When Jennifer Woolley joined Texas Children’s Hospital as an Adoption Care Coordinator in January 2025, she brought more than a clinical background; she brought personal experience. A former labor and delivery nurse, Jennifer is also a birth mom and an adoptive mom. Her personal and professional paths have given her a deep understanding of the complexities surrounding adoption and what compassionate care looks like.
“When I was 18, I made the incredibly difficult decision to place my child for adoption at birth,” she said. “That experience made me realize just what power we have as healthcare providers to really impact our patients’ experience and whether they feel supported. It’s shaped the entire trajectory of my life.”
Today, Jennifer leads the newly launched Adoption Care Program, a donor-funded initiative based at the Pavilion for Women. This unique program, designed to support patients pursuing adoption and to equip our teams to care for them with confidence and compassion, is putting Texas Children’s at the forefront of adoption care.
What the Program Does and Why It’s Needed
Jennifer’s role involves supporting patients through the emotional and logistical aspects of adoption, sometimes connecting them with vetted agencies. She also trains care teams, helps staff work through unfamiliar or complex situations in real time and works closely with social workers—not to replace them, but to complement their role with adoption-specific expertise.
“My goal is to be a navigator for these patients,” she explained. “I walk alongside them and give them any resources they need, answer any questions and help them understand what to expect.”
The need is greater than it appears on paper. When Jennifer asked how many adoptions had occurred at Texas Children’s last year, only three were formally documented in Epic. But in her first 15 weeks on the job, she supported 13 patients: many with vastly different needs.
“Adoption is happening more often than we realize,” she said. “There’s just not a clear place for us to document it right now.”
Some patients arrive with a formal adoption plan already in place. Others make that decision later in pregnancy or even after delivery. In every case, Jennifer helps the team provide informed, nonjudgmental care.
She’s also supported by Dr. Jennifer Bump, an OB-GYN and birth mom, who serves as the program’s physician champion, offering care coordination insight, reviewing education materials and receiving patient referrals with compassion and clinical leadership.
Building Staff Confidence Through Education
Because adoption scenarios are relatively rare for most providers, team members often feel unsure of what to say or what to avoid saying.
“She looked at me and said, ‘I don’t know what to say. I don’t want to say the wrong thing,’” Jennifer recalls of one NICU nurse. “She just wanted to support both her patient and the adoptive family, and I really appreciated her openness to learning.”
That openness is something Jennifer hopes to nurture. She’s already delivering focused education to new graduate nurses, residents and clinic staff and plans to expand training as workflows evolve. Topics include how to approach adoption with sensitivity, how to respond to patients’ emotional needs, and how to recognize when to ask for help.
A Model for Future Care Across the System
Signage using the universal adoption symbol is now being implemented in labor and NICU areas. It’s a system similar to the one already used for bereavement support that will alert staff to use thoughtful, adoption-aware language when providing care in designated rooms. (In the photo below Jennifer and Dr. Bump are holding a sign featuring the symbol – a triangle intertwined with a heart, representing the three key figures in the adoption process: the birth family, the adoptive family and the adoptee. The heart symbolizes the love that connects them all.)
The long-term goal of the program is to extend support beyond Texas Children’s maternity and NICU settings. Jennifer hopes more families like her own, with adopted children, will encounter care teams throughout their journey who approach them with an understanding of adoption and its nuances. Her intent is to create a replicable model that could be shared not only across our health system but also with hospitals nationwide so that, “Ideally, this would become the standard of care,” she said.
With this program, Texas Children’s is once again leading the way: addressing a patient experience gap that has long gone unrecognized and demonstrating what it means to care for every kind of family.
“As a birth mother, the care I received from my obstetrician created such an affirming and supportive environment that it shaped my desire to become an obstetrician,” said Dr. Bump. “I appreciate how impactful it is for patients navigating adoption to feel seen and supported by healthcare professionals. This program makes sure no one walks through that experience without compassionate, informed care.”
It’s a reflection of our HEART values in action and a reminder that forward-thinking care also means emotionally intelligent care.
Employees with questions, ideas or interest in learning more about the Adoption Care Program are encouraged to reach out to Jennifer Woolley.
Together, we’re helping ensure every patient story is met with compassion and every care team feels supported in doing so.
