Adoption Agencies in Kentucky

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 Kentucky (some of what you can and can't do) and then provide you with information on children available for adoption in Kentucky.  We then relate how we can assist you during the adoption process, and finally we provide a list of licensed Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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
Use of Advertisement
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 199.590(1)

A person, corporation, or association shall not advertise in any manner that it will receive children for the purpose of adoption. A newspaper published, prepared, sold, or distributed in the Commonwealth of Kentucky shall not contain an advertisement that solicits children for adoption or solicits the custody of children.

Use of Intermediaries/Facilitators
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 199.590(3), (5)

No person, association, or organization, other than the Cabinet or a child-placing institution or agency, shall place a child or act as intermediary in the placement of a child for adoption or otherwise, except in the home of a stepparent, grandparent, sister, brother, aunt, or uncle, or upon written approval of the Secretary.

A person, organization, group, agency, or any legal entity, except a child-placing agency, shall not accept any fee for bringing the adoptive parents together with the child to be adopted or the biological parents of the child to be adopted. This section shall not interfere with the legitimate practice of law by an attorney

State Regulation of Adoption Expenses
Birth Parent Expenses Allowed
Citation: § 199.590(6)(a)

Fees for legal services
Cost of placement services
Expenses of the birth parents

Birth Parent Expenses Not Allowed
Citation: § 199.493

No adoptive parent, agency, or intermediary shall pay the attorney's fees of a biological parent except as approved by the court.

Allowable Payments for Arranging Adoption
Citation: § 199.590(3), (5)

No person or group shall act as intermediary in placing a child or accept a fee for facilitating an adoption.

Allowable Payments for Relinquishing Child
Citation: § 199.590(2)

A person, agency, or intermediary shall not sell or purchase any child for the purpose of adoption.

Accounting of Expenses Required by Court
Citation: § 199.590(6)(a)

The expenses paid shall be submitted to the court, supported by an affidavit, detailing the expenses for the court's approval or modification.

Consent to Adoption
Who Must Consent to an Adoption
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 199.500

An adoption shall not be granted without the voluntary and informed consent of:
The living parent or parents of a child born in lawful wedlock
The mother of the child born out of wedlock
The father of the child born out of wedlock, if paternity is established in a legal action or in an affidavit acknowledging paternity of the child
A minor parent may consent to an adoption, but a guardian ad litem for the parent shall be appointed.

Age When Consent of Adoptee is Considered or Required
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 199.500

In the case of a child age 12 or older, the consent of the child shall be given in court. The court in its discretion may waive this requirement.

When Parental Consent is not Needed
Citation: Rev. Stat. §§ 199.500; 199.502

The consent of a parent shall not be required if the parent:

Has been adjudged mentally disabled
Has had his or her parental rights terminated
Is divorced from the other parent, his or her rights have been terminated, and consent has been given by the parent having custody and control of the child
Is a birth parent who has not established parental rights
Has abandoned the child for a period of not less than 90 days
Has inflicted or allowed to be inflicted upon the child, by other than accidental means, serious physical injury
Has continuously or repeatedly inflicted or allowed to be inflicted upon the child, by other than accidental means, physical injury or emotional harm
Has been convicted of a felony that involved the infliction of serious physical injury to the child
For a period of not less than 6 months, has continuously or repeatedly failed, refused to provide, or been substantially incapable of providing essential parental care and protection for the child, and there is no reasonable expectation of improvement in parental care and protection
Has caused or allowed the child to be sexually abused or exploited
For reasons other than poverty alone, has continuously or repeatedly failed to provide or is incapable of providing essential food, clothing, shelter, medical care, or education reasonably necessary and available for the child's well-being, and there is no reasonable expectation of significant improvement in the parent's conduct in the immediately foreseeable future
Has had his or her rights to another child involuntarily terminated and the condition or factor that was the basis for the previous termination finding has not been corrected
Has been convicted of having caused or contributed to the death of another child as a result of physical or sexual abuse or neglect

When Consent Can Be Executed
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 199.500

An adoption shall not be granted or a consent for adoption be held valid if the consent for adoption is given prior to 72 hours after the birth of the child.

Revocation of Consent
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 199.500

If placement approval by the secretary is required, the voluntary and informed consent shall become final and irrevocable 20 days the placement approval or the execution of the voluntary and informed consent, whichever is later.
If placement approval by the secretary is not required, the voluntary and informed consent shall become final and irrevocable 20 days after the execution of the voluntary and informed consent.

