Adoption Agency Members : Membership Benefits

Benefits Of Adoption Agency Membership In The National Council For Adoption

Founded in 1980, the mission of the National Council For Adoption (NCFA) is to promote the well-being of children, birthparents, and adoptive families by advocating for the positive option of adoption. Our main programs for achieving this mission are member agency services and training, policy analysis and government relations, research and publications, media relations and public education, conferences and events, Web site and e-communications, and information clearinghouse services. Benefits of adoption agency membership in the National Council For Adoption include:

Information

NCFA is a comprehensive clearinghouse of adoption information. We provide our members prompt expert advice to meet their adoption information needs from public policy and regulations to statistics and best practices. NCFA monitors changing situations in the field of adoption by maintaining contacts with key domestic and international adoption officials, professionals, and Web sites, and provides authoritative, insider, members-only information as soon as it is available.

Representation

NCFA represents the concerns and interests of its member agencies and the cause of adoption in the halls of power and the courts of public opinion. We enable our member agencies to speak with one powerful voice on matters of common interest, and we assist them individually with policy issues in their states and specific-case problems they encounter with government agencies.

Infant Adoption Awareness Training Program (IAATP)

Member agencies are the first place NCFA looks for adoption professionals to serve as Master Trainers in our federally funded IAATP. Master Trainers receive stipends to train Adoption Specialists and Adoption Liaisons from community health clinics, school clinics, pregnancy centers, and hospitals. The trainings sometimes result in adoption referrals for IAATP trainers.

Other Member Education and Training

NCFA provides training and education for members in the areas of intercountry and foster care adoptions as well. NCFA has been very involved in the Hague regulation-drafting process, and will provide educational conferences, manuals, and other publications to help members make the transition to the new system. NCFA also helps members learn how to work with the public child welfare system to promote adoptions of children out of foster care.

Conferences

NCFA’s Annual Conference for adoption agencies assembles adoption agency directors and leaders from around the country to discuss current crucial issues facing adoption. We also advance pro-adoption policies and attitudes with briefings and conferences for policy and opinion leaders.

Referrals

Because of our leadership and visibility in the field of adoption, NCFA receives many inquiries regarding adoption agencies from birthparents and prospective adoptive parents. We refer these inquiries to those agencies we know best, our members.

Publicity

NCFA membership entitles agencies to be listed on the NCFA Web site, www.adoptioncouncil.org, and in NCFA publications. Additionally, NCFA highlights members’ good work and success stories on the site and in publications, and refers friendly media inquiries about adoption agencies to our members.

Credentials

Because of NCFA’s credibility and leadership in the field of adoption, NCFA membership credentials the agency as a professional, licensed operation that is respected among its peers. Membership certificates for display are provided annually.

Other Members-Only Resources

NCFA reserves its most valuable information, meetings, and contacts for "members only." For example, we send members inside information about breaking adoption news by e-mail. We arrange meetings with high-ranking domestic and international government officials. And we host members-only meetings of agency directors, to help CEOs learn from each other and discuss strategy.

International Delegations and Trips

When visiting America, sending countries’ adoption officials, from Moldova to China, request meetings with NCFA. Member agency directors frequently attend these meetings. NCFA also arranges occasional trips to major sending countries, such as China and Russia, for member agency executives and senior NCFA staff to meet with the governments’ adoption officials and visit orphanages.

Council on Accreditation (COA) Discount

Because NCFA is a sponsoring organization of COA, member agencies receive a 25 percent discount on certain COA fees. For many members, these COA fees more than cover the NCFA membership dues.