Welcome to the Family!

Boys & Girls Aid is excited to welcome Open Adoption & Family Services as our two agencies come together to strengthen services for adoptees, expectant parents, birth parents, and families in our community.

For nearly a century, infant adoption and pregnancy support services have been at the cornerstone of Boys & Girls Aid’s mission. Since our earliest infant adoption placements in the 1930s, Boys & Girls Aid has continuously evolved our practices to best meet the needs of the children and families supported by our adoption services. From our pioneering approach to pregnancy and maternal support in the 1940s, to advancing inclusive adoption practices in the 1960s, to being one of the first adoption agencies in the nation to advocate for openness in adoption in the 1970s, Boys & Girls Aid has long been committed to providing forward-thinking adoption support that centers the child and puts their needs first.

Today, the adoption landscape looks very different than it did 100 years ago, and Boys & Girls Aid remains dedicated to evolving our services and approach in order to meet the needs of the communities we serve. It is in this spirit of evolution that we are excited to announce a new chapter for our infant adoption program by welcoming Open Adoption & Family Services into the Boys & Girls Aid family!

A regional leader in all-options pregnancy counseling and open, child-centered adoptions, Open Adoption & Family Services was established in 1985 with a mission to promote openness in adoption. Over the last four decades, Open Adoption & Family Service and Boys & Girls Aid have worked in partnership, consulting on placements and collaborating to advance meaningful policy reforms. As a program of Boys & Girls Aid, Open Adoption & Family Services will carry forward the aligned philosophy our organizations have shared for years: that in every adoption, the needs of the child come first.

This child-centered ideology has deep roots in the history of Open Adoption & Family Services, beginning with the personal experiences of co-founder Jeanne Etter. In 1978, Jeanne and her husband completed an open adoption of their own, maintaining a close relationship with their child’s birth parent at a time when most adoptions closed all contact. Inspired by how her child benefited from that continued connection, Jeanne envisioned a different kind of adoption agency where other adoptees and families could share that experience.

In 1985, Jeanne teamed up with attorney John Chally to found Open Adoption & Family Services, helping to introduce a new model of care built on compassion, openness, and choice. Since then, the agency has become a leader in the adoption community and a trusted referral source for hospitals, healthcare providers, and social service professionals supporting people exploring pregnancy options including adoption.

By welcoming Open Adoption & Family Services into the Boys & Girls Aid family, our organizations can combine our expertise to build a stronger, more connected future for everyone in the adoption journey — a future that centers the adopted child and puts their needs first. For expectant and birth parents, this means broadened access to compassionate, judgment-free counseling to help them make fully informed decisions and ensure no adoption is planned without truly informed consent. Families who are waiting to adopt will gain access to enhanced education and support services, as well as a shared waiting pool that creates more opportunities for placement. We recognize that every adoptee’s story begins with the choices adults make, and are dedicated to setting the foundation for healthy, long-term relationships that address the ongoing needs of the adopted child and honor their adoption story.

In recognition of National Adoption Month this November, you can help us celebrate this exciting new chapter for Boys & Girls Aid’s adoption services with the gift of a tax-deductible donation. Your generosity makes it possible for us to continue to deliver innovative, child-centered adoption services for generations to come.

Donate today!