National Adoption Association

What National Adoption Association does

The National Adoption Association (NAA) is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership association founded in 1982 and headquartered in Linthicum Heights, Maryland. It is the only national association focused exclusively on supporting adoption professionals and future professionals — masters and bachelors level social work students — delivering continuing education, NASW-approved CEUs, professional standards, peer networking, and credentialing services to more than 500 adoption workers at public and private child welfare agencies each year. The organization maintains a 40+ member organization network across U.S. jurisdictions.

NAA's core product portfolio centers on four federally funded national programs operated through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Children's Bureau / ACYF: AdoptUSKids (national adoption recruitment campaign, in operation since 2002 with $917M in donated media support and 1 million adoptions facilitated since 2004), the National Center for Diligent Recruitment (launched 2023), the National Center for Enhanced Post-Adoption Support (launched 2024 with Spaulding for Children), and the Ujima Collective (systems-change program recognized with a 2025 ASAE Power of Associations Summit Award). Supporting products include the Learn with NAA webinar series, I-CARE workforce development program, a biennial national conference, a Child Welfare Leadership Series, and an online career center. The underlying technology is a standard YourMembership.com association management platform providing member portals, online community forums, event management, learning management, and a career center; NAA has no proprietary AI or data-asset capabilities.

NAA generates revenue through four streams: federal cooperative agreements (the dominant line, supporting the AdoptUSKids, NCDR, and NCEPAS programs), membership dues on a tiered subscription basis ($0-$2,000 for organizations, $250-$500 for universities, $75 for individual partners/students/retired professionals, plus free CEUs as the core benefit), biennial conference registration fees with member discounts, and donations from individuals, foundations (notably the Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation), and corporations. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and led by CEO Kamilah Bunn with a staff of approximately 35.

Name

National Adoption Association

Legal name

National Adoption Association

Website

https://adoptnaa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

National Adoption Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership association supporting adoption professionals and social work students through continuing education, professional standards, and federally funded national programs including AdoptUSKids, the National Center for Diligent Recruitment, and the National Center for Enhanced Post-Adoption Support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Linthicum Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from organizations ($0-$2,000), universities ($250-$500), partners ($75), students ($75), and retired professionals ($75).
2. Conference Revenue: Biennial national conference with registration fees, with member discounts. Free CEUs provided to members.
3. Federal Grants: Operating AdoptUSKids and other national initiatives through cooperative agreements with the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), ACF, and HHS.
4. Donations: General fund donations from individual supporters, foundations (Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation), corporations, and the federal government.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels14 records

Core offering

National Adoption Association (NAA) is a nonprofit membership association that provides continuing education, credentialing, peer networking, and professional standards to adoption professionals working at public and private child welfare agencies. It operates major national initiatives including the AdoptUSKids recruitment campaign, the Ujima Collective workforce program, and the National Centers for Post-Adoption Support and Diligent Recruitment.

Product overview

National Adoption Association (NAA) operates as a membership-based professional association providing a unified platform of adoption services and workforce support. The core portfolio includes AdoptUSKids (national adoption recruitment campaign), the Ujima Collective (systems change program), National Center for Enhanced Post-Adoption Support, and National Center for Diligent Recruitment. Supporting these are professional development modules: Learn with NAA webinar series (NASW-approved CEUs), the I-CARE Career Center, Biennial National Conference, Child Welfare Leadership Series, and Member of the Month publication. The organization also runs the National Opportunity Youth Workforce Development Initiative. NAA Standards in Practice provides the ethical framework governing all member activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AdoptUSKids: National adoption recruitment campaign facilitating adoptions from foster care
• Ujima Collective
• I-CARE
• National Center for Enhanced Post-Adoption Support
• National Center for Diligent Recruitment
• National Opportunity Youth Workforce Development Initiative

Products and services

• AdoptUSKids National Adoption Recruitment Campaign National adoption recruitment campaign operated under federal grant from the US Children's Bureau in collaboration with the Ad Council, providing technical assistance in diligent recruitment, connecting children in foster care with prospective families through media support and matching services. Since 2004, it has facilitated 1 million adoptions and generated $917 million in donated media support.
• Ujima Collective National systems change program applying African-centered principles to improve workforce access, economic mobility, and family connections for youth involved in the foster care system through immersive training, peer-led advocacy, and technical assistance. Recognized with the 2025 ASAE Power of Associations Summit Award.
• National Center for Enhanced Post-Adoption Support Technical assistance and comprehensive resource library operated in partnership with Spaulding for Children through a cooperative agreement with the Children's Bureau. Supports states, tribal nations, and territories to develop culturally responsive and accessible post-permanency services for families achieved through adoption or guardianship.
• National Center for Diligent Recruitment Technical assistance, resources, tools, and peer connections funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau. Builds capacity among child welfare professionals to create systemic changes in how the needs of youth in foster care are met through recruitment and support for foster and adoptive families.
• NAA Standards in Practice Peer-reviewed guidance framework established by the Board of Directors providing national standards for adoption professionals covering effective child-focused recruitment, parent preparation with a racial equity lens, and family finding to increase kin connections. Originally established in 1982 and updated in 2021.
• Learn with NAA Webinar Series Continuing education webinar series led by peers, offering six (6) NASW-approved Continuing Education Units (CEUs) covering topics relevant to adoption recruiters, trainers, and support workers. Free for NAA members; non-members pay $25 per webinar.
• I-CARE Career Center Career center platform connecting adoption professionals with meaningful career opportunities in the adoption field, featuring job search, posting, and subscription capabilities. Launched as part of I-CARE, the country's first national adoption workforce development program.
• Biennial National Conference Intimate national gathering held every two years providing access to adoption recruitment, retention, and support field professionals with opportunities for relationship building, strategic partnerships, and learning new techniques. Members receive deep registration discounts and free CEUs.
• National Opportunity Youth Workforce Development Initiative Initiative empowering youth aging out of foster care through career pathways, having empowered 600+ youth with workforce development support.
• NAA Organization Membership Annual membership for organizations (Free to $2,000/year depending on size/type) including six NASW-approved CEUs, conference discounts, webinar access, online community, website/social promotion, committee eligibility, and board nomination consideration. Includes access for 40+ member organizations across US child welfare system.

