Since 1945, the Barker Foundation has served all members of the adoption circle as a licensed, non-profit agency serving Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Our comprehensive adoption center offers pregnancy services, domestic and international adoption services, counseling and education, and a lifelong commitment to the individuals and families we serve.

Today, Barker is regarded as one of the nation’s premier adoption agencies. Our life-cycle model of comprehensive services, robust educational programs, and commitment to the highest standards of ethical practice are the hallmarks of our work.

Whether you're considering placing a child for adoption or adopting a child… if you are an adoptive parent, a birth parent, or adopted person ... an adoption professional, a researcher, a therapist, or simply interested in adoption … you've come to the right place.

We're here to listen and to help with support and information.

 

 

When you’ve made the decision to welcome a child into your family, Barker offers many placement options:

  • The Domestic Adoption Program places US-born infants and older children. In our infant program, we work primarily with prospective adoptive families and birth parents in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC.
  • In Barker’s Older Child Program: Project Wait No Longer, we place older children from public foster care into families who are ready and prepared to parent children with special needs, emotional or behavioral issues or who have experienced abuse and neglect.
  • The International Adoption Program places infants and toddlers from China, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, and South Korea.
  • Our Concurrent Adoption Program allows prospective adoptive families to participate in specific Domestic and International Program paths at the same time.
  • The Waiting Children Program places children through our Domestic and International Programs with families who are able to meet the unique needs of an infant or older child with medical or potentially significant physical, emotional or developmental issues.

For specific requirements, please review the Domestic Adoption and International Adoption Overview Charts.

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A successful adoption begins with thorough preparation. Through our pre-adoption groups and home study process, we assist you in making informed decisions about your options and help you anticipate those issues that regularly come up for adoptive parents and children.

We encourage you to attend one of our monthly Information Meetings to explore the adoption experience and get information on Barker’s many programs and services. We also offer in-person pre-adoption training groups for families adopting through our domestic and international programs. (Please see specific requirements for the pre-adoption training for families adopting an older child through Project Wait No Longer)

The Pre-Adoption Training is a one-day group session that introduces prospective adoptive parents to both the immediate questions and also the lifelong issues that characterize adoption for children, adoptive parents and birth parents. Group discussions, guest speakers (birth parents, adult adoptees and adoptive parents) and related material are incorporated into the day’s activities to provide a greater understanding of adoption in a comfortable setting.

Please see the events calendar for the date and location of the next information meeting and next Pre-Adoption Training.

In the Barker Spotlight

Save the Date: Saturday, April 28, 2012

Barker's 18th Annual Conference: The Ordinary, Extraordinary Experience of Adoptive Parenting

Keynote Speaker: Award-winning author and adoptive parent, Melissa Fay Greene

PWNL featured on local TV show – In Transition with Libra Johnson! 

Check out the episode Foster Care & Adoption:  Avoiding Aging-Out on the website http://vimeo.com/26803679 or at www.intransitionwithlibra.com

Project Wait No Longer on-call line goes live March 1, 2011

PWNL families with any emergent concerns may call 1-888-955-3339 to reach an on-call counselor, Monday-Friday 5pm - 9pm, and Saturday-Sunday 8am - 10pm.

Families Needed in the China Waiting Children program

Hundreds of children are waiting in the China Waiting Children program for a loving family who could help them reach their potentials. The children in the program include boys and girls who have a minor to severe medical condition or who are simply older. On the contrary to almost all of the other international programs, this is a fast-moving program. Families may select the age, sex and medical condition of the child they wish to adopt. Majority of our families are matched with a child within 1-3 months after their paperwork is ready and families normally can bring their child home within seven months after they are matched. More Info