Paths for Families

Paths for Families is an adoption and family well-being organization that builds and sustains families and advocates for best practices in the community.

For 35 years, we’ve woven human-centered care, evidence-based practices, and trauma-informed expertise into the lives of more than 15,000 children and families across DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

We’re here for expectant parents exploring adoption, birth parents, adoptive families, children in need of adoption, people who were adopted, and professionals in the community.

Understanding every path is unique, we offer placement services, counseling, and training, to nurture positive and restorative experiences.

On a systemic level, we share our training with professionals in child welfare and the broader community to build more trauma-responsive systems of care.

We treat everyone with the understanding, kindness, and respect that we believe all humans deserve. This is the compass that guides us in our work, putting human dignity and ethical practices at the forefront of everything we do for children, families, and their communities so they can genuinely feel that they are not alone on this journey.

Our vision is that every child will grow and thrive within a caring, supportive family and community: Every Child, Every Family, Every Step of the Way.