Who are we?
OUR HISTORY
In 1999, Inna Pecar and her husband, Steve Pecar, followed their hearts and founded KidsFirst Adoption Services – an adoption agency that has been totally impassioned by, dedicated to, and supportive of both birth mothers and adoptive parents since its inception.
Inna earned a Masters in Education in Ukraine, her place of birth, and a Masters in Social Work from Indiana University following her immigration to the United States. She has been a licensed clinical social worker since 1998 and was presented with the IUPUI School of Social Work Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005. Steve earned his law degree from Indiana University and has over 20 years of experience in adoption law. Together, along with our devoted and ambitious team, we work tirelessly to assure not only the success of each adoption, but the well-being of each client throughout and after the adoption process.
At KidsFirst, we pour our hearts into our work to ensure that families are supported throughout the process and that children are placed into the best care possible. We value absolute transparency between families and the KidsFirst staff. We appreciate the trust that you place in us.
OUR TEAM
Inna Pecar
Founder & Director
Steve Pecar
Co-Founder & Adoption
Lawyer
Kim Howard
Adoption Caseworker
Mary Carole Scanell
Adoption Caseworker
FROM OUR BLOG
WE’RE HAGUE-ACCREDITED
KidsFirst International Adoption recently received our reaccreditation through Intercountry Adoption Accreditation and Maintenance Entity (IAAME) and have been Hague-accredited since 2007. We are one of just a handful of Hague-accredited international adoption agencies. The Hague Convention has been ratified by more than 75 countries and was created as a way to establish protections for children, birth parents, and adoptive parents. Our commitment to ethical adoption practices means we only work in countries which have a clear process for declaring children orphans and in need of an adoptive family.
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Parenting Internationally Adopted Children
Adoptive Family Resource Packet (from KidsFirst)
This is a broad resource guide to:
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- Medical and Counseling Contacts
- Adoption-Friendly Language
- Adoption Books
- Funding Resources for Adoption
- Promoting Attachment and Bonding
- Embracing Culture, Heritage, and Race
- Arriving Home with Your Child
- Creating a Life Book
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Dr Federici’s 10 Session Series on Raising Challenging Children
Dr Federici speaks to the challenges of raising young people successfully out of orphanages and the special challenges and successful strategies for growing them to adulthood. This 10 video series on Vimeo is available for pay-per-view download.
Dr. Federici’s Help For The Hopeless Child
A Guide for Families (with Special Discussion for Assessing and Treating the Post-Institutionalized Child)
Adopting the Hurt Child: Hope for Families with Special-Needs Kids
Parenting the Hurt Child: Helping Adoptive Families Heal and Grow by Gregory Keck and Regina Kupecky
Health and Developmental Considerations for Children Adopted Internationally
Adoption Medicine: Improving the Health and Wellbeing of Adopted Children
Todd (2016)
Adoption Advocate, 92
Offers an overview of adoption medicine, including the roles pediatricians and specialized adoption medicine physicians play before, during, and after the adoption process.
U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs
Provides information about the health of children adopted from other countries and the health information that is provided to prospective adoptive parents. Describes the medical exam required for all internationally adopted children.
International Adoption: Immigrant and Refugee Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Discusses health problems that may be present in children adopted internationally and links to news resources relating to health considerations for these children.
International Adoption Project
University of Minnesota
Describes a clinic that specializes in medical services for children who were adopted internationally.
Schulte (2020)
Adoption Advocate, 142
Compiles information for adoption professionals and parents on handling medical conditions or medical issues in adopted children and when an adoption medicine physician should be involved.
Preadoption and Postadoption Medical Assessments
Adopting a Child From Another Country (Intercountry Adoption)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Outlines medical considerations for when adopting a child from another country and highlights the importance of medical reviews as part of the process.
Comprehensive Health Evaluation of the Newly Adopted Child
Jones, Schulte, & Council on Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care (2019)
Pediatrics, 143(5)
Addresses the elements of a complete health evaluation of a newly adopted child, including the preadoption visit, current and past medical history, and referral for diagnostic evaluation.
International Adoption Medicine (S1:E18)Podcast]
Children's Hospital Colorado (2017)
Offers a podcast featuring experts in the field of international adoption discussing medical support for families adopting internationally. The discussion explores why international adoptions require a different medical approach than domestic adoptions and why pre- and postadoption medical assessments are necessary. The podcast also discusses expectations and guidelines for these assessments, and more.
Internationally Adopted Children: Important Information for Parents
HealthyChildren.org
Provides an overview of medical evaluations for children adopted from other countries, including what to expect during the first medical visit, a checklist of what a doctor should do, information on growth and nutritional issues, and more.
U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs
Reviews how prospective adoptive parents should request a comprehensive medical evaluation of their adopted child and should be aware of the unique health issues children adopted internationally may face.
Johnson (2019)
Adoption Advocate, 131
Discusses pediatricians' roles in the adoption process and describes how new knowledge about adversity in early childhood has expanded the medical field's understanding about risk factors for medical, developmental, emotional, and behavioral issues in adopted children.
Intercountry adoption clinics and doctors
Foster Care, Domestic and International Adoption
University of Minnesota
Describes a clinic that specializes in medical services for children who were adopted internationally.
Cincinnati's Children Hospital Medical Center
Describes the services provided by the Center, including pre-adoption consultation, postadoption evaluation, and its research program.
Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital
Provides services before, during, and after international adoption to help assess and manage medical needs commonly seen in adoptions from other countries.
International Adoption Health Program
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Supports the healthcare needs of families who have adopted internationally and provides pre- and postadoption counseling, therapy, and other services for children with special developmental needs.
International Adoption Medical Clinics
International Adoption Help (2017)
Supplies a directory of clinics and doctors who specialize in international adoption medicine.
Program Specific Information about Children Available
International Adoption Children Info (from KidsFirst)
Support for Birth Injuries
Sokolove Law is an established national law firm and has decades of experience handling birth injury medical malpractice claims. Sokolove's lawyers
understand the suffering that families affected by birth injuries go through. They will work with families to understand their unique situation
and fight for compensation.
CHIP Handbook of Help
A reference handbook that provides multiple direct providers by sections such as: housing, healthcare, food pantries and more.
INDYCOC
A reference handbook that provides multiple direct providers by sections such as: housing, healthcare, food pantries and more.
