Adoption Agencies in Arizona

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 XXX (some of what you can and can't do) and then provide you with information on children available for adoption in Arizona.  We then relate how we can assist you during the adoption process, and finally we provide a list of licensed Arizona 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  Arizona 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 Arizona child adoption law including such topics as 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: § 8-114(A)-(B)

Reasonable and necessary expenses, including medical and hospital costs for the birth mother and child
Counseling fees
Legal and agency fees
Living expenses
Any other costs the court finds reasonable and necessary
A payment exceeding $1,000 for birth mother living expenses must be approved by the court.

Birth Parent Expenses Not Allowed
Citation: § 8-114(G)

Expenses that the court finds to be unauthorized or unreasonable

Allowable Payments for Arranging Adoption
Citation: § 8-114(D)

An attorney may be paid for services in connection with an adoption, but only in such amounts as the court approves as reasonable and necessary.

Allowable Payments for Relinquishing Child
Citation: § 8-114(C)

Except as provided, a person shall not be directly or indirectly compensated for giving or obtaining consent to place a child for adoption.

Accounting of Expenses Required by Court
Citation: § 8-114(E), (H)

The petitioner shall file a verified accounting of all fees, payments, or commitments of anything of value.
The birth mother must submit a signed affidavit asserting she understands that payment of expenses does not obligate her to place the child for adoption.
All cases shall be reviewed by the court for reasonableness and necessity of expenses.

Consent to Adoption
Who Must Consent to an Adoption
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 8-106(A), (C)

The court shall not grant an adoption of a child unless consent to adopt has been obtained and filed with the court from the following:
The birth or adoptive mother
The father, if he:
Was married to the mother at the time of conception
Is the adoptive father
Has otherwise established paternity
Any guardian of the child or agency that has been given the child to place for adoption
The guardian of an adult parent, if one has been appointed
Minority of the parent does not affect competency to consent.

Age When Consent of Adoptee is Considered or Required
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 8-106(A)

A child age 12 or older must consent to the adoption in open court.

When Parental Consent is not Needed
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 8-106(B), (J)

It is not necessary for a person to obtain consent to adopt from the following:
An adult parent for whom a guardian is currently appointed
A parent whose parental rights have been terminated by court order
A parent who has previously consented to an agency's or the division's placement of the child for adoption
A potential father who fails to file a paternity action and who does not comply with all applicable service requirements within 30 days after completion of service of notice waives his right to be notified of any judicial hearing regarding the child's adoption or the termination of parental rights, and his consent to the adoption or termination is not required.

When Consent Can Be Executed
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 8-107(B)

Any consent given sooner than 72 hours after the birth of the child is invalid.

Revocation of Consent
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 8-106(D)

Consent is irrevocable unless obtained by fraud, duress, or undue influence.

Registry/Paternity Requirements to Receive Notice
Citation: § 8-106.01(A)(B)

A putative father may file prior to the child's birth or within 30 days after the child's birth.
Registration requires a completed Department of Health Services form, signed by the putative father.

Please visit adoption law in Arizona for more details.

Arizona 67 947   2,119 Arizona 729
Yes, through both public and private adoption agencies.  For example, in 2004, Arizona had 2,119  children in the welfare system waiting to be adopted of whom 67 were under the age of 1 year, and 947 were between ages 1-5 years old. The actual number of children adopted through Arizona public child welfare agencies was only 729, which represents only a small portion of the total number of all Arizona adoptions (exact numbers are not available at this time). 

Remember that while you may be a resident of Arizona, you are not limited to adopting a child from Arizona.  You can adopt a child born in  Arizona, 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  Arizona, 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 Service

Aid to Adoption of Special Kids (AASK)
2320 North 20th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85006
Phone: (602) 254-2275
Fax: (602) 212-2564
Toll-Free: (800) 568-2614