I started Adoption Access in 1992 with the purpose of providing more extensive counseling to birthmothers. I have a Master's of Science in Social Work and served as executive director of another licensed child-placing agency prior to founding Adoption Access. Having served on the clinical staff of a Dallas psychiatrist, providing group and individual therapy, this was an interest and background I felt were underused in the adoption field. I have also had a private practice that included biofeedback services for Children's Medical Center. I even had a doll manufacturing business at one time. Adoption work is the most rewarding field in which you could ever hope to find yourself. It is a perfect fit for me, and I love everything but the hours. It is a privilege to be part of such a profound time in someone's life, both birthparents and adoptive parents and of course the children. I have tremendous respect for the young women who make such a painful and courageous sacrifice, so their children can have the best in life. I also believe strongly in the great gift adoptive parents provide. In over 350 adoptions we have had only two divorces. With the average rate of divorce for all marriages over 60% now, this is a huge gift of stability and love. I stay in contact with a great many of my birthmoms and parents so their gifts keep on giving to me. I also have an incredibly loving and hardworking staff that is like family to me. Thank you for your interest, and we hope we can provide you with some answers to your questions and concerns.

David has been Counsel for Adoption Access since 1994. From 1987 through 1993, Mr. Cole represented Dallas County Child Protective Services in suits concerning the abuse and neglect of children. In 1992 and 1993, Mr. Cole handled the civil prosecution of every case investigated through the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center, including every child death case in Dallas County. Mr. Cole is a former board member for the Texas Association for Infant Mental Health. He is a member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys and the Dallas Bar Association. A recipient of the Dean's Merit Scholarship Award, Mr. Cole graduated from Pepperdine School of Law in Malibu, California in May of 1987. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin in May of 1984. Dave is a tremendous resource for Adoption Access and gives a great deal of his time and energy to all of our clients and staff. Despite telling him all of our bad lawyer jokes, he enjoys the highest admiration of this staff for his character and ethics. We depend and trust him without qualification. He has made a difference in the lives of many children by his devotion and skill to their causes. We are grateful and lucky to have him.

Debby joined the staff of Adoption Access in 2004 initially to help our staff and clients with support and transportation needs.  She immediately blossomed into an invaluable asset to our entire staff, birthmothers, and adoptive parents alike.  Having been adopted herself, Debby has a keen insight and understanding of adoption that our birthmothers and adoptive parents undoubtedly need.  Her consistent advice and support are an underlying factor of the agency’s success.  She is here to step in and help with a smile in every capacity of the job, and her positive attitude is a driving force behind successful placements.  Debby has the capacity to help in each and every situation, and her devotion to and love for our clients is immeasurable.  In addition to her availability 24 hours a day, literally, she is currently pursuing her degree with a specialization in Family Studies.  She also has a true life dedication to her family, and she and her husband raise their precious son Kevin. Debby touches people’s lives, and our clients are lucky to have her on the receiving end of a phone call.  We are indebted to her service and dedication, and Adoption Access functions better because of her. 

Stori joined our staff in 2008, and has been a wonderful support to our counselors in the DFW area.  Her compassion with birthmothers and adoptive parents shines through in everything she does!  Stori has a passion for helping others, and has previously worked in emergency medicine.  While not working, she is busy with her two precious babies, Dylan and Jackson. 

Amy comes to Adoption Access with an extensive background in adoption.  Both a biological mom and an adoptive mom, Amy wrote Waiting for Lucinda, a book that tells the story of the international adoption of her daughter Lucy from Guatemala in 2003.  A freelance writer and passionate adoption advocate, her articles have frequently been published in Adoption Today magazine and Adoptive Families magazine.  Amy annually attends a summer camp for Latin American adoptive families in Colorado where she plays a prominent role in workshop programming for parents and adoptees.  She is also very active in the online adoption community.  A former high school English teacher who earned a Master’s degree in Humanities and a Bachelors degree in English, Amy spent thirteen years in the classroom teaching and counseling junior high and high school students.  In 2004 Amy, her husband Dave, and their two daughters moved to the Houston, Texas area.  Because she has a great deal of respect, admiration, and compassion for her younger daughter’s birth mother, Amy sees it as an honor and a privilege to work with Houston birth mothers, to help them make decisions, and to stand side by side with them throughout the adoption experience.

