Programs & Initiatives

Adoption Rhode Island provides numerous expressive arts experiential workshops throughout the year. These workshops are for children and youth impacted by foster care and adoption. They provide children with an opportunity to be with other children with similar experiences, and explore, exercise an develop their creativity through multiple artistic modalities. For more information, contact Bernie Hicks bhicks@adoptionri.org

One of Adoption Rhode Island’s core beliefs is supporting, encouraging, and facilitating healthy sibling relationships, particularly when siblings are separated in the child welfare system. We honor the importance of the sibling relationship, which research shows can be more powerful than a child’s bond to a parent.

In 2017, a group Adoption Rhode Island staff came together and created a 4-day overnight summer camp program that brought siblings together who had been separated in care. For these few days, siblings were able to bunk together, build fun childhood memories, and live carefree in the beautiful landscape of Camp Aldersgate in Foster, RI (insert link here). Since this first year, the size of the program has nearly tripled, bringing together more and more siblings, some of whom have not seen each other in months

Some of a child’s greatest joys are experienced during those warm summer breaks from school. Attending camp is often one of those joys. For children in foster care, childhood experiences are sometimes overshadowed by the complexities of living in a child welfare system, which is why Adoption Rhode Island has worked closely with the community to create our Summer Camp Scholarship Program. Since the early 2000s, through multiple community partnerships, Adoption Rhode Island has been able to provide more than 500 “camperships” for children and teens in foster care to attend for one week, day camp, in-state overnight camp, and even out-of-state overnight camp, allowing children to have fun, build new friendships, and long-lasting memories.

Since the early 2000s, Adoption Rhode Island has hosted a holiday gifts program to ensure that children in the state’s foster care system have a holiday season to remember! Adoption Rhode Island works closely with its generous giving community to ensure that the wishes of our children are fulfilled during the holiday season, whether it be a new warm winter coat, a remote control car, or set of art supplies. Since inception, our holiday giving program has grown to be six times the size it once was, providing gifts for more than 500 children every year! If you or someone you know would like to support our holiday gifts drive, please contact Bernie Hicks at bhicks@adoptionri.org!

NIROPE provides gift cards for furniture to children adopted on National Adoption Day as well as to children adopted through Adoption Rhode Island throughout the year. This program has helped hundreds of children pick out new beds, bureaus and other pieces of furniture to help them celebrate their adoption day. No community referrals to this program.