We change the world, one child at a time.
SWAN Affiliate Support Groups
| Affiliate | Support Group | Description | Participants | Childcare | Access | Fees | Group Type | Where | When | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethany Christian Services of the Greater Delaware Valley | Adoption Community Group | Group is focused on connection and community. Pizza dinner and separate parent, child, and teen groups provided. The group plans to watch a short video and then have a time of discussion surrounding the identified topic. Parent topics include: Back to School, Core Issues in Adoption, Parenting Tweens and Teens, Co-Regulation, Managing Secondary Trauma Stress, and more! | Adoptive/Kinship Families and Parents, Adoptive/Kinship youth and teens | Yes | Yes - Handicap accessible | Free for Post-perm families receiving Post-perm funding | Educational, Peer Support | Dresher, PA (RSVP for exact address) | Second Thursday of each month, from September 2024-May 2025 | Kathy Hurwitz |
| Gladney Center for Adoption | Blessings Through Adoption | A foster, adoption, kinship fellowship/support group | Resource, Adoptive, and Kinship families; all children and youth | Yes | Yes | — | Educational, Peer Support | First Presbyterian Church 252 College Ave 3rd Floor Beaver PA 15009 | 2nd Thursday of each month Dinner 5:30-6:30 Group 6:30-8:00 | Cynthia Renfroe |
| Families Caring for Children, Inc. | FCCI Virtual Support Groups | June 3, 2025- 5:30 PM - Navigating the School System June 24, 2025- 5:30 PM - IEPs and 504s July 16, 2025-5:30PM - OUCH! Those tough questions July 29, 2025 - 6PM - Planning for my Child | Kinship and Adoptive Parents | n/a | na | no | Educational | Virtual | — | Jean Barney |
| Bair Foundation of PA, The | Strengthening Families Before Crisis Occurs | Because adoptive families may face many unique challenges, it can often be difficult to recognize that problems are escalating until it’s too late. This support group is designed to help families address problems as they occur, and before they turn into crisis situations. Adoptive parents and older youth are encouraged to participate together. | Adoptive or Kinship Families | No | Yes - Handicap parking available | Free if receiving Post-perm funding, Fee if not receiving funding: $15 | Educational, Peer Support | 615 Howard Avenue, Suite 102, Altoona, PA 16601 | January 1, 2023-March 31, 2024 | Sarah Laird |
| Children's Home of Pittsburgh | Mind...Body...Mood Monday | Teens in foster care or adoption can come hang out in a hybrid format, learn practices to help regulate their mind and body, and share with others their age who “get it.” | Teens who are in foster care or have been adopted | No | Yes - Handicap parking available | None | Educational, Peer Support | 5324 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224 or Virtual | 1st Monday of every month 5-6pm | Kristie Lindblom |
| Bethany Christian Services of Western PA | Youth Support Group | We're excited to offer a program for adoptees ages 8-16. Our goal is to offer these children and young adults a safe place to form friendships with other adoptee peers. When children enter adolescence, they often strive to define themselves, which sometimes leads to previously unrealized emotional issues and questions related to their adoption or permanency journey. Even if a child has appeared to be happy and well-adjusted in the past, it's not uncommon for adolescents to begin experiencing feelings of grief, loss, abandonment, rejection, and even guilt or shame. We're here to help and offer support during this time. Contact: Leonely Romero - Post Perm Specialist - 814-934-7027 Tracy Auell - Branch Director/Supervisor - 814-934-2701 | Youth in Adopitive & Kinship homes as well as Adoptive families | n/a | n/a | n;a | Peer Support | Meeting space varies month to month. Updates on location are provided to families in a timely fashion. | Ongoing | Leonely Romero |
