Adoption Medicine Clinics & Practitioners
This directory serves as a resource for identifying adoption medicine clinics and specialists throughout the United States. Adoption medicine is a specialized field of pediatrics that goes beyond standard clinical care. It is an integrated, interdisciplinary, trauma-informed approach that recognizes the lifelong impacts of early childhood experiences. These providers are specifically trained to address the complex health, behavioral, and developmental trajectories of children who have joined their families through adoption.
How to Use This Resource
Clinics and practitioners on this list offer a variety of supports and services and we have tried to make that clear in the listing name and description, when possible. While practitioners are organized by their physical office locations, many offer virtual consultations and telehealth services, making their expertise accessible regardless of your geography. For broader support, a curated list of national resources is provided at the conclusion of this directory.
Who Can Benefit from This List?
- Healthcare & Social Service Professionals: This list is a tool for family physicians, pediatricians, social workers, and case managers who serve as the first point of contact for adoptive families. It empowers these professionals to provide high-quality referrals to adoption-competent specialists who understand the nuances of trauma-informed care and attachment security.
- Prospective Adoptive Parents: For those in the process of adopting, this directory identifies experts capable of performing pre-adoption medical reviews. These specialists can analyze available medical records, videos, and social histories from domestic or international sources to help parents understand a child’s potential needs before the placement is finalized.
- Current Adoptive Families: Parents seeking specialized, adoption-sensitive clinical care can use this list to find providers who "get it." Whether your child needs a comprehensive post-placement evaluation or ongoing support for complex behavioral or developmental needs, these clinicians prioritize the unique history and well-being of the adopted child.
Disclaimer: This list was compiled by Adoption-Sensitive Clinical Care (ASCC) project staff through public online sources and has been submitted to the Adoptmed listserv and NCFA Members listserv for review and updates. This list is provided as an informational resource for your convenience and does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any specific provider. Please send updates and corrections to ascc@adoptioncouncil.org. Visit hbasct.org to learn more about the ASCC project.
National Referral Resources
Adoption Competence National Directory, Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.): Mental health therapists with formal training in adoption competence. The therapists listed in this directory have completed C.A.S.E. training—either the 72-hour instructor-led Training for Adoption Competency (TAC™) and/or the 30-hour web-based National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI™). Completion of this training reflects their commitment to learning and growth within the specialization of adoption competence. https://adoptionsupport.org/national-directory/
Council on Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care, American Academy of Pediatrics: A section of the American Academy of Pediatrics that promotes the health and development of children and youth who are at risk for or have experienced family disruption. The Council offers policy development, advocacy, and education to support AAP members, other health professionals, and the child welfare community. https://www.aap.org/en/community/aap-councils/council-on-foster-care-adoption-and-kinship-care
TBRI® Practitioner Directory, Karen Purvis Institute of Child Development: Counselors, occupational therapists, and other professionals who have been trained on the Trust-Based Relational Intervention®, a holistic model for helping children overcome social, behavioral, and emotional challenges brought on by trauma. https://child.tcu.edu/find-a-practitioner/
Other Resources, References, and Reading
Adoption and Foster Care Clinic (Host). (2025). Beneath the branches [Video podcast]. https://www.youtube.com/@TheAdoptionandFosterCareClinic
Chambers, J., & Schulte, E. (2025). Medical special needs webinar series [Webinar series]. National Council For Adoption. https://adoptioncouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Medical-Special-Needs_Handout.pdf
Hanlon, R., Ecklerle, J., & Gustafson, K. (2024). Understanding adoption in the healthcare environment [Webinar]. National Council For Adoption. https://adoption.talentlms.com/plus/catalog/courses/241
Jones, V. F., Schulte, E. E., Council on Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care, Springer, S., Szilagyi, M. A., Forkey, H., Greiner, M. V., Harmon, D., Lee, P., Nalven, L. M., Davidson Sagor, L., Thackery, J. D., Waite, D., & Zetley, L. W. (2019). Clinical report: Comprehensive health evaluation of the newly adopted child. Pediatrics, 143(5). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-0657
Lamminen, L. M., McLeigh, J. D., and Roman, H. K. (2020). Caring for children in child welfare systems: A trauma-informed model of integrated primary care. Practice Innovations, 5(1), 55–64. https://doi.org/10.1037/pri0000108
Schulte, E. (2025). Pre-adoption medical consultations for adoptive parents [Webinar]. National Council For Adoption. https://adoption.talentlms.com/plus/catalog/courses/282
Todd, E. (2016). Adoption medicine: Improving the health and wellbeing of adopted children. National Council For Adoption. https://adoptioncouncil.org/publications/adoption-advocate-no-92/
University of Minnesota Adoption Medicine Clinic. (n.d.). Resources for families & professionals. https://med.umn.edu/adoption/resources/amc-publications-webinars
About the Adoption-Sensitive Clinical Care Project
It is critical that expectant parents who may wish to place a child for adoption have access to appropriately trained staff and comprehensive supports throughout the adoption process. The federally-funded Adoption-Sensitive Clinical Care Project and the Understanding Infant Adoption curriculum are being administered by National Council For Adoption (NCFA), The Adoption & Foster Care Clinic, Spaulding for Children, and University of Washington School of Social Work for the project period 2024-2026. The project is supported by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the United States (U.S.) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award (award #90CO1147-01-00) totaling $1,000,000 with 100 percent funded by ACF/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACF/HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit the ACF website, Administrative and National Policy Requirements. This information is in the public domain.