Rights of Presumed (Putative) Fathers
Registry/Paternity Requirements to Receive Notice
Citation: § 625.065

The putative father is made a party, and is brought before the court in the same manner as any other party to a termination action if, prior to the final order in the termination proceeding, he acknowledges the child as his own by asserting paternity in the action, to the custodial agency, or the party bringing the action, within 60 days after the child's birth.
Notice is also required if the mother identifies him, his name is on the birth certificate, or he has contributed to the financial support of the child.
Only one of the requirements must be satisfied.

Please visit adoption law in Kentucky for more details.

Yes, through both public and private adoption agencies.  For example, in 2004, Kentucky had 1,974 children in the welfare system waiting to be adopted of whom 40 were under the age of 1 year, and 530 were between ages 1-5 years old. The actual number of children adopted through Kentucky public child welfare agencies was only 805, which represents only a small portion of the total number of all Kentucky adoptions (exact numbers are not available at this time). 

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

Adopt! Inc.
135 Lackawanna Road
Lexington, KY 40503
Phone: (859) 276-6249
Fax: (859) 276-5570

Adoption Assistance, Inc.
510 Maple Avenue
Danville, KY 40422
Phone: (859) 236-2761

Bluegrass Christian Adoption Services
1517 Nicholasville Road
Suite 405
Lexington, KY 40503
Phone: (859) 276-2222
Fax: (859) 277-7999

Catholic Charities
600 Locust Street
Owensboro, KY 42301
Phone: (270) 683-1545 ext. 128
Toll-Free: (877) 803-5064 ext. 128

Catholic Charities of Louisville, Inc.
2911 South Fourth Street
Louisville, KY 40208
Phone: (502) 637-9786
Fax: (502) 637-9780

Catholic Social Service Bureau
1310 West Main Street
Lexington, KY 40508
Phone: (859) 253-1993
Fax: (859) 254-6284
Toll-Free: (800) 227-3002

Catholic Social Services of Northern Kentucky
3629 Church Street
Covington, KY 41015
Phone: (859) 581-8974
Fax: (859) 581-9595

Childplace, Inc.
4500 Westport Road
Louisville, KY 40207
Phone: (502) 363-1633
Toll-Free: (800) 787-9084

Children's Home of Northern Kentucky
200 Home Road
Covington, KY 41011
Phone: (859) 261-8768
Fax: (859) 291-2431

Diocesan Catholic Children's Home
75 Orphanage Road
Ft. Thomas, KY 41017
Phone: (859) 331-2040
Fax: (859) 344-5022

Heart To Home Adoption Agency
3504 Indian Summer Trail
Lexington, KY 40509
Phone: (859) 433-1206

Home of the Innocents
10936 Dixie Highway
Louisville, KY 40278
Phone: (502) 995-4402
Fax: (502) 995-4420

Jewish Family and Vocational Service
3587 Dutchmans Lane
Louisville, KY 40205
Phone: (502) 452-6341
Fax: (502) 452-6718

Kentucky Adoption Services, Inc. (KAS)
3808 South Griffith Ave.
Owensboro, KY 42301
Phone: (270) 684-2598
Fax: (270)684-6748
Toll-Free: (866) KIDS4KY

Kentucky Baptist Homes for Children (KBHC)
10801 Shelbyville Road
Louisville, KY 40243
Phone: (502) 568-9117
Fax: (502) 814-5310
Toll-Free: (800) 928-5242

Kentucky United Methodist Homes for Children and Youth
2508 New Hartford Road
Owensboro, KY 42303
Phone: (270) 684-3554
Fax: (270) 683-3723

New Beginnings Family Services, Inc.
1949 Goldsmith Lane
Suite 101
Louisville, KY 40218
Phone: (502) 485-0722
Fax: (502) 485-0792

SAFY of Kentucky
581 Dudley Pike
Suite A
Edgewood, KY 41017
Phone: (859) 341-9333
Toll-Free: (888) 525-7239

SAFY of Kentucky
3150 Custer Drive
Suite 103
Lexington, KY 40517
Phone: (859) 971-2585
Fax: (859) 971-7594
Toll-Free: (888) 722-6333

St. Elizabeth's Regional Maternity Center
11103 Park Road
Louisville, KY 40220
Phone: (502) 412-0990
Fax: (812) 941-7008

Western Kentucky United Methodist Family Services
739 Washington Street
Paducah, KY 42003
Phone: (270) 443-9004
Fax: (270) 443-3128
Toll-Free: (877) 998-5437