As a counselor in the Houston area, Somer joined the Adoption Access staff in 2010. She grew up in North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She graduated with a double Bachelors in Psychology and Criminal Justice in 2008. After graduation, in search of something new, she relocated to Houston, Texas. She plans to get her Masters in Psychology in the future. Somer brings compassion, understanding and enthusiasm to her position at Adoption Access and is very excited to have joined the staff!

As a Counselor to the agency in the El Paso area, Rose began working for Adoption Access in October of 1998. She has a Master's degree in Counseling and Guidance from Webster University and a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from University of Texas at El Paso. Additionally, Rose possesses eleven years of experience working with Head Start, the homeless, and at-risk youth in the El Paso area. Because of her expensive background and experience in social work, Rose is a natural for adoption work. She has been wonderful in connecting birthparents to other resources that can help them go forward with their lives. Adoptive parents don't need our help parenting, but birthparents often do need our help beyond placement. The counseling is always available to them, but they may need help in other areas of their lives. Making a difference for young people in difficult situations is something Rose has been doing for a long time. We are very happy she is doing this for us now. She is a very nurturing and caring person, and her birthmoms adore her.

Alma joined Adoption Access in 2008.  She is originally from Puerto Rico. She is also a US. Army veteran.  In 2003 she received a Bachelors in Social Work from Auburn University, Alabama. Her experience includes working for Head Start program as a family service worker and also center manager.  Her passion for adoption started in 2004 when she started working as a birthparent counselor with another agency in the state of Georgia.   After moving to San Antonio with her husband and children she started working for Adoption Access. Alma is not only a counselor but an advocate for her birthparents. She shows great passion and dedication into helping birthparents through their adoption journey. Alma's often tell us that her work comes from her "heart".

Vee is so excited to serve the East Texas community she has called home for her entire life.  She enjoys each birth mother she has the honor of working with, and admires their strength and courage.  After graduating from the University of North Texas in 2002 earning a B.A. in Communication Studies, she went into teaching in an East Texas public school for 5 years.  Her work with her students taught her the many trials teens experience and the need for counseling services at this critical time.  She also experienced many close relationships with teens experiencing unplanned pregnancies.  Vee was recently married to her husband Wayne and enjoys family time with him and stepchildren Justin and Jannah. 

Jenna Howard earned her BS in Psychology from Abilene Christian University. She obtained her MS in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington and then earned her LMSW. She has worked in the adoption field since 1994. In addition to working with adoptive parents and birthmothers, Jenna is also an adoptee. Adoption has blessed her life and she loves helping families become blessed by adoption. She and her husband, Mark, have three sons.

Elivia joined us in 2008 as our after-hours Phone Counselor.  She is very excited about her position at
Adoption Access, Inc., and brings an amazing compassion and dedication to
Birth Mothers.  Elivia is from Southern California and speaks Spanish
fluently.  She spends her free time with her husband and enjoys reading.

Peggy and her husband Gary are one of the Nursery Care families at Adoption Access.   They joined our agency in 2004 and have fostered over 60 babies since that time.  Peggy has always had a love for babies/children.   At age 11 she was the most sought after babysitter in the town where she grew up!  Throughout her adulthood she has done volunteer work for various organizations involving infant care, worked in the church nursery, done in home childcare and has cared for several of their  11 grandchildren!  Besides her love for children, she has a strong interest in the field of medicine and is a Certified Medical Assistant.   Licensed by Adoption Access through the state of Texas, Peggy & Gary are rarely without a child in their home.  The love and commitment they have for children is obvious to any observer.  We are grateful to have them as a part of the Adoption Access team! 

Jeannette and Jim have been foster parents for 27 years to 177 infants. Some have blessed their home for simply an overnight visit waiting for their family to arrive, some have required hospital visits by Jeannette and Jim for months while they grew big and healthy enough to come home and some have blessed their home for a year or so. Most of them come and go in just a few short weeks. Each child is a special gift to them and they cherish their time with them and look forward to hearing from their "forever" families as they grow. Many of their most treasured friendships have been built through adoption. Jim suffered a massive stroke in 2006 and is still in speech therapy, but spends most of his time helping with the babies. Jeannette has a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education and Development. She was a teacher for many years and worked several years teaching women who gave birth to low birth weight babies how to care for them and how to improve their own lives. Jim and Jeannette have had many special need babies over the years and truly enjoy the challenge of meeting their special needs.