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Genealogy Guide: United States

Adoption Agencies

To find the public or private adoption agency that handled the adoption, use the Child Welfare Information Gateway’s National Foster Care and Adoption Directory.

Jewish Adoption Agencies
For cities other than New York, contact the local Jewish Family and Children’s Agency. The Association of Jewish Family and Children’s Agencies provides a list of all JFCA’s. They can be reached at 800-634-7346 or AJFCA@ajfca.org.

Louise Wise Services
Louise Wise Services was the most recent successor to several other adoption organizations, including the Free Synagogue Child Adoption Committee and the Jewish Girls Service. Louise Wise Services is now defunct as well. Spence-Chapin now holds the adoption records for private adoptions finalized through Louise Wise Services. Records for children adopted from foster care are stored at the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) Records Warehouse.

Spence-Chapin
Address: 410 East 92nd Street
New York, NY 10128
Phone: (212) 369-0300

Administration for Children's Services
Address: 150 William Street
New York, NY 10038
Phone: (877) 543-7692
Outside NYC: (212) 341-0900