Please join us this October 20th for our first ever Family Storytelling Event!
At the Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York, we believe that storytelling can be the shortest distance between us as humans; a steppingstone toward greater understanding, empathy and healing within our community. Stories connect us on a deeper level as we share experiences, hopes, challenges and ideas how to celebrate family. Whether a life through adoption, foster care, or kinship placement – seen through the lens of a birth parent, the child, a foster or adoptive parent – every family has a personal story waiting to be heard.
Produced by Barbara Herel of “Every Family’s Got One (a story , that is), and hosted by the Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York, we have invited community members to share their lived experiences with child welfare.
Featuring the Family Stories Told by…
Andrea Marinelli has been a Certified Foster/Adoptive Parent in Suffolk County since 2003, Andrea and her late husband adopted a sibling group of three children in 2005. Andrea is passionate about helping families have a voice in advocating for their children with mental health providers and programs. A strong believer in empowering families to establish a solid support system using a positive family driven model, Andrea believes that education and parenting tools are needed, including techniques for coping skills and self-care, to reduce stress and strengthen family communication.
Anni Keane was adopted at the age of 24. She has worked in the child welfare system for over 18 years. Anni is great at engaging people who work in and around the Child Welfare Industry including youth, prospective adoptive parents, social workers and policy makers about the importance of finding older youth in care forever family. Anni is passionate about advocating and improving the lives of underserved youth and families.
Chester Jackson and his wife, Karin, are parents of five children; two biological children, two children adopted from foster care as teenagers and one son through legal guardianship. He has twenty-five years of experience in older child adoption, parent recruitment, training and support. Chester is himself an informal late discovery adoptee and currently serves as the Coalition’s HelpLine Coordinator.
Claudia Corrigan D’Arcy is a birth mother through traditional voluntary domestic infant closed adoption. As a birth parent advocate, she is known for her focus on ethics in adoption practices and expanding the public’s understanding of the birth parent experience. Extremely passionate about restoring the rights of adult adoptees to their original birth certificates, Claudia has contributed to new legislation in New York in 2019 and then Vermont and Massachusetts in 2022.
Valerie Joseph is a mom who adopted an older child from the foster care system in 2016. She is an anthropologist who worked as a movement therapist, mediator, and social justice educator. She now holds a position at Smith College supporting marginalized students pursuing careers in STEM fields. Valerie’s work has expanded into creating opportunities for people to have critical and dynamic conversations through a method she developed — Grounded Knowledge Panels™.
Why do we do the work we do at the Coalition?
Because Family IS the most important thing! Join us and hear us tell you why! Come out and enjoy an evening of listening, laughing, crying, meeting new people and celebrate the importance of every family.
Thank you for supporting the Coalition’s 3rd Annual Fall Fundraiser Show!
We hope you will enjoy the incredible life stories shared. Whether you are new to the Coalition or a long time member, we so appreciate you joining us for this evening of connection and community. It is only together we can continue our work through this year and beyond, aiming to achieve our vision that no foster, adoptive or kinship care family in New York State will feel alone or unsupported.
Support the Coalition and the Work We Do All Year by Sponsoring our Annual Fall Fundraiser!
Simply click on the sponsor level of your choice and then check out to complete payment through Eventbrite. Our priorities for 2022 include expanding access to therapeutic and legal services for families as well as enhancing our Helpline. Please see below for opportunities to support these priorities as well as our existing services. We truly appreciate your generosity as we stretch to support more families.
We are so appreciative of your generous support!
The GuideStar Exchange is the only program of its kind that encourages nonprofit transparency on a national scale and allows nonprofits to supplement the public information that is available from the IRS. A copy of our annual report may be obtained by contacting the Coalition or by visiting Guidestar.
The Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our Federal Tax ID # is 51-0194916. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
If you would like to send your donation by check, please make it out to AFFCNY and send to: 108 Main Street, Suite 5, New Paltz, New York 12561
