Our History

Adoption STAR, Inc., was authorized as a non-profit New York State authorized adoption agency in March of 2000. In 2009, Adoption STAR became licensed in Florida. In 2010 the agency became licensed in Ohio.

Adoption STAR began operating in 2000 with donated space, and in 2001 moved into an office on Niagara Falls Boulevard in Amherst, New York. After renting for a number of years, the staff and board of Adoption STAR dreamed of owning their own building – one that would include not only staff offices, but also an infant nursery and a training facility on-site. This dream became a reality and on March 31, 2005, Adoption STAR occupied a 3000 square foot building in Williamsville, NY. In October 2012, Adoption STAR sold its main office and purchased a larger property in Amherst, New York (current location) – more than double the size – and uses the additional space to better accommodate its growing staff, client counseling and educational needs and expansion of post-adoption support services. Satellite offices are located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Cincinnati, Ohio.

From the onset, Adoption STAR wished to utilize the words within their name: Support, Training, Advocacy and Resources (STAR) to provide wide-ranging services to all members of the adoption community. This commitment grew into developing several programs and services. Today the agency has several departments run by a compassionate and professional staff. The agency also sponsors support groups such as SOFIA (Supporting Our Families Interested in Adoption), which is an adoptive family support and social group; Blue Rose Birth Parent Support Group, which is a support group for birth parents; the Birth Grand Parent Support Group, that provides counseling to those parents whose children made an adoption plan for their child; and adoptee support groups such as ACE (Adoptee Circle of Experience).

The STAR commitment is to offer individualized and personalized support, training, advocacy and resources for all those in need. The agency believes that adoption does not end with the placement of a child but rather it begins.

Adoption is a life-long journey. Adoption STAR places children of all races, backgrounds, disabilities and circumstances and has a passion for helping women whose children are at-risk for entering out of home placement. Adoption STAR has touched thousands of lives and the agency’s commitment to finding children permanent adoptive families is unsurpassed. Not only does Adoption STAR believe that every child deserves a forever family, the agency operates under the belief that “there IS a family for every child” thus eliminating the need to temporarily place children within the foster care system and eliminating the need for the “system” to financially support children.

Our Founder

Our Values

Our core values provide the foundation on which our mission is built, they shape the way we will pursue our vision, and underpin the way Adoption STAR will interact with our clients and the adoption community. Counseling & Support – Adoption STAR supports, trains, provides advocacy and resources to birth and adoptive parents through the process of creating healthy new families through adoption. Adoption STAR’s professional staff provides support and counseling for birth parents and adoptive parents throughout the adoption process, and provides ongoing post-placement support and consultation. Equality – Adoption STAR focuses on transforming lives through adoption by serving the best interests of children. Adoption STAR is one of the only adoption agencies in the country that has never had any exclusionary policies for adoptive parents, including age, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression; marital status, religion, ethnic background, color, or race. Education & Advocacy – We believe that we can influence understanding, preparedness and knowledge by acting as advocates for children in need of permanency planning.

Our Vision

Adoption STAR believes every expectant parent and adoptive family deserves to have access to adoption services. Unfortunately, quality information and counseling on adoption is still not widely available in the United States for ALL individuals. Our vision builds upon The Agency’s strengths of offering ongoing support services to ALL birth and adoptive families. We will, as an Agency of dedicated staff, ensure that all clients receive a consistent and high standard of care and service. We will continue to expand and advance our support programs for all throughout every stage of their adoption journey. The Agency will develop its marketing, public relations and branding to ensure that both the public and expectant and adoptive families receive education and information about adoption. The Agency will continue to act as advocates for equality and fair treatment for all parties involved in adoption.

Our Mission Statement

Adoption STAR (Support, Training, Advocacy & Resources) is a compassionate and unique agency. The Agency takes a strong stand in favor of adoption education and believes no one should make a decision to adopt or make an adoption plan for a child without fully educating themselves on adoption and its many options. Adoption STAR is committed to the best interests of children and offers adoption and adoption-related services regardless of age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, religion, disability, ethnic background, color, or race. Adoption STAR is dedicated to maintaining connections between adoptive families and birth families and offers education and support to all parties throughout the adoption journey.

Our Team

Adoption STAR is proud of its incredibly dedicated team which includes full and part time employees, per diem assessors, and volunteer board members. Most of our team is personally touched by adoption, and their professional qualifications are impressive. Their combined expertise and passion is the secret to the success of Adoption STAR.

View all Team Members

Our Philosophy

The Adoption STAR philosophy is to provide highly individualized services to Support, Train, Advocate, and offer Resources to adoptive parents, birth parents and community professionals as they explore the adoption option. We offer the experience of adoption, a full training curriculum, advocacy assistance, and comprehensive resources on adoption. Most importantly, we have the ability to offer personalized attention to all clients. The adoption process can often be confusing and frustrating. We offer our support, knowledge, assistance, and most importantly, our attention, to make this process easier.

Our Goals

Adoption STAR will continue to:

• Provide exemplary services to all members of the adoption triad and will behave as a responsible party, securing and advocating for the rights of children, expectant parents, birth families, legal guardians, and adoptive families to be treated with respect.
• Identify a family for each child in need of an adoptive home so they may have the opportunity to grow and develop in a secure, loving, permanent home.
• Increase the permanency planning efforts for at-risk infants and older children residing in U.S. foster care.
• The agency will continue to grow post adoption support to birth and adoptive families – as well as adoptees – by way of providing post-adoption counseling, education, and peer support.
• Increase educational opportunities for health care practitioners, educators and other community professionals.

Our Future

Adoption STAR has always looked to the future. As time goes on you will see Adoption STAR provide more and pre and post adoption services to those in need. The agency is dedicated to growing the A-OK (Adopt an Older Kid) program as well as the post adoption department, known as Family STAR.

Utilizing the acronym STAR, the agency will continue to offer additional SUPPORT, TRAINING, ADVOCACY, and RESOURCES to the community-at-large.