Adoption Agencies in Alaska

If you are a pregnant woman or birth mother please click here to see information that is geared to your needs. 

If you are an adopting family we believe you will find the information below helpful. We begin by giving you information regarding child adoption law in Alaska (some of what you can and can't do) and then provide you with information on children available for adoption in Alaska.  We then relate how we can assist you during the adoption process, and finally we provide a list of licensed Alaska adoption agencies through which you can browse for additional information.

Before starting to search for a child to adopt or an agency to assist you, it is important that you understand how the adoption laws in Alaska may affect your decisions. Making informed decisions is the best way of increasing your chances of adopting a child.  By way of example, we have listed below a few of the important parts of Alaska child adoption law including such topics as advertising, adoption expenses, and the critical issue of ending the biological parental rights (called a Consent, Relinquishment or Surrender).

State Regulation of Adoption Expenses
Birth Parent Expenses Allowed
Citation: § 25.23.090

Expenses incurred in connection with the birth of the child
Medical or hospital care received by the mother or minor during the mother's prenatal care and confinement
Services related to the adoption that were received by the petitioner or either natural parent or any other person

Accounting of Expenses Required by Court
Citation: § 25.23.090

The petitioner must file a full accounting report, in a manner acceptable to the court, of all disbursements of anything of value to be made in connection with the adoption.
The report is to be verified and signed by the petitioner.

Who Must Consent to an Adoption
Citation: Alaska Stat. § 25.23.040

A petition to adopt a minor may be granted only if written consent to a particular adoption has been executed by:
The mother of the minor
The father of the minor, if the father was married to the mother at the time the minor was conceived or at any time after conception, the minor is the father's child by adoption, or the father has otherwise legitimated the minor
Any person lawfully entitled to custody of the minor or empowered to consent
The court having jurisdiction to determine custody of the minor, if the legal guardian or custodian of the person of the minor is not empowered to consent to the adoption
The spouse of the minor to be adopted

Age When Consent of Adoptee is Considered or Required
Citation: Alaska Stat. § 25.23.040

A child age 10 or older must consent to the adoption, unless, in the child's best interest, the court dispenses with consent.

When Parental Consent is not Needed
Citation: Alaska Stat. § 25.23.050

Consent to adoption is not required of:
A parent who has abandoned a child for a period of at least 6 months
A parent of a child in the custody of another, if the parent for a period of at least 1 year has failed significantly without justifiable cause, including but not limited to indigency:
To communicate meaningfully with the child
To provide for the care and support of the child as required by law or judicial decree
The father, if the father's consent is not required by § 25.23.040(a)(2)
A parent who has relinquished the right to consent
A parent whose parental rights have been terminated by order of the court
A parent judicially declared incompetent or mentally defective if the court dispenses with the parent's consent
A parent of the adopted person if the person is age 19 or older
A guardian or custodian who has failed to respond in writing to a request for consent for a period of 60 days or who, after examination of the guardian's or custodian's written reasons for withholding consent, is found by the court to be withholding consent unreasonably
The spouse of the person to be adopted, if the requirement of consent to the adoption is waived by the court by reason of prolonged unexplained absence, unavailability, incapacity, or circumstances constituting an unreasonable withholding of consent

When Consent Can Be Executed
Citation: Alaska Stat. § 25.23.060

The required consent to adoption shall be executed at any time after the birth of the child.

Revocation of Consent
Citation: Alaska Stat. § 25.23.070

A consent to adoption may not be withdrawn after the entry of a decree of adoption.

A consent to adoption may be withdrawn before the entry of a decree of adoption, within 10 days after the consent is given, by delivering written notice to the person obtaining the consent. Consent may be withdrawn after the 10-day period, if the court finds, after notice and opportunity to be heard is afforded to the petitioner, the person seeking the withdrawal, and the agency placing the child for adoption, that the withdrawal is in the best interest of the person to be adopted, and the court orders the withdrawal.

Rights of Presumed (Putative) Fathers
Registry/Paternity Requirements to Receive Notice
Citation: § 25.23.100

A putative father is entitled to receive notice of adoption proceedings.
A reasonable investigation is made to assure that all persons entitled to notice are located and given notice of the adoption proceedings.

Please visit adoption law in Alaska for more details.

Yes, through both public and private adoption agencies.  For example, in 2004, Alaska had 660 children in the welfare system waiting to be adopted of whom 7 were under the age of 1 year, and 194 were between ages 1-5 years old. The actual number of children adopted through Alaska public child welfare agencies was only 182, which represents only a small portion of the total number of all Alaska adoptions (exact numbers are not available at this time). 

Remember that while you may be a resident of Alaska, you are not limited to adopting a child from Alaska.  You can adopt a child born in Alaska, a child born in any other U.S. state, or even a foreign born child.  What is important for you to understand is that infants and children are available for adoption in Alaska, in each of the other the 49 states, and in many foreign countries. 

Yes, we can help you and so can any licensed child adoption agency (we have listed several below).  By way of introduction to Adoption Services, Inc, I will relate to you a little about myself and our child adoption agency.

Almost 40 years ago I (Dr. Vince Berger) began working as a psychologist with pregnant teens in the Pittsburgh city school system. It was very challenging because in those days there were very few services for these young women, society was not yet accepting of unmarried and/or pregnant teens, and the word "adoption" was hardly ever used.

I loved the work I was doing and knowing that I was personally able to help so many of the pregnant women I was working with. But something was missing - I did not feel I was helping people enough. So, I set out to provide the personal and professional care that a birth mother and adopting family need and deserve in the adoption process.

I started a full service, non-profit adoption agency. Not just any agency, but one that was, and still is, dedicated to helping birth parents and adopting families receive the best and most comprehensive of adoption related services. Over the past 20 years, my staff and I have helped over 9,000 adopting families, birth parents, their babies and children.

I love helping people. I work 6 days a week and answer calls at all hours. The hours I put in are long but never hard, since I find so much joy and strength in helping others.

My goal continues to be to help you. Accordingly, in addition to the website you are on now and the Adoption Services website, we created Adopting Family Resources and International Adoption Help as well as Child Adoption Laws and Child Adoption Resources and Pregnancy And Children to give you a information and help.

I hope that you will call me or my staff so we can help you in the adoption process. However, if you don't want to call us, then please review the agencies listed here and give one of them a call. Do not give up until you get the help and attention you need and deserve.

Thank you for letting us help, and good luck.

Dr. Berger
and the staff of Adoption Services

Adoption Advocates International
218 Martin Drive
Fairbanks, AK 99712
Phone: (907) 457-3832
Phone: (360) 452-4777

Catholic Social Services (CSS)
3710 E. 20th Avenue
Suite 1
Anchorage, AK 99508
Phone: (907) 276-5590
Fax: (907) 276-5539
Toll-Free: (888) 625-7315

Fairbanks Counseling and Adoption
PO Box 71544
Fairbanks, AK 99707
Phone: (907) 456-4729
Fax: (907) 456-4623
melody@fcaalaska.org

World Association for Children and Parents (WACAP)
4704 Kenai Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99508
Phone: (907) 338-7253
Fax: (907) 338-7253