We attended our first Adoption 101 class in 2020 and the official outreach program in 2021. In our…read moresearch for agencies, we were really drawn to Adoption Connection (AC) b/c of their commitment and fierce advocacy for Birth mothers. After speaking with other agencies, attorneys and consultants, we felt that they were the most transparent not only with adoptive parents, but also with offering Birth Mothers perspective, counseling, and a listening ear to make the most informed decision during the most difficult time of their lives. We were told from the outset that 3 years+ was a realistic estimate in terms of placement and though we hoped it would be earlier, we understood how delicate this journey was. We were sent quarterly updates with the number of times our brochure had been presented (over 40 by the end of our process), but we had never met a Birth Mother in person yet. It's very easy to go to dark places and play the blame game as to why it hasn't happened yet, but we decided to turn our sadness into a year of yes. Yes to the trips, yes to the dinners, and yes to adventures that came our way. We started therapy and really worked on being the best version of ourselves we could for whenever we got the call. In our research, the best advice we were given is that as adoptive parents, we have to be ok with being 4th place in terms of choices for Birth Mothers who are placing their child up for adoption: 1st is with a birth parent 2nd is with a family member 3rd is with a member of their community We were more than happy to be 4th place and it's with that mindset, we were able to wait (as difficult as it was) almost 3 years for a placement. Our Birth Mother was very confident in her decision to place her child up for adoption, but understandably had second thoughts once the child was born. Those first 30 days were so stressful and AC really stepped up and not only offered comfort, perspective, and options for the Birth Mother, but also coached us through the difficult time of having the child with us and the possibility of things not working out. It was very important to all of us that our Birth Mother felt secure and safe in whatever decision she made and in the end, she felt that we were the best option for her child. Adoption is not for the faint of heart, but if not for the expertise and advice of the team at AC, we definitely would not have been able to honestly tell our child that this decision was not made lightly and was made out of an abundance of love b/c he was so wanted by all parties. We're so thankful for the Adoption Connection Team and their continued support of Birth Mothers and Adoptive Families.

This is a close to a scam as it gets by avoiding the legal classification as scam. The whole…read morecompany seems to be set up by family law experts as 'legalized sam' skirting regulations as much as possible. You pay a high fee for outreach ($30k) to be shown 1-2 times a year to potential birthmothers. You will not have any matches for years. After that the 'case workers' will push an adoption on you without giving you any disclosure required by CA/ Federal law about the baby or birthmother situation. They will label it as only chance. Everything is hush hush. The cases they show you before you pay the fees are so different than what you will actually see it is heartbreaking. Avoid at all costs (like other reviewers here have detailed).

These services are a scam. Since Seneca has been in my home things are worse than before. The…read moreamount of time these people take vacations blows my mind. I believe part of the reason these services are the way they are is because the connects are in between lapse and "time off".. having parent support services didn't happen for me. Never a stable person. My husband and I got no help. If you want an effective team to help meet the family and child I would look elsewhere.

I cannot say enough about Seneca family of agencies, my daughter goes to school. I one other sites…read more She has excelled so much. It's incredible and the staff are absolutely wonderful and they really care about the kids. The classes may be seven children in one class the whole school may have about 40 students Now this is the school that she goes to PathfiindersAcademy, and Union City. Absolutely amazing.. I really really appreciate them because my daughter was having a really really hard time with bullying getting her work done staying in class and not eloping and now she loves to go to school and always has positive things to say when she comes home. Altogether a wonderful agency.

Heartbreaking Lack of Transparency:…read more My wife and I found a gentle, adoptable young German Shepherd during a storm in the Berkeley Hills. We brought him to the shelter to be scanned for a chip, told them multiple times we cared about him, and even emailed to say we would foster him so he wouldn't be euthanized. For several days, he appeared only on the "lost dog" page, then suddenly disappeared. He was never listed for adoption. When we called, we were told he was "being evaluated." Only after pushing did it become clear euthanasia was on the table. The next day, with a confirmed foster ready to pick him up immediately, we called again -- and learned he was already being euthanized at that very moment. We begged them to stop, but it was too late. This was a healthy, loving, adoptable dog with people ready to help. What was missing was clear communication, transparency, and a chance to intervene. The staff I spoke to were polite, but the system urgently needs: - Clear timelines and notice before euthanasia - Public listing of adoptable and at-risk dogs - A functioning foster program I hope no one else goes through this. Berkeley can and should do better. PS: Attaching the picture of Max. We loved him dearly.

