North Carolina post-adoption support

Below are post-adoption support services available to families who live in North Carolina. Services may not be available in all areas and/or may be dependent upon the circumstances of the placement. Please check with your post-adoption services provider about the availability of specific post-adoption or guardianship support services for your family. You can also visit Child Welfare Information Gateway for information on Adoption and Guardianship Assistance, as well as additional information on post-adoption support.

Post-adoption support services

In North Carolina, adoptive families have access to the following services through a post-adoption support program:

Child and youth assessments
Information (websites, fact sheets, articles, etc.)
Referral to services
Training/other development: Ongoing training is available in all regions on topics such as transracial adoption, trauma, and other topics of interest to this population
Peer support for parents: Support groups and social events for adoptive families are available across the state. Frequency of these events varies by region
Peer support for children/teens: Support groups and social events, often held concurrently with parent events
Case management
Camps, retreats, events: All providers offer events to adoptive families for socializing. Additionally, an annual parent conference is available to adoptive families in Regions 7 and 8
Respite care: Both planned and crisis respite is available from all providers
Educational support
Financial/material support: Provision of material support varies by post-adoption support provider. Examples of available support can include clothing closets, transportation assistance, and educational supplies
Community-based therapeutic services: All providers are required to be trained in adoption competency and incorporate trauma-informed care into their programming
In-home therapeutic services: The availability of services in the home may vary by provider or region
Crisis intervention

Birth family mediation and adoption search is also available through the state Department of Health and Human Services or through county Departments of Social Services, though it is not a part of the state’s post-adoption support program.

Who is eligible for these services?

Families who have adopted from the state’s foster care system
Families who have adopted from another state’s foster care system
Families who have adopted internationally or privately

Who provides these services?

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services contracts with private providers to offer post-adoption support across the state’s 11 regions. The services available can vary slightly by region or provider.

For more information about the post-adoption providers, which regions they serve, and other resources that may be available to families, visit the state’s Post-Adoption Support and Resources website.

Parent support groups

Below are support groups for adoptive, kinship, and foster families. Support groups may be offered as part of a state’s post-adoption/guardianship support program, through a statewide or regional foster or adoptive parent association, through specific agencies, or may be run independently. If we have additional information about the group’s purpose or the community served, it’s provided under the group’s contact information.

To add a group or make a suggestion, email the AdoptUSKids family support team.

Alleghany County Department of Social Services
lisa.osborne@alleghany.nc.gov
Location: Sparta

Another Choice for Black Children
info@acfbc.org
Location: Charlotte

Catholic Charities
CSSadopt@AOL.com
Location: Charlotte

Chatham County DDS/Adoption and Foster Care Unit
safeplace2grow@chathamnc.org
Location: Pittsboro

Christian Adoption Services
cas@christianadopt.org
Location: Matthews

Cumberland County Department of Social Services
Location: Fayetteville

Davie County Department of Social Services
Location: Mocksville

Family Services, Inc.
info@familyservicesforsyth.org
Location: Winston-Salem

Frank Adoption Center, NC
mbk@frankadopt.org
Location: Wake Forest

Lutheran Family Services in the Carolinas, Inc.
KBurrows@lscarolinas.net
Location: Salisbury

Mecklenburg County Foster and Adoptive Parent Association
jacqui@charlotteangels.org
Location: Matthews