| Children's Service Center | Post Perm Support Group | Support Group will provide an educational component and a peer support component. | Wating, Adoptive, and/or Kinship Parents | CSC would have staff available to provide childcare in a conference room across the hall from the conference the support group would be held. | Can accommodate virtual access | — | Educational, Peer Support | 335 South Franklin Street, Wilkes Barre, PA 18702 | Beginning 09/23/25 Meetings will be held Monthly, virtual attendance can be accommodated | Shari Menichello |
| Bethany Christian Services of the Greater Delaware Valley | Adoption Community Group | Join us for a warm and welcoming space where adoptive and kinship families come together to connect, share a meal, and engage in meaningful conversations. Whether you're a caregiver, teen, or child—there's a place for everyone to learn, grow, and feel supported. This year's discussion focus: Screens & Technology: Finding Balance Together We will utilize material from Parenting Generation Screen and a Teens Guide to Face-to Face Connections in a Screen-to-Screen World. 6 – 7:00 p.m. Enjoy a casual pizza dinner with other families 7 – 8:00 p.m. Breakout sessions for parents, teens, and kids | Adoptive & Kinship Families (Both parents and children) | Children can participate in the group | Yes | n/a | Peer Support | Dresher, PA. Specific address provided after registration. | We meet the second Thursday of every month from 6-8 p.m. From 9/11/2025 - 5/14/2026 | Rachel Curley |
| Loftus-Vergari and Associates, Inc. | Support Group | This is an innovative resource parent’s group that combines both face to face and virtual meeting simultaneously. It’s held in a reserved setting were brunch is served and relevant issues/trainings are discussed in a supportive environment. | Foster, Adoptive, Kinship, Waiting Families | N/A | Yes | Post-Perm Funding & Foster Care Funding | Educational, Peer Support | Wilkes-Barre | Third Tuesday of the month 10:30am-12:30pm | Cynara Wattley-Liburd |
| Diakon Child, Family and Community Ministries - Mechanicsburg/York | Parent Support Group | — | Foster, Adoptive, Kinship, Waiting Families | Yes, Free | Yes | Post-Perm Funding | Educational, Peer Support | York | Second Tuesday of each month | Denise Roe |
| Children's Aid Society of Franklin County | Support Group | — | Adoptive, Families providing permanency | No | Yes | Post-Perm Funding | Peer Support | Chambersburg | Second Thursday of the month | Stacy Gutshall |
| COBYS Family Service | Family Nurturing Education & Support Program | 24-hour program designed to nurture and support parents and their children through guided play, modeling, and the presentation and practice of nurturing, sensitive, and competent parenting strategies. | Parents and their children | — | — | None | Free | Lancaster County - Various Locations | One 2-hour session a week for 12 weeks | Stacie LaBarbera |
| Children's Home of Pittsburgh | Parent Support Group: Families Impacted by Infertility | — | Families impacted by infertility | No | — | Free | Free, Peer Support | 5324 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA | Last Monday of the Month at 6:00 pm | J Horn |
| Bethany Christian Services of Western PA | Stronger Together | Virtual gathering once a month to check in with families and see what concerns they have and or issues they would like to discuss with each other. We meet the Third Monday of the Month 11am-Noon. | Adoptive & Kinship Parents | n/a | Virtual | n/a | Peer Support | Virtual | We meet the Third Monday of the Month 11am-Noon. | Megan Hennessy |
| Bethany Christian Services of Western PA | Convos from the Heart | Connect with other adoptive parents over coffee or tea and let the convos from the heart flow. | Adoptive & Kinship parents | no | Yes | n/a | Peer Support | Panera Bread, 8800 Covenant Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15237 (North Hills) | First Saturday of each month, starting September 6, 2025 | Ally Gatlin |
| Children's Aid Society of Mercer County | Parent Support Group | — | Families including Foster, Adoptive and Kinship families | Yes | — | Post-permanency funding | Educational, Peer Support | Mercer | Last Thursday of the month | Kristi Pearsall |
