- Establishing a stronger voice in the adoption community and a greater influence on ethical adoption practice;
- Providing additional support for humanitarian efforts with international partners;
- Utilization of philanthropic support for high-quality research to increase knowledge and identify the most effective approaches in recruiting, educating, and supporting families adopting children from hard places
We want to assure our community that this transition is rooted in our shared commitment to providing exceptional adoption services. The addition of Madison into Gladney signifies a strengthened foundation built on compassion, integrity, and a shared vision for creating bright futures through adoption. Additional updates will be shared along the way as milestones are met.
Thank you for your continued support and please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions!
Sincerely yours,
Diana DeGroot, MBA, LMSW
Executive Director
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