Prospective Parent Classes

COVID-19 has required us to restructure our Prospective Parent Classes to a digital format. Each week for six weeks starting Thursday, June 25, we had speakers from local organizations discuss various topics including adoption options, surrogacy, prenatal care and birth, legal considerations and more.

All summer sessions were held via Zoom and were offered free of charge. Please see our schedule of events below.

WEEK 1: Building Your Family with Donor Sperm
Dr. Jackie Gutmann from RMA of Philadelphia and Michelle Ottey from Fairfax Cryobank will discuss how to build your family using donor sperm. There will be a presentation and time for questions.  See the Facebook event page for more information.
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Registration is now closed for this event. ​You can watch a recording of the event here.
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WEEK 3: Adoption Options
This session will focus on adoption options and will include Jenna Smith, Domestic Program Coordinator at Adoptions from the Heart - Allentown office and Tiffany Byrd, CFS/Permanency Director at A Second Chance Kinship Care. This session will also include a panel of LGBTQ+ parents who have adopted children.
See the Facebook event page for more information.

Registration is now closed for this event. You can watch a recording of the event here.

WEEK 2: Legal Implications for Building Your Family
This free session will focus on legal considerations for building a family, with particular emphasis on issues specific to LGBTQ+ parents. The session will be led by Rebecca Levin Nayak, partner with Jerner Law Group, P.C whose practice is focused on family law, adoption law and assisted reproduction law.
​See the Facebook event page for more information.

Registration is now closed for this event. ​You can watch a recording of the event here.

WEEK 4: Prenatal Care and Birth
This session will be led by Ray Rachlin of Refuge Midwifery - Licensed Midwife, Certified Professional Midwife, Certified Lactation Counselor, and the President of the Pennsylvania Association of Certified Professional Midwives and Leandra Santos, hospital-based midwife.
See the Facebook event page for more information.

Registration is now closed for this event. You can watch a recording of the event here.

WEEK 5: Building Your Family Using a Surrogate
This session will be led by TJ Henderson, CEO of Surrogacy Services International. This session will also include a panel of LGBTQ+ parents who have had children using surrogacy. ​
​See the Facebook event page for more information.

Registration is now closed for this event. You can watch a recording of the event here.

WEEK 6: Foster Parent Recruitment
This session will be led by Lorenzo Shedrick, Resource Development Administrator for the Philadelphia Department of Human Resources and Zahra Cornelius, Pride Program Supervisor at Valley Youth House. This session will also include a testimony from a former foster youth who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
​Please see the Facebook event page for more information.

Registration is now closed for this event. You can watch a recording of the event here.

Please see the information below for information on in-person sessions, which will be relaunched when safe to do so.

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The “Exploring Paths to Parenthood” group is an 8-week experience that will provide information from legal, financial, fertility, surrogacy, adoption and medical experts, as well as emotional, social and community support around becoming a parent. Speakers will include professionals and current LGBTQ parents. Participants will finish the eight weeks with a sense of their options, how to navigate the process as an LGBTQ person, and connections with those on a similar journey.​

Therapy Center of Philadelphia’s (TCP) group, Exploring Pathways to LGBTQ Parenthood, is an information support group for lesbian, gay, and bi cisgender women and transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive folks of all sexual orientations.  The new session for Spring 2020 is on hold as we work with the Therapy Center of Philadelphia on keep an eye on the COVID-19 crisis. We are also exploring ways to share the information remotely through webinars. Check back here for updates.

The group for queer, gay and bi cisgender and transgender men and non-binary folks is currently looking for a new home. If you have ideas for us or want to get on the waiting list for when it is ready, please email Stephanie@phillyfamilypride.org. In the meantime, please consider attending our conference on Oct. 5th at USciences where there will be multiple sessions on adoption, fostering and surrogacy offered.

The TCP group will include discussion of pregnancy, prenatal and postpartum care, adoption, fostering, and surrogacy. The group for queer, gay and bi cisgender and transgender men and non-binary folks will focus more on adoption and fostering with info about surrogacy available as well. Transgender, gender queer, non-binary and other gender expansive folks are invited to choose the group that seems best for them.

Cost for participation for the full 8 weeks for both groups is $125 per individual for Philadelphia Family Pride members, or $165 per individual for non-PFP members. Those not already PFP members can join on our web site. There will also be a $50 intake session fee for both groups.

See the article on the classes in the Philly Gay News from 2/26/16.​