| Bair Foundation of PA, The | Exploring Life After Adoption | During this support group, our goal will be to discuss different topics that adopted persons may encounter. Topics such as exploring who you are, unrealized feelings around adoption, and grief and loss will be discussed during our time together. With this, we hope that adopted teens will also come together and form relationships. | Adopted Teens | — | n/a | — | Peer Support | Virtual | January 2024 - March 2024 | Ellie Pinto |
| Adelphoi Village | Understanding and Healing | We will be diving into the Seven Core Issues in Adoption and Permanency- Addressing each month, Loss, Rejection, Shame/Guilt, Grief, Identity, Intimacy and Mastery/Control. | Adoptive Parents | Yes - Arrangements need to me made in advance of the meeting to accommodate. | Yes | Free to Post-perm families receiving Post-perm funding | Educational, Peer Support | 1214 Redington Ave, Troy, PA 16947 | First and Third Thursday of Each month. First Thursday will be from 10-11:30AM and the third Thursday will be from 5:30-7:00PM. Meetings will be held both in-person and virtually. | Amy Benner |
| Gladney Center for Adoption | Parent Support Group | Come meet other adoptive parents to learn from one another, share your experiences, and receive encouragement. | Parents | n/a | n/a | n/a | Peer Support | Virtual | Third Tuesday or third Thursday of the month. Tuesdays: 7-8 PM Thursdays: 12-1 PM | Patti Farrell |
| A Second Chance, Inc. | Support After Permanency | This support group is designed to be a hands-on “where to turn” to aide Adoptive and PLC families in navigating resources after permanency. This group is a serious that tackles various topics around navigating systems after permanency is achieved. | Adoptive and Kinship Families/Parents, including children and youth | No | n/a (virtual) | Free to Post-perm families receiving Post-perm funding | Advocacy, Educational, Peer Support | Virtual | 01/14/2023, 02/11/2023, 03/11/2023, 04/08/2023, 05/13/2023, 06/10/2023, 07/08/2023, 08/12/2023, 09/09/2023, 10/14/2023, 11/11/2023, 12/09/2023 | Tieraney Simmons |
| Bair Foundation of PA, The | A Book Study for Adoptive Mothers focusing on the book, The Connected Child by Karyn Purvis. | This support group will utilize a book study that focuses on The Connected Child by Karyn Purvis. We, The Bair Foundation, work with multiple adoptive families and feel that support group focusing on this book would be well received. This support group will entail a monthly virtual meeting and several engagement posts throughout the support group timeframe. | Parents (Resource, Waiting, Adoptive, and/or Kinship) | n/a | n/a | Free for families receiving Post-perm funding, fee if not | Advocacy, Peer Support | Virtual | January 1, 2024 through March 31, 2024 | Taylor Senko |
| Bethany Christian Services of Western PA | You Don't Look Adopted Book Club | Reading the book You Don't Look Adopted. Meeting once a month to talk about the selected pages read. | Adoptive & Kinship Parents | n/a | n/a | n/a | Educational | Virtual | Monthly from May 2025 - September 2025 | Megan Hennessy |
| Bethany Christian Services of Western PA | Coffee, Care and Conversation | Gather and connect with other moms for our coffee, care, and conversation monthly support group that meets the third Wednesday of each month from 10:30-11:30 a.m. | Adoptive and Kinship parents | No | The meeting place is wheelchair accessible | n/a | Peer Support | County Seat Restaurant, 531 Main St, Clarion, PA 16214 | The third Wednesday of each month from 10:30-11:30 a.m. | Angela Gerics |
| A Second Chance, Inc. | The Strength of a Woman | This support group addresses the importance of Self Care for Woman, Teenage Girls, and Feminine-identified individuals. This group is a series covering different aspects of Self-Care on a monthly basis. | Adoptive and Kinship Families/Parents, including children and youth | No | n/a (virtual) | Free to Post-perm families receiving Post-perm funding | Advocacy, Educational, Peer Support | Virtual | 01/26/2023, 02/25/2023, 03/25/2023, 04/22/2023, 05/27/2023, 06/24/2023, 07/22/2023, 08/26/2023, 09/23/2023, 10/28/2023, 11/25/2023, 12/23/2023 | Tieraney Simmons |