 | ||
 | | |
 | ||
| | |
| ||
| | |
| ||
| | |
 | ||
| | |
The Adoption Center is a private, non-profit adoption agency licensed in both Illinois and Indiana. We offer a safe, caring atmosphere for birthmothers, birthfathers and adoptive parents. Our staff consists of specially trained counselors. Several staff members have had experience with adoption in their own lives.
A team of dedicated adoption counselors helping birthmothers and adoptive parents. |
||
|
|
|
| | |
|
Directors: | ||
 |
Tobi Ehrenpreis, M.A, MPH Founder and Executive Director. Tobi has a Bachelors Degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan. She also holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Chicago, and a Masters Degree in Public Health from the University of Illinois. She oversees financial, marketing and administrative services and counsels families waiting to adopt. Tobi has two daughters by adoption. In 2001, Tobi founded On Your Feet Foundation, an Illinois not-for-profit that assists birthmothers following an adoptive placement. | |||
| | |
| |
 | Maggie Gill Benz, LCSW, LMFT Clinical Director and co-founder of the agency. Maggie holds Masters Degrees in Psychology and Social Work from the University of Illinois, and DePaul University. Maggie has over 25 years of experience in the adoption field, and is both a licensed Clinical Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist. Maggie oversees all home study services, counsels adoptive families and supervises the birth parent counselors. She has two sons, one through adoption. | |||
| | | | |
| Counseling Team: | ||||
 |
Cher Pollock, LCPC is a Birthmother Advocate and a birthmother herself. Cher is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with a Masters Degree in counseling from National Lewis University. She has been with the Center for over eleven years, working with birthparents in Central and Southern Illinois and Central Indiana. | |||
| | | | |
 |
Carol Nightingale, LCSW works with both adoptive families-- providing homestudy services-- and with birthparents. Carol has a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Illinois. She has worked as a middle school counselor for many years. Carol's personal life has been touched by adoption, too; her husband is an adoptee and they have two children—one through adoption. | |||
 |
Sue Stewart, LCSW is an Adoption Advocate conducting homestudies in the greater Chicago area for over twenty years. Sue has been with the Adoption Center for the past nine years. Sue holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Chicago. | |||
 |
Ann Mathis, BSN is a licensing representative for the Center. Ann monitors each foster/adopt home every six months to insure compliance with DCFS licensing regulations. She is a registered nurse and has worked in an OB/GYN office. Working with adoptive families has always been a source of great satisfaction for Ann. Ann is the mother of four children. | |||
 |
Mary Seddon, MPH is an Adoption Advocate, providing outreach, education and counseling to birthparents in Northern and Northwest Indiana. Mary has earned a Masters Degree in Public Health from the University of South Florida and worked in the counseling field for many years before joining the Adoption Center staff. Mary has two teenage children through adoption. | |||
 |
Vicki Twomey is a Birthparent Counselor serving the greater Chicago area. Vicki has her Bachelors Degree and has been working as an advocate for birthparents for over 6 years. Vicki is a birthmother herself who enjoys mentoring women considering adoption. She also works part- time for On Your Feet Foundation, an organization that assists birthmothers following an adoptive placement. | |||
| | | | |
| | | | |
Administrative |
|
|||
| | | | |
 |
Nancy Feldman, AA Office Manager. With over 20 years administrative experience, Nancy coordinates all day-to-day administrative functions, and keeps the office running smoothly. Nancy holds an Associates Degree in Child Development, and is the mother of two teenagers through adoption. After working in Corporate America for many years, Nancy is enjoying being part of a social service agency helping to create families through adoption. | |||
|
|
||||
|
Brenda Flores, AA joined our staff in July, 2009 as an administrative/office assistant. Brenda has an Associates Degree in Design and several years administrative experience. Brenda is also fluent in Spanish, and will assist in our efforts to reach out to the Spanish speaking community. | |||
|
|
||||
| | | | |
|
About Our History The Adoption Center was first licensed in 1996 as one of several Illinois adoption agencies. Two years later, the Center was licensed as an Indiana adoption agency. We are an outgrowth of Adoption Resources, founded in 1987 by Tobi Ehrenpreis, a social worker and adoptive mother of two. Tobi was later joined by Maggie Gill Benz, also a social worker and adoptive parent. Today, our team of professionals is comprised of several adoption counselors, an office manager and an advertising assistant. The Center has an all volunteer Board of Directors including a clinical psychologist, a neonatologist, a college professor, business people, an adult adoptee and adoptive parents. Adoption Center Policies and Practices: The Adoption Center offers a full range of personalized services to its clients. Our staff and Board recognizes that every adoption is unique, as are the individuals involved in the process. All adoption agencies are licensed by the state(s) in which they operate and are required to follow certain rules and procedures. At the same time, Adoption Center for Family Building is a small agency, striving to maintain flexibility and offering services tailored to the individual.
|
|||||
| | | |||
| How to adopt? Unplanned pregnancy? Waiting Adoptive Families | Contact us | |||||
