Tara Noone, MSW
Director of Adoptive Parent Services
Email: TaraN(at)AdoptionConnection.org
Tara built her family through open adoption with the help of Adoption Connection in 2008. A strong advocate for open adoption, Tara is excited to work formally with the adoption agency to help adoptive families and birth families build community together around adopted children. Tara has extensive experience in training, supervision, and outreach in a social work setting and in direct case management experience in prenatal health. She finds particular inspiration in knowing that every adoption story is exceptional and in contributing to the match by finding the right outcome for families.
Rachel Herndon, LCSW, MSW, ASW
Director of Birth Parent Services
Email: RachelH(at)AdoptionConnection.org
Rachel comes to Adoption Connection with many years of experience in domestic open adoption—both in her family, and professionally. She enjoys working with prospective birth parents to create the best plan for their particular situations and coordinating matches between adoptive and birth parents. Rachel loves leading open adoption workshops and support groups that can build connections and inspire birth parents, adoptive parents, and adoptees. She also enjoys building bridges and fostering relationships with other organizations that work in the women’s reproductive health field. Previously, Rachel worked as a Child Protective Services emergency response social worker and as a foster care social worker.
Nan Toder, LCSW
Stepparent/Domestic Partner Program Coordinator
Email: NanT(at)AdoptionConnection.org
Nan has held many positions at Adoption Connection in her 25+ years with the agency. Currently, Nan heads our Stepparent/Domestic Partner Adoption Program completing investigations to create two legal parents for a child. Stepparent or domestic partner adoption is appropriate if you and your spouse or partner recently remarried, created a child with the help of a donor, or one of you adopted a child as a single person.
Christina DeLeon
Homestudy Coordinator
Email: ChristinaD(at)AdoptionConnection.org
Christina assists adoptive families during their domestic homestudy, making sure this important first step of the adoption process runs smoothly from assignment to approval. She comes to Adoption Connection with extensive administrative experience in the medical field.
Malia Kane
Director of Outreach Services
Email: MaliaK(at)AdoptionConnection.org
Malia’s primary role is to help adoptive families craft their unique story through their adoption letter and online parent profile. The process of creating this material is never easy, and Malia has years of experience assisting individuals and couples from across the nation connect with expectant women. While waiting for the right open adoption match Malia educates and supports pre-adoptive families. Malia also assists expectant women who contact Adoption Connection, providing them with information and support they seek—from options counseling, referrals, information, to selecting an adoptive family. Her other roles include organizing and planning agency educational offerings, and strengthening the agency’s relationships with clinics, hospitals, and social service organizations.