We at Friends in Adoption are always very happy to hear when a family reaches out to us saying that they are ready to start their adoption journey, and that they have chosen Friends in Adoption as their adoption agency of choice. So if you are considering signing up with us, we ask you to start our journey together by attending our Get Acquainted Workshop (GAW). “Why?”, you may ask. Because before you make a decision about whether Friends in Adoption is right for you, we feel it’s important for you to understand who we are, how we work, what we expect from prospective adoptive parents, and how we view the adoption process. There’s so much to tell!
How to Sign Up for the GAW
Registrations for this workshop are under a first-come, first-served policy with limited availability.
Next GAW Dates & Times
Day One: Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Orientation Session & Prepping Steps via email. More info below.
Day Two: Wednesday, June 3, 2026
The full workshop will be presented via Zoom from 9am to 4pm.
Note: The above video was recorded on January of 2020.
“So What Exactly is the Get Acquainted Workshop All About?”
The Friends in Adoption’s Get Acquainted Workshop (GAW) is an in-depth, all-about adoption, workshop designed especially for hopeful adoptive parent(s) candidates. If you’ve ever wanted to know more than you know today about adopting a newborn or infant child, the GAW is for you. It’s an experience. It’s a Master Class in everything you need to know to be successful if you’ve ever thought about building your family through adoption. Adopting a child is a life-changing decision, and the more you know before hand, the more empowered and prepared you will be as an adoptive parent.
Attendance at a Get Acquainted Workshop is only mandatory if you intend to adopt a child with Friends in Adoption. After attending the workshop, you are not obliged to work with Friends in Adoption; however we are confident you will leave the workshop fully informed about what adopting a child is all about.
Workshop Highlights:
- Hear adoptive parents tell their experience working with Friends in Adoption.
- Hear birth mothers and/or birth families tell their story.
- Hear an adult adoptee who was adopted when he was a newborn tell his story.
- The GAW is a great opportunity to learn about adoption from experienced professionals.
- Meet Friends in Adoption staff, social workers, attorneys, and other adoption professionals.
- Hear an adoption professional or members of the adoption triad answer your questions live during the Zoom workshop.
- Learn about every step of an adoption process: before, during, and after an adoption.
The GAW will also give you a chance to meet our staff, ask questions, and relax in a casual setting while exploring the adoption options offered by Friends in Adoption. The workshop is a wonderful educational opportunity about the adoption process.
“When and How is the Next Workshop Taking Place?”
Day One: Please reserve some time for an Orientation Session & Prepping Steps via email. On Day One, you will be able to work on your own schedule — starting anytime from 10 am. The Day One steps should take about 1.5 to 2 hours of your time, and the deadline to complete them is 7:30 pm. You will receive instructions via email, in the morning, with links to valuable introductory videos. You (and together with your partner if adopting as a couple) will need to work on these steps in preparation for Day Two, the next-day workshop.
Day Two: The workshop will be presented via Zoom from 9 am to 4 pm.
“What is the Fee to Attend the Workshop, and What Does it Cover?”
The cost of the workshop is $750 per family unit, for up to 2 people (a couple or a single individual with a support person/guest). Friends in Adoption is a non-profit organization and this fee helps Friends in Adoption offset some of the costs related to hosting the workshop. All registrations are final and non-refundable.
Registrations are done on a first-come, first-served basis and may close without advanced notice as the workshop fills up.
“What Do I Need To Do Before the Zoom Workshop Starts?”
It’s the responsibility of all workshop attendees to make arrangements to ensure they have the following ready to go:
1) A computer which is properly working; and
2) Access to a fast and reliable internet connection. We highly recommend you test-drive Zoom a couple of times prior to the workshop so you can be familiar with how it works. Also make sure to update your computer software ahead of time so it is running smoothly during the GAW, and if possible have a backup plan just in case your equipment decides to malfunction during the GAW.
How to Register
All registrations are final and non-refundable, so before registering make sure to check your calendar to ensure you are available to participate in both workshop dates as announced on this page, and also please make sure to read our non-refund policy (available during registration). Your payment is non-refundable and can only be applied to the workshop you’ve registered for.
The June 2026 Workshop filled up fast and registrations are now closed.
We’re sorry if you missed out on this session. Please visit this page periodically for updates on upcoming workshops.
GAW Agenda
Day One
On Your own time and schedule, via email, starting at 10 am. Deadline: 7:30 pm
You will need about 2 hours to complete this session so we recommend starting by 5:00 pm the latest. If you choose to take breaks in-between each video, you should start earlier in the day. It is not required that you watch all videos in one sitting, as long as you are done on Day One by 7:30 pm.
- Orientation
- The Voices of Adoption Video Series
- Fill Out & Submit Questionnaire
- Prepping for Day Two: Download a Workbook (PDF file) to be used during the Day Two Workshop. Printing the workbook is optional but it may be very helpful if you are a notetaker (the PDF is about 30 pages).
Day Two, Full Workshop
From 9 am to 4 pm
- Introductions
- Steps in Joining Friends in Adoption
- Home Study
- Application
- Profiles
- Once you are Active
- Case Management
- The Matching Process
- Financials
- Birth Parent Story
- Adoptive Parent Story
- Transracial Adoption
- Resiliency
- Case Scenarios
- Post Adopt Panel
- Wrap Up
Friends in Adoption Proudly Stands as a “Fully Inclusive Agency”
Friends in Adoption welcomes all families. Throughout our workshop, we will explore Friends in Adoption’s core values: Openness, Empowerment, Inclusiveness, and Lifelong Support.
Above all, the GAW is a safe space for all participants as they learn more about adoption with the support, respect, and empathy of professionals.
Friends in Adoption is a recognized Leader in supporting and serving LGBT Families. Presented by HRC’s All Children – All Families
What Our Zoom Participants Have to Say:
The GAW has been a Friends in Adoption tradition of many years, always presented in-person at a conference room, on a friendly and safe setting for everyone. The very first GAW via Zoom was held in 2020, and it was also a great success! Below you will find a few excerpts with the feedback we received from GAW attendees who signed up for our recently held Zoom workshops:
“Thank you so much for this workshop! It was tremendously helpful and informative, and I am really feeling like I found my way to an agency that is in line with my values. Please pass my heartfelt gratitude on to the rest of the team!”
“Thank you so much for the wonderful workshop today. We learned so much. The stories were so compelling, and the resources you shared during the workshop are incredibly helpful. As you know, we were weighing our options regarding the selection of an agency for placement now that we’ve completed our home study. After the great conversation we had with Brandi and after the workshop today, we are certain that we would love to work with Friends in Adoption. Your values, your approach, your thoughtfulness and your experience are exactly what we were hoping to find.”
“We did learn a lot today, and we are excited to continue the journey of adoption with Friends in Adoption.”
“Thank you so much for everything yesterday — what an amazing experience. We are incredibly excited to start our process with you and the team at Friends in Adoption.”
“It was so nice to virtually see Brandi and the rest of the Friends in Adoption staff yesterday … such an impressive group!!”
“Thank you for the GAW session. It was really informative and helpful, and most of all it gave us hope. So thank you. We both especially appreciated Jean-Charles’ stories. It was SO refreshing to witness such transparency about both the process and the realities of adoption. We have not found that with other agencies and sincerely appreciate you sharing with us.”
“Thanks so much Brandi for coordinating the workshop. We found it very helpful.”
“I wanted to thank you, Brandi, and everyone at Friends in Adoption for the wonderful GAW. We really enjoyed it and came away with so much information, so many moving and thought-provoking stories, and a lovely introduction to everyone at Friends in Adoption. Thank you!”
“I want to acknowledge Brandi and all the staff for your dedication, care, and thoughtfulness in the workshop. I just loved it.”
“Thank you for all your work on GAW. It was so informative!”
“Thank you to Brandi and all of those involved in the Getting Acquainted Workshop. We realize it must have taken a tremendous amount of time and effort to put that virtual event together and we are grateful!”
“We really enjoyed the workshop. You all did a great job in covering everything. We love how so many people involved in Friends in Adoption have adoption stories of their own.”
“Thank you for a well organized informative session. We were so happy to learn so much from everyone. We appreciate everyone’s time. We look forward to starting the adoption process soon.”
“We’re glad that we attended the GAW! It brought up memories of our first adoption with Friends in Adoption, in a good way, and reminded us of what we persevered through.”
“The session was fantastic and I especially appreciated the Visible Adoption point of view.”
“We appreciated the workshop and all the work that went into it. We learned a lot about the whole adoption process.”
“We really enjoyed the workshop today, you all did an amazing job and we learned so much.”
“Thanks for having us during your Zoom call. It was well put together and organized which we appreciated.”
“Thanks so, so much for the wonderful session. I learned a lot, and it was so valuable. I’m a teacher too, and run a lot of workshops, so I know how hard it is to move it all online. Yours was so fantastic! Thanks so much.”
“We thoroughly enjoyed the workshop. It was so informative but what was extremely clear was Friends in Adoption’s compassion, professionalism, and dedication to the work. That is exactly what we are looking for! We are excited, nervous, hopeful, and terrified … I think that covers it all :)”
“The training was so great. We loved everything about it. We will start working through all of this information! Thanks again!”
“We wanted to say thank you for hosting the GAW workshop virtually. We know it must have been a lot of work to convert your typical in-person offering to an online platform. It was very well done and we enjoyed it and learned a lot.”
“Thank you so much for your team’s efforts with the Getting Acquainted Workshop. We found it informational and inspirational. It is clear that Friends in Adoption values all members of the adoption triad and we are confident and optimistic that your team will help us build our family.”
“We really enjoyed the Zoom and all the speakers. We were quite impressed by you guys. Many thanks.”
“Thank you so much for the workshop! We are going to spend some time processing everything and will be in touch!! Thank you again — it was so helpful, thoughtful, and informative.”
“We had a great time and we would like to start our adoption journey with you. Please let us know your availability. Thank you.”