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, support and strategic.

• Spaulding for ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NAA operates the National Center for Post Adoption Support in partnership with Spaulding for Children through a cooperative agreement with the Children's Bureau. This center provides technical assistance and comprehensive resource library to support states, tribal nations and territories in developing culturally responsive post-permanency services.
• Administration for Children, Youth and Families (ACYF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023NAA operates the National Center for Diligent Recruitment funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau. The center provides free technical assistance to strengthen diligent recruitment programs in states, tribes and territories.
• Center for Adoption Support and Education (CASE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAA partners with CASE to operate community engagement initiatives including the National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services. This partnership addresses the importance of engaging communities most affected by family separation through the National Center for Enhanced Post-Adoption Support.
• AdoptUSKids (Ad Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAA operates AdoptUSKids in collaboration with the Ad Council and other partners. The national adoption recruitment campaign has facilitated 1 million adoptions since 2004 and operates through federal grant funding (90CO1143) from the US Children's Bureau.
• YourMembership.comsupportTechnology or IntegrationThird-party membership management software provider powering the NAA website with private member-facing online community, membership management, event management, email marketing, and career center functionality.
• National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for ICWA 2050 initiative - a 25-year strategy to strengthen the Indian Child Welfare Act and tribal child welfare. NICWA guides NAA members on upholding ICWA through collaborative action steps with Native communities.
• National Association of Social Workers (NASW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAA offers six Continuing Education Units (CEUs) approved by NASW for members through the Learn with NAA webinar series and national conference. This credentialing partnership enables adoption professionals to maintain licensure requirements.
• Member Organizations (40+ organizations)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational member network including organizations like Adopt America Network, Adoption Rhode Island, Bethany Christian Services, Center for Adoption Support and Education, Spaulding for Children, and various state departments of social services. Members access NAA resources and represent the organization across US jurisdictions.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Foster Parent Association (NFPA): National membership association for current and prospective foster, kinship, and adoptive parents. Complementary audience to NAA's professional focus but operates a similar dues, conference, and chapter model and works on overlapping federal child welfare policy issues.
• Child Welfare League of America (CWLA): National membership association for child welfare agencies and professionals, with overlapping member base of public/private child welfare providers, standards-setting activity, and federal grant delivery infrastructure. Most directly comparable to NAA across mission, member model, and federal-cooperative-agreement positioning.
• Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption: Philanthropy-backed nonprofit dedicated to finding permanent homes for children in foster care via adoption; runs national awareness campaigns and provides free adoption resources. Comparable mission focus on foster care adoption with national-scope programs and corporate/foundation funding model.
• National Council for Adoption (NCFA): Adoption-focused national policy and advocacy organization that convenes adoption professionals and lobbies federal policymakers on adoption issues. Highly comparable mission focus on adoption from a national-association lens, with overlapping stakeholder ecosystem.
• National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA): Tribal child welfare membership and advocacy organization that delivers training, technical assistance, and federal grant programs on ICWA and tribal permanency. Already a partner to NAA on ICWA 2050, but operationally a peer as a membership-based professional association serving child welfare workers.
• Voice for Adoption: Adoption-focused advocacy coalition whose founding board includes NAA's CEO; works on federal policy to remove barriers to adoption and permanency. Highly comparable as a national voice for the adoption community with overlapping board and member overlaps with NAA.

Broad incumbents

• American Public Human Services Association (APHSA): National membership association representing state and local human services agencies, including child welfare administrators. Comparable as a dues-funded association providing training, conferences, and federal-policy engagement to public human services agencies.
• Casey Family Programs: Large operating foundation focused on safely reducing the need for foster care and supporting youth in/permanently leaving foster care. Comparable in operating federally aligned child welfare systems-change programs and providing technical assistance to states, tribes, and agencies.
• National Association of Social Workers (NASW): National professional membership association for the social work profession that issues the CEUs NAA's Learn with NAA series routes through. Comparable as a dues-funded membership body serving social workers, including those in child welfare/adoption, with a parallel chapter, conference, and CEU model.

Emerging players

• Spaulding for Children: Michigan-based nonprofit providing adoption, post-adoption, and post-permanency services; NAA's primary operating partner on the National Center for Enhanced Post-Adoption Support. Comparable as a federal-grant-funded child welfare provider delivering technical assistance and direct services to states and tribes on adoption/permanency.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NatlAdoptionAssn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nationaladoptionassociation
• Instagraminstagram.com/adoptnaa
• Xx.com/Nat_Adopt_Assn

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Adoption Association