Mission Statement:

Adoption Navigators is a family advocacy service for people who are considering adoption. Our goal is to provide expertise in the area of adoption and to conserve the total amount of time, money and stress expended by families throughout the adoption process.

We help our families by making the process more manageable - narrowing the pool of information available to them, guiding them to the most direct and effective resources, and providing a clear understanding of the process and paperwork involved.

From our Executive Director:
Jennifer Evans Walker
Although I have been involved in the service industry for more than 10 years, it was only eight years ago that I discovered the joy of helping families with the adoption of a child.

In 1996, I started working with a well-established agency as a Program Manager for a small Russian program. As my experience grew, I was able to expand the program and streamline the adoption process. Eventually, I became Director of one of the largest Eastern European programs in the United States, placing an average of 200 children per year.

Over the years, I gained a unique insight of how an adoption agency works behind the scenes. In addition, many of my clients shared their experiences with me, and what their frustrations were with regard to the whole adoption process. Many of them felt overwhelmed when they decided to adopt a child internationally. Some said it was too much to deal with after having gone through years of infertility treatment, while others felt that there was so much information available, they didn't know where to begin. Unfortunately, many of them felt quite vulnerable and didn't know what were realistic expectations and what were not. They were also being bombarded with negative portrayals of adoption in the media.

It was then that I decided to create Adoption Navigators. I wanted to provide families with a resource that was not affiliated with any agency, and therefore completely unbiased, and whose main goal was assisting a family through the adoption process. This may be as much or as little service as you feel you need. Adoption Navigators is an organization that was created to not only chart your course, but to provide you with the information you need to keep you on course until you complete your adoption journey.

Resource/Consultants:
In helping families in the field of international adoption, I draw upon my own experiences as well as those who are experts in their respective fields. Some key resources include:

Jerri Ann Jenista, M.D.
A leading authority in the field of international adoption, Dr. Jenista is a Pediatric Infectious Disease specialist and well-known author of articles on adoption medical issues. She currently provides health evaluations for pre- and post-adoption children. She is also the adoptive mother of five children from India.

William O'Keefe, Esq.
An adoptive father and attorney with O'Keefe & McCann LLP, Mr. O'Keefe specializes in assisting families across the U.S. in the readoption of children overseas. He is a member of the legislative committee for the Adoptive Parent's Committee (APC) and is a frequent lecturer on post-international adoption legal issues.

Jennifer Fairfax, Esq.
Ms. Fairfax is an attorney at Strickler, Sachitano & Hatfield, P.A. licensed in Maryland and the District of Columbia who focuses her practice on family law and adoption. She handles domestic, step-parent and same-sex adoptions as well as assists clients with international adoption matters.

Anne Pearce, LCSW-C
Ms. Pearce is the Director of Adoption Services with the Board of Child Care, an organization that has provided childcare and family services for over 40 years. As a licensed social worker, Ms. Pearce has been conducting home studies for the past ten years.

ADOPTION NAVIGATORS
74 Rockcrest Circle
Rockville, MD 20851-1653
(301) 738-1174 - (800) 738-1174
© 2001-2004 Adoption Navigators, LLC