Adoption Agencies in Iowa

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 Iowa (some of what you can and can't do) and then provide you with information on children available for adoption in Iowa.  We then relate how we can assist you during the adoption process, and finally we provide a list of licensed Iowa 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 Iowa 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 Iowa 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: § 600.9(2)

Legal costs relating to termination of parental rights and adoption
Pregnancy and birth-related medical care for the birth mother and child
Living expenses of the mother, including room, board, food, and transportation for medical purposes only
Counseling provided to the birth parents
Foster care for the child, if needed

Birth Parent Expenses Not Allowed
Citation: § 600.9(2)

Living expenses other than those listed above, and not to extend beyond 30 days after the child's birth
Counseling beyond 60 days after the child's birth

Allowable Payments for Arranging Adoption
Citation: § 600.9(1)(b)

Any person assisting in the placement or adoption of a child shall not charge a fee that is more than usual, necessary, and commensurate with the services rendered.

Allowable Payments for Relinquishing Child
Citation: § 600.9(1)(a)

Except for an allowable expense, a birth parent shall not receive any thing of value for placing a child for adoption.

Accounting of Expenses Required by Court
Citation: § 600.9(2)

A petitioner shall file with the court a full accounting, in a report prescribed by the court, signed and verified, of all disbursements made in connection with the adoption.

Consent to Adoption
Who Must Consent to an Adoption
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 600.7

The following persons must consent to an adoption:
Any guardian
The spouse of a petitioner who is a stepparent
The spouse of a petitioner who is separately petitioning to adopt an adult person

Age When Consent of Adoptee is Considered or Required
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 600.7

A child age 14 or older must consent to the adoption.

When Parental Consent is not Needed
Citation: Ann. Stat. §§ 600.7; 600A.8

Consent may be unnecessary if:
Any person required to consent refuses to or cannot be located.
A parent has signed a release of custody and the release has not been revoked.
A parent has petitioned for termination of parental rights.
The parent has abandoned the child.
A parent has been ordered to contribute to the support of the child or financially aid in the child's birth and has failed to do so without good cause.
A parent does not object to the termination after having been given proper notice and the opportunity to object.
A parent does not object to the termination, although every reasonable effort has been made to identify, locate, and give notice to that parent.
An adoptive parent requests termination of parental rights and the parent-child relationship based upon a showing that the adoption was fraudulently induced.
The parent has been determined to be a chronic substance abuser and the parent has committed a second or subsequent domestic abuse assault.
The parent has abducted the child, has improperly removed the child from the physical custody of the person entitled to custody without the consent of that person, or has improperly retained the child after a visit or other temporary relinquishment of physical custody.
The parent has been imprisoned for a crime against the child, the child's sibling, or another child in the household, or the parent has been imprisoned and it is unlikely that the parent will be released from prison for a period of 5 or more years.
The parent has been convicted of a felony offense that is a criminal offense against a minor, the parent is divorced from or was never married to the minor's other parent, and the parent is serving a minimum sentence of confinement of at least 5 years for that offense.

When Consent Can Be Executed
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 600A.4(2)(g)

Parental release of custody may not be executed until at least 72 hours after the child's birth.

Revocation of Consent
Citation: Ann. Stat. §§ 600.7; 600A.4

A consent to the adoption may be withdrawn prior to the issuance of an adoption decree by the filing of an affidavit of consent withdrawal with the court.
Either a parent who has signed a release of custody, or a nonsigning parent, may, at any time prior to the entry of an order terminating parental rights, request the court to order the revocation of any release of custody previously executed by either parent.

If such request is by a signing parent, and is within 96 hours of the time such parent signed a release of custody, the court shall order the release revoked. Otherwise, the juvenile court shall order the release or releases revoked only upon clear and convincing evidence that good cause exists for revocation.

Good cause for revocation includes but is not limited to a showing that the release was obtained by fraud, coercion, or misrepresentation of law or fact that was material to its execution. In determining whether good cause exists for revocation, the juvenile court shall give paramount consideration to the best interests of the child, including avoidance of a disruption of an existing relationship between a parent and child.

Rights of Presumed (Putative) Fathers
Registry/Paternity Requirements to Receive Notice
Citation: § 144.12A(2)(a)

The putative father may file prior to the child's birth, but no later than the date of the filing of the petition for termination of rights.

Please visit adoption law in Iowa for more details.

Yes, through both public and private adoption agencies.  For example, in 2004, Iowa had 1,152 children in the welfare system waiting to be adopted of whom 35 were under the age of 1 year, and 399 were between ages 1-5 years old. The actual number of children adopted through Iowa public child welfare agencies was 1,061, which represents only a small portion of the total number of all Iowa adoptions (exact numbers are not available at this time). 

