Spence Chapin V3

A leader in creating pathways to adoption for LGBTQ families and providing LGBTQ-affirming support and care.

Spence-Chapin Services to Families & Children is a licensed and accredited non-profit organization offering quality adoption services for more than 100 years.

The mission of Spence-Chapin is to help find loving families for children whatever their needs or circumstances and provide counseling and support for all children and the families to whom they have been born or entrusted.

We envision a world where adoption is a celebrated choice, every child belongs, and all families are embraced. Our services include domestic adoption, international adoption, home study and post-adoption services.

Contact Spence-Chapin

“A world where adoption is a celebrated choice, every child belongs, and all families are embraced.”

Spence-Chapin

Our Services

Domestic Adoption
International Adoption
Special Needs Adoption
Granny Program
Pre & Post-Adoption Services
Licensed Domestically in NY & NJ
International License: South Africa, Colombia & Bulgaria

About Our People

Meet Our Key People

Meet the experts behind Spence Chapin! These individuals work tirelessly to give children a better life and assist intended parents in fulfilling their dream. Spence-Chapin has a longstanding commitment to helping the LGBTQ community and continues to prove their compassion for everybody.

Mark Lacava

Chief Clinical Officer, Pre and Post-Adoption Services

Mark manages the counseling staff, overseeing Spence-Chapin's counseling, support services, community programming and professional training. He has more than 20 years of experience working with children and families as a licensed clinical social worker.

Lauren Jiang

Director, International Adoption and Humanitarian Aid

Lauren Jiang’s entire career has been in adoption. At Spence-Chapin Lauren has worked with prospective parents pre-adoption to prepare for the anticipated needs of their future child, then has supported families in the post-placement transitions. Lauren currently oversees home study and post-placement services, placing training and preparation at the heart of home study.

Monica Baker

Domestic and Special Needs Adoption

Monica oversees a professional team that provides sensitive and unbiased support to women in crisis who are exploring permanency options for their newborns while providing education, guidance and support to adoptive parents as they navigate this path to parenthood.

Olivia Pope

Community Outreach and Development Manager

As a Community Outreach and Development Manager, Olivia travels three days a week to various counties throughout New York and New England to provide resources to professionals in the healthcare and social work field. Olivia meets weekly with various professionals to equip them with information and knowledge of Friends in Adoption so that they might refer to us when they have an individual in need. She also provides professional staff development workshops that focus on in-depth conversations about adoption as an option and Friends in Adoption as a community resource. When not on the road, Olivia works from her office in Albany county.