Adoption Agencies in California

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 California (some of what you can and can't do) and then provide you with information on children available for adoption in  California.  We then relate how we can assist you during the adoption process, and finally we provide a list of licensed California 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 California 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 California 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).

Use of Advertising and Facilitators in Adoptive Placements
Citation: Family Law § 8609(a)

No person or organization may advertise in any periodical or newspaper or by radio or other public medium that he, she, or it will place or provide children for adoption, or cause any advertisement to be published in any public medium soliciting, requesting, or asking for any child or children for adoption, unless that person or organization is licensed to place children for adoption by the department.

Use of Intermediaries/Facilitators
Citation: Family Law §§ 8623 through 8638

An ''adoption facilitator'' is a person or organization not licensed as an adoption agency that advertises for the purpose of soliciting parties to an adoption, locating children for an adoption, or acting as an intermediary to an adoption.

Requirements for adoption facilitators include:

Any advertising must disclose the identity of the facilitator and make plain that it is not an adoption agency.
Parties must be provided a description of services.
Adopting parents must be given in writing all information provided by the birth parents about the child.
Fees and expenses paid must be reported to the court.

State Regulation of Adoption Expenses
Birth Parent Expenses Allowed
Citation: Fam. Code §§ 8610; 8812

Services related to adoption
Medical or hospital care for birth mother or child
Attorney's fees
Counseling fees
Living expenses
The birth parent must request in writing any payment for expenses.

Birth Parent Expenses Not Allowed
Citation: Penal Code § 273(d)

It is unlawful for the birth mother to receive payments that exceed reasonable maternity-related and living expenses.

Allowable Payments for Arranging Adoption
Citation: Penal Code § 273(a)

It is unlawful for any person or agency to receive payment for the placement or consent to an adoption of a child.

Allowable Payments for Relinquishing Child
Citation: Penal Code § 273

A mother may not receive payment for expenses:
If it is contingent on giving consent
There is intent not to consent or complete adoption
She receives payment from more than one adoptive family

Accounting of Expenses Required by Court
Citation: Fam. Code §§ 8610; 8812

A full accounting report shall be filed with the court, itemized in detail, including receipts from the birth parent for any expenses paid.

Consent to Adoption
Who Must Consent to an Adoption
Citation: Fam. Code §§ 8603; 8604; 8605

Consent is required from the following persons:
The birth parents, if living
The parent having custody if the other parent:
Fails to communicate with and support the child
Fails to respond to notice of adoption
The spouse of the adopting parent, if the adopting parent is married

Age When Consent of Adoptee is Considered or Required
Citation: Fam. Code § 8602

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

When Parental Consent is not Needed
Citation: Fam. Code §§ 8604; 8606

The consent of a presumed father is not required for the child's adoption unless he became a presumed father before the mother's relinquishment or before consent becomes irrevocable or before the mother's parental rights have been terminated.
The consent of a noncustodial parent is not required if the parent for a period of 1 year willfully fails to communicate with and to pay for the care, support, and education of the child when able to do so.

The consent of a birth parent is not necessary when the birth parent has:

Been judicially deprived of the custody and control of the child
Voluntarily surrendered the right to the custody and control of the child
Deserted the child without provision for identification of the child
Relinquished the child for adoption as provided in § 8700
Relinquished the child for adoption to a licensed or authorized child-placing agency in another jurisdiction

When Consent Can Be Executed
Citation: Fam. Code §§ 8801.3; 8700

In a direct placement, consent may only take place after the discharge of the birth mother from the hospital. If the mother is required to be hospitalized longer than the child, consent may be given with verification of competency from her physician.
Relinquishment to an agency can take place any time after the birth of the child.

Revocation of Consent
Citation: Fam. Code §§ 8814.5; 8700; 8606.5

In a direct placement, after consent has been given, the parents have 30 days to submit a signed revocation and request the return of the child or sign a waiver of the right to revoke consent.
In an agency adoption, consent is final and may only be rescinded by mutual consent, unless the birth parent has specified an adoptive parent and that placement is not finalized; then the parent has 30 days to rescind.

The parent of an Indian child may withdraw his or her consent to adoption for any reason at any time prior to the entry of a final decree of adoption, and the child shall be returned to the parent.

Please visit adoption law in California for more details.

Yes, through both public and private adoption agencies.  For example, in 2004, California had 4,905 children in the welfare system waiting to be adopted of whom 571 were under the age of 1 year, and 571 were between ages 1-5 years old. The actual number of children adopted through the state welfare system in California was 7,754.

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

A Better Way, Inc.
3200 Adeline Street
Berkeley, CA 94703
Phone: (510) 601-0203
Fax: (510) 601-4002