Who We Are

The Barker Foundation is a non-profit adoption agency providing pregnancy, adoption services, and related family services from its central office in Bethesda, Maryland. The agency also maintains satellite offices in the District of Columbia and Falls Church, Virginia.

Barker was founded in 1945 as the nation's first cooperative adoption agency. We have grown into a comprehensive adoption center, providing complete and caring service before, during, and after the adoption takes place. Our clients are an economically, racially, and socially diverse group of birth parents, adopted children and adults, and adoptive parents.

Our Services

Some of the services we provide to birth parents, adopted persons, and adoptive parents throughout their lives include:

• Counseling, assistance with medical expenses, and housing for pregnant women as they face one of the most important and difficult decisions of their lives
• Pre-adoption discussion groups and individual counseling for prospective adoptive parents
• Placement of children with adoptive families through our Domestic Program, International Program and The Waiting Children Program
• Individual counseling as well as birth parent group, adopted persons group and groups for adoptive parents
• On-going exchange of information between adoptive families and birth families
• Fundraising and sponsorship program for overseas orphanages
• Search and information services for adoptive parents, birth parents, and adult adoptees
• Presentations to schools, civic organizations, health professionals, and other interested groups to broaden public understanding of adoption
• Educational workshops and conferences for the entire adoption community

Our Philosophy

• We believe in meeting and exceeding the legal and ethical standards governing adoption practice in this country and abroad
• We continue to work toward promoting a realistic and balanced view of adoption.
• We strive to create an atmosphere of respect, acceptance, and openness in which birth parents, adoptive parents, and adult adopted persons can make informed decisions.