Catholic Charities North Dakota celebrates 100 years of trusted parenting and adoption services!

Catholic Charities North Dakota (CCND) is a nonprofit serving not just the Fargo area but the entire state of North Dakota. The journey began in 1923 when what was then known as the Catholic Welfare Bureau started serving the community by helping find homes for children in the orphanage. Over the years, the Catholic Welfare Bureau changed its name to Catholic Family Service and then to Catholic Charities North Dakota in the early 2000s.

Catholic Charities North Dakota’s services have expanded to fit the needs of North Dakota and include counseling, guardianship, adoption, and pregnancy services. For 100 years, their focus has been helping families and individuals during life’s most vulnerable moments.

CCND serves people in need and advocates for the common good of all. Catholic Charities North Dakota has been celebrating their 100th anniversary all year long and is excited to continue their mission of serving individuals and families throughout the state of North Dakota for many years to come.

Pregnancy, Parenting, & Adoption Service (PPAS)

Pregnancy services at CCND are free, confidential, and open to all families experiencing an unintended pregnancy. Birth families are educated about parenting as well as adoption and are empowered to make a decision that is best for them and their babies. When a birth family chooses adoption, CCND has loving, home study-approved families ready to welcome that child into their family. If a birth family chooses to parent their child, CCND helps to provide parenting education and to break down any barriers standing in the way of them being amazing parents. Over the last three years, the PPAS program has assisted thousands of parents and children in the Fargo- Moorhead area through their semi-annual Bundle Up Your Baby Bump Event. This event is a free shopping experience for families in need of baby supplies. Donations of supplies are gathered from the community and then given back to the community, allowing local families to help other local families.

Adults Adopting Special Kids (AASK)

AASK Adults Adop SPECIAL Adults Adopting Special Kids (AASK) is North Dakota’s adoption program for youth in the foster care system. AASK Adoption Specialists work with children to help them understand their journey through foster care and to help navigate their fears and excitement around adoption. Birth parents, foster parents, and adoptive parents are all significant individuals in a child’s life, and it is important to help them see that their heart is big enough for all. AASK Adoption Specialists work with potential adoptive families to educate, assess, and prepare them for potential adoption and work with them to understand the unique needs of youth in foster care. The program is seeking families wishing to parent children ages 10 through 17 as this is the greatest need in North Dakota. There are currently 14 children waiting for their forever home. If you have been thinking about growing your family or want to learn more about the foster care adoption process, AASK hosts regular inquiry meetings to help answer your questions. Contact them at [email protected] or visit aasknd.org to learn more.

Did you know?
You don’t have to have adopted through one of Catholic Charities North Dakota’s programs to utilize the ND Post Adopt Network. All services are free to anyone who has finalized an adoption or guardianship and lives in North Dakota.

North Dakota Post Adopt Network

A vital part of the AASK program that began in 2016 is the addition of the North Dakota Post Adopt Network. Life after permanency comes with great joy and happiness but also comes with both predictable and unexpected challenges. Post Adopt is a service that provides support to families who have adopted from foster care, families who have adopted children internationally or domestically, and families who provide guardianship to a child in their home. The Post Adopt Coordinators at CCND work with families to navigate these challenges and offer various services to support a family’s needs, including weekend camps and retreats, monthly community activities, support groups, and respite grant opportunities. Families can also engage in a supportive services plan that allows more active involvement and support from a Post Adopt Coordinator. Training and educational opportunities are available to both families and community partners. All services can be accessed on a voluntary basis and are provided at no charge to the family. To learn more visit ndpostadopt.org.