About Us
In 1998, Act of Love Adoptions was created to specifically work with birth parents interested in placing their newborn babies for adoption with prospective adoptive families. We are committed to educating, preparing and supporting prospective adoptive families before, during and after the adoption process. Act of Love Adoptions places infants born throughout the United States with prospective adoptive families living in Massachusetts. Presently, the waiting time from application to placement is approximately one year.
We offer:
- Information and Orientation: Complimentary meetings are available to discuss all aspects of Act of Love Adoptions including agency philosophy, outreach to birth parents, selection criteria and approval of adoptive families, support services and financial policies.
- Homestudy: Conducted by licensed, experienced social workers, this process is intended to be a learning experience for prospective adoptive families. It also gives Act of Love staff the opportunity to get to know and support the families in developing and implementing the right adoption plan for them.
- Educational Seminars: An educational series is offered to all prospective families as well as a monthly While U Wait group. These meetings provide adoptive parents with the opportunity to meet other adoptive families, to address adoption specific issues and to continue preparing for the arrival of their child.
- Post-Placement & Post-Adoption Services: Monthly contact is maintained after the arrival of a child, to assist and support the family through the transition. Act of Love Adoptions also offers post-adoption seminars and groups after the legalization of the adoption to help with some of the lifelong issues that come with the adoption of a child.
- Openness: Act of Love Adoptions works with birth parents who choose the adoptive family for their child. The degree of openness is mutually agreed upon between the adoptive family and birth parent, with guidance and support from the staff. After the placement, the adoptive family is expected to share information, confidentially, about the ongoing development of their adopted child.
Our Staff
Jodi Dwyer, MSW, LICSW
Adoption Social Worker
Jodi is a 2005 graduate of Boston College Graduate School of Social Work. During her first year field placement in 2003, Jodi interned at Act of Love Adoptions due to a previous interest in adoption. After graduation Jodi was fortunate to be hired as a full time adoptive parent social worker. Jodi primarily works with adoptive families during their adoption journeys doing homestudies, matching and post placement. Jodi also co-facilitates the six week Education Series for Waiting Families with Patricia Brady. Contact Jodi at 617-587-1519 or jdwyer@mspcc.org.
Stephanie Filice, MSW
Adoption Social Worker
Stephanie was first introduced to adoption while interning at MSPCC’s Act of Love Adoptions during her final year at Boston College Graduate School of Social Work. After graduating in May of 2009, she accepted a job as an Adoption Social Worker at Act of Love Adoptions. Stephanie works with prospective adoptive families to assist in their journey through the adoption process. Stephanie also conducts the home studies for the Department of Children and Families, as well as overseeing the search process for MSPCC. Contact Stephanie at 617-587-1527 or sfilice@mspcc.org.
Mary Murphy
Birth Parent Coordinator
Mary is a birth mother, a mother, a grandmother, a sister and an aunt. Adoption is her passion and care giving is just one of her many skills! Mary has been working with women considering adoption for 17 years and feels honored to be a part of the fabric that has been woven into their lives. Adoption is a heroic loving choice made by both, women seeking the best family for their unborn child and couples looking to adopt. It is the very essence of being good parents to secure their child’s future. Contact Mary at 617-587-1570 or mmurphy@mspcc.org.
Patricia Brady, M.S., LMHC, LMFT
Director
The Program Director, Patricia Brady has been the program director of Act of Love Adoption since 2005. Ms. Brady came to the Director’s position from fifteen years working as a social worker with birth and adoptive families. Ms. Brady holds an undergraduate degree , Bachelor of Science in Human Services from Lesley College in Cambridge Massachusetts and a Master of Science Degree in Human Services with a Clinical Services Major from the University of Massachusetts in Boston. In addition, Ms. Brady holds two Clinical Licenses in the Commonwealth as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Frequently called upon to opine about permanent plans for children and to assist where disruption could or has occurred, Ms. Brady approaches all members of the adoption triad with the respect they deserve. Ms. Brady understands deeply the need for services and philosophically believes there is a need to give meaning to the words “adoption is a lifelong process”. Over the course of the preceding twenty years, Ms. Brady has spoken at various conferences on the issue of understanding children’s needs across development and how they experience adoption differently at different developmental times in their lives. Ms. Brady strives to normalize crises for children and their families so even when the problem seems insurmountable, she develops plans principled on the view that “it takes a village”. As the Director, Ms. Brady remains available to families at all times and co leads the educational series provided to preadoptive families waiting for a match through the program. It is important to note that in addition, to her vast professional experience, Ms. Brady is herself an adoptive parent to a now nineteen year old United States Marine. Contact Patricia at 617-587-1554 or pbrady@mspcc.org.
Donna Morrison
Adoption Social Worker
Donna has been a social worker in MA for over 30 years. For most of that time Donna has specialized in foster care and adoption. She worked with the Department of Children and Families as a social worker, supervisor, and as the Director of Recruitment of Foster and Adoptive Families. Donna has been working with MSPCC for the past three years managing a contract with DCF to assess families wanting to provide permanency for the agency’s children and assessments to determine if adoption is an appropriate goal for a child in the Department’s care. Contact Donna at 617-587-1537 or dmorrison@mspcc.org.