Adoption Agencies in Massachusetts

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 Massachusetts (some of what you can and can't do) and then provide you with information on children available for adoption in Massachusetts.  We then relate how we can assist you during the adoption process, and finally we provide a list of licensed Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts child adoption law including such topics as advertising, adoption facilitators, 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: Ann. Laws Ch. 28A, § 14

No person shall cause to be published in a newspaper or to be broadcast on a radio or television station in the Commonwealth an advertisement or notice for the placement or reception of a child under 16 years of age for adoption unless such advertisement is placed by a licensed or approved placement agency, or with the written approval of the office. Such advertisement or notice shall include the license or registration number issued to the provider or agency pursuant to § 10.

Use of Intermediaries/Facilitators
Citation: Ann. Laws Ch. 28A, § 11(c)

No person shall place or knowingly facilitate the placement of any child in the care or control of any other person not related to such child by blood or marriage, or in the care or control of any organization other than a licensed or approved placement agency, for purposes of adoption.

No person unrelated to such child by blood or marriage, and no organization other than a licensed or approved placement agency, shall receive such a child for purposes of adoption, except from a licensed or approved placement agency.

Consent to Adoption
Who Must Consent to an Adoption
Citation: Ann. Laws Ch. 210 § 2

Written consent to the adoption is required from:
The lawful parents, who may be previous adoptive parents
A surviving parent
The mother only, if the child has been born out of wedlock
The child's spouse, if any
If an agency or person receiving a child born out of wedlock for purposes of a subsequent adoption receives from the child's mother an executed consent, and no person has acknowledged paternity of the child or has been adjudicated the father of the child by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the person or agency shall request that the mother voluntarily provide a sworn written statement, executed before a notary and in the presence of two competent witnesses, one of whom shall be selected by the mother, that identifies the child's father and his current or last known address. Any such statement shall be used solely for the purpose of notifying the person named as the father of the status of the child.

Age When Consent of Adoptee is Considered or Required
Citation: Ann. Laws Ch. 210 § 2

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

When Parental Consent is not Needed
Citation: Ann. Laws Ch. 210 § 3

The consent of the persons named above shall not be required if:

The person to be adopted is age 18 or older.
The court finds that the adoption is in the best interests of the child due to parental unfitness.
A finding of unfitness may be based on the following:

The child has been abandoned.
The child or another child has been abused or neglected.
The child has been in out-of-home placement for at least 6 months and the parents have not maintained significant and meaningful contact with the child.
The child is age 4 or older and in the custody of the department for at least 12 of the last 15 months and cannot be returned home.
The child is younger than age 4 and in the custody of the department for at least 6 of the last 12 months and cannot be returned home.
The parent, without excuse, fails to provide proper care or custody for the child.
Because of the lengthy absence of the parent or the parent's inability to meet the needs of the child, the child has formed a strong, positive bond with a substitute caretaker.
The parent has made no effort to remedy conditions that create a risk of harm to the child.
The child or another child has been subjected to severe or repetitive conduct of a physically, emotionally, or sexually abusive or neglectful nature.
The parent has willfully failed to visit and support a child who is not in the custody of the parent.
The parent suffers from a condition, such as alcohol or drug addiction, mental deficiency, or mental illness, that makes the parent unlikely to provide minimally acceