I’m Pregnant
If you're facing an unintended pregnancy or have recently given birth, we're here for you with free and confidential all-options counseling, resources, and support. Call our pregnancy counselors 24/7 at 800-439-0233.
Our History
In 1990, an action-oriented social worker named Janice Goldwater decides to start an agency that will welcome every child in need of a family. Through over 3 decades since these beginnings, Paths for Families has grown to be an adoption and family well-being organization that partners with communities dedicated to the life-long work of building and sustaining families.
Founder
Janice Goldwater
With a clear vision to build a more equitable child and family welfare system, Janice Goldwater founded Paths for Families in 1990. As a social worker, community advocate, and passionate lifelong learner, Janice has always been driven to enhance human connection through understanding. While there have been many remarkable milestones leading the organization for 34 years, she has significantly led Paths for Families to serve more than 15,000 families, expanded its counseling and placement services, and steered a strategic rebrand in 2023. Throughout her career journey, she proudly raised four children, who joined her family through birth and adoption.
Connect with Janice on LinkedIn
1985-1990
Identified gap in services
Our region was failing its children and families as poverty and the crack cocaine had become endemic and the child welfare system was overwhelmed with need. Exposed infants were spending months and years in the hospital. Children removed from birth family due to abuse or neglect were growing up in public foster care and aging out to homelessness at 18. Healthy majority race infants were welcomed with resources to begin life with the stability their birth parents seek. Closed adoption was the prevailing community practice, yet research and practice told us that openness is better for children. Opportunities to adopt children were limited based on religion, race, sexual orientation, age and marital status of prospective parents. Adoptees and their families sought mental health services and needs were not understood or being met.
1990-1994
September 18th, 1990
Adoptions Together becomes a licensed child placement agency in Maryland. Hospitals and parents in crisis learn that they can reach us, and we will come to them 24/7 to prevent any child from being abandoned. Two weeks later our first child is welcomed, the birth and adoptive parents meet, and the child is adopted. Before the end of 1990, nine more children would have the same outcome.
First Fall Family Day (Celebration of Family)
The annual event, which has taken place every year of our existence, kicked off in the autumn of 1991
International Adoption begins
In 1992, Janice Pearce leads an effort to start an inter-country adoption program in Eastern Europe.
First Federal Grant
Adoptions Together applied for and was granted its first federal grant from Health and Human Services for Project Succeed, a project that would enhance parent and school relationships to give parents the tools and support to navigate their children's learning differences.
Center for Adoptive Families
Counseling and training programs are formalized, and more post adoption programing offered to the community.
International Adoption expands
Xiumin Overall contacts Adoptions Together to explore working together to find families for babies and young children in China.
First annual Kids Conference and First Annual Parents and Professionals conferences
Building Black Adoptive Families (BBAF)
With an increase of African American infants in need of adoption, the agency reaches out and invites the black community to help shine a light on the need for adoptive parents and adapt practice to be more culturally competent.
1995 - 1999
1996:
Adoptions Together facilitated the agency's first placement through the public foster care system. This was a sibling group of 3 and spurred the foundation of our AdoptionWorks program.
1997:
Partnered with Local Departments of Social Services around the state of Maryland to provide post adoption support groups to families. These jurisdictions included Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard, and Baltimore County
1999:
The agency recieves state funding to kick off AdoptionWorks to place Maryland children in foster care with adoptive parents
2000 - 2004
AdoptionWorks (now known as Foster Care Adoption) placed its first sibling group from foster care
Janice Goldwater named Angel of Adoption by The Congressional Coalition
2002: Project if Not Us starts
The agency receives a 3 year federal contract beginning in 2004 for this project, which was focused on recruitment of parents for African American males living in foster care.
2004: Expansion into Virginia
2005-2009
2007: Post Permanency Family Center established
Permanency Opportunity Project launched
The project focused on intensive family finding for youth in care.
2009: Received International Hague Accreditation from the Council on Accreditation
2010-2014
Parent Advocate Project began
PAP offered mentoring from parents with lived experience to parents working on reunification.
FFSD family finding partnership with BCDSS launched
Since 2012, our family finding program has located permanent family connections for hundreds of local youth in temporary placements.
First agency in region to attain the Human Rights Campaign's’All Children, All Families Seal
Awarded since 2012, the seal has affirmed our active dedication to equitable family welfare services for LGBTQIA+ children and parents.
Adoptions Together Recognized by Human Rights Campaign Foundation for LGBTQ+ Inclusion Efforts
Heart Gallery launches
The Heart Gallery
2015-2019
Provided trauma-informed care for children in the Ukraine.
Featured youth from the Heart Gallery on digital displays throughout Baltimore.
2020-Present
Pivoted services in pandemic by providing all of our services virtually and in person when needed.
Expanded community organizations training in trauma informed care
In 2022, the agency launches transformative process to imbue IDEAS Principles into all organizational practices.
IDEAS principles are Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Social Justice.