I'm pretty sure this local spot is doing Great work for animals, however each time I come in here,…read moreit's disorganized and chaotic. Today, I learned that the donation set up is just that, people can walk in and just grab whatever they need, and you can drop off things too, without screening. however if you need to interact with staff or have a question, be sure to bring your patience because there's no quick solution. you just have to get in line!

Working with Sunny - studio G+S Architects was a fantastic experience. I like to highlight their…read morecreativity, professionalism, communication and their ability to meet budget/ needs. Looking forward to collaborating with you for my next project .

I interviewed six architects or building designers for conversion of a studio to an accessory…read moredwelling unit. Ed Soos, architect, was tied with one other architect at the top ranking. He made good suggestions during a preliminary tour of the property. I appreciated his kindness and creativity.

My husband and I were so lucky to have Nina involved in our adoption process. She prepared our…read morehome study, follow-up home study and post placement review. We have also utilized adoption trainings from her private practice. I can say nothing but good things about Nina. We were terrified when we began the process of adoption and her friendly nature and extensive knowledge immediately alleviated our fears and reservations. Any question we had, she could answer it. We felt completely at ease with Nina. She was so excited for us when our daughter was placed with us and that meant she was invested in the process with us. That was very important. If you are a family thinking about adoption, I would highly recommend you speak with her. She will give you not only knowledge and guidance, she will give you comfort. Trish and Francisco Gomez

Nina is an inspirational therapist! In 2012 I placed my daughter for adoption and I was very lucky…read moreto be referred to Nina immediately. She was my rock during a time of chaos and change. She motivated me to be strong and gave me the tools to heal. She is a fantastic listener and is able to read body cues and address core issues that need to be dealt with. I strongly recommend her!

Cheap and low grade recruiting. They advertise a job they are searching on, but it is just a…read moregimmick to capture candidate profiles. After filling out information and providing my resume, a recruiter contacts me to discuss how to best interact with their website. Like, let me do their job for them right? Lol When i asked her to discuss the job description for the search she was running, she admitted that she was not actually calling about a search. Obviously this is a total boiler room style agency with very little professionalism and value add. Total joke, time waster, stay away. If you want to work with a real recruiter i suggest you look elsewhere. Edit to add* I'm upgrading to two stars because the recruiter did actually call on time, and sent good follow up emails which is definitely better than other agencies out there.

Naomi was such a pleasant recruiter to talk to! Everything from video calls to emails was punctual…read moreand professional. Highly recommend.

I came to the Berkeley Humane Society after being told they were providing a free health clinic on…read moreSaturday and Sunday, December 6 and 7. This included free spay and neuter services with advanced sign-up. The staff and volunteers were absolutely amazing--so kind, organized, and genuinely helpful throughout the entire experience. One of the sponsors was Tony LaRussa and LaRussa Rescue, along with other rescue organizations. Tony and his wife were there during our visit, taking time to chat with people and personally thanking everyone for coming, which was incredibly touching. I've been wanting to visit this shelter for a long time, and I'm so glad I finally had the opportunity. The dedication and compassion of everyone here truly shows. An amazing place filled with amazing people.

Phenomenal Shelter!!!…read more My partner and I started off fostering dogs and ultimately foster failed. We worked closely with Ian who was phenomenal, supportive and so responsive. They gave us all the supplies (food, toys, advice, leashes, etc.) we needed to give our foster pooches what they needed. We fostered a sweet girl for nearly 4 months until she found her forever home, which was difficult for us but so rewarding to be a part of her journey to a home and family who could give her everything she needed. We fostered a bit more and ultimately foster-failed and have had our boy Rickey (formerly Kona) for nearly a year! Rickey has been the most perfect pooch we could've asked for. I am so appreciative of Berkeley Humane, Ian, and the whole team. Cannot recommend this shelter enough! Foster and/or adopt from Berkeley!!