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

Abby's One True Gift Adoptions
1 Sugar Creek Lane
Waukee, IA 50263-8144
Phone: (515) 987-0565
Fax: (515) 987-0566
Toll-Free: (866) 921-0565

Adoption Connection: The Iowa Center For Adoption
315 North Ankeny Boulevard
Ankeny, IA 50021
Phone: (515) 965-8029
Fax: (515) 963-4318
Toll-Free: (877) 724-0348

Avalon Center Adoption Agency
22 North Georgia
Suite 102
Mason City, IA 50401
Phone: (641) 422-0070
Fax: (641) 422-0060

Bethany Christian Services of Northwest Iowa
123 Albany Avenue SE
Orange City, IA 51041
Phone: (712) 737-4831
Fax: (712) 737-3238
Toll-Free: (800) 238-4269

Bethany Christian Services of South Central Iowa
Des Moines office
2767 86th Street
Urbandale, IA 50322
Phone: (515) 270-0824
Fax: (515) 270-0605
Toll-Free: (800) 238-4269

Bethany Christian Services of South Central Iowa
1642 42nd Street NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Phone: (319) 832-2321
Toll-Free: (800) 238-4269

Bethany For Children and Families
1202 West 3rd Street
Davenport, IA 52803
Phone: (563) 324-9169
Fax: (563) 324-2437

Bethany For Children and Families
101 West Mississippi Drive
Suite 220
Muscatine, IA 52761
Phone: (563) 262-9401
Fax: (563) 262-9415

Catholic Charities Diocese of Des Moines
601 Grand Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50309
Phone: (515) 244-3761
Fax: (515) 237-5070
Toll-Free: (800) CARE002

Children and Families of Iowa
1111 University Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50314
Phone: (515) 288-1981
Fax: (515) 288-9109

Children and Families of Iowa
807 East Maple
PO Box 1024
Centerville, IA 52544
Phone: (641) 856-3852
Fax: (641) 856-4024

Children and Families of Iowa (CFI)
501 SW Ankeny Road
Ankeny, IA 50021
Phone: (515) 289-2272
Fax: (515) 289-0126

Children and Families of Iowa
118 West Jefferson
PO Box 1024
Osceola, IA 50213
Phone: (641) 342-3444
Fax: (641) 342-3600

Children and Families of Iowa
1728 Central Avenue
#10
Fort Dodge, IA 50501
Phone: (515) 573-2193
Fax: (515) 573-2798

Crittenton Center
PO Box 295
303 West 24th Street
Sioux City, IA 51102-0295
Phone: (712) 255-4321
Fax: (712) 252-4743

Faithful Charities Foundation - Faithful Adoption (FCF)
13545 Wabash Avenue
Council Bluffs, IA 51503
Phone: (712) 256-7705

Family Connections
PO Box 374
601 Date Street
Schleswig, IA 51461
Phone: (712) 676-2288
Fax: (712) 676-2288

Family Connections
66684 110th Street
McCallsburg, IA 50154
Phone: (641) 487-7832
Fax: (641) 487-7831
Toll-Free: (800) 480-7832

Family Resources, Inc.
2800 Eastern Avenue
Davenport, IA 52803
Phone: (563) 326-6431
Fax: (563) 326-2013

Four Oaks, Inc. of Iowa
5400 Kirkwood Boulevard SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Phone: (319) 364-0259
Fax: (319) 364-1162

Hillcrest Family Services
714 West Platt
Maquoketa, IA 52060
Phone: (563) 652-4958
Toll-Free: (877) 437-6333

Hillcrest Family Services
4080 1st Avenue NE
Suite 102A
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Phone: (319) 362-3149
Fax: (319) 362-8923
Toll-Free: (877) 437-6333

LDS Family Services
PO Box 65713
3301 Ashworth Road
West Des Moines, IA 50265
Phone: (515) 226-0484

Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI)
404 South First Street
Clinton, IA 52732
Phone: (563) 243-8200
Fax: (563) 243-8210
Toll-Free: (866) 409-2351

Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI)
205 South 7th Street
Denison, IA 51442
Phone: (712) 263-9341
Fax: (712) 263-6061
Toll-Free: (866) 409-2351

New Horizons Adoption Agency, Inc.
103 East State Street
Suite 623
Mason City, IA 50402
Phone: (641) 421-7332
Toll-Free: (800) 314-3370

Tanager Place
102 North Hancock
Ottumwa, IA 52501
Phone: (641) 684-5381
Fax: (641) 684-6616

Tanager Place - Cedar Rapids
2309 C Street SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Phone: (319) 365-9164
Fax: (319) 365-6411

West Iowa Family Services
PO Box 178
11 North 7th Street
Denison, IA 51442
Phone: (712) 263-8445
Fax: (712) 263-8445

Young House Family Services, Inc.
724 North 3rd Street
PO Box 845
Burlington, IA 52601
Phone: (319) 752-4000
Fax: (319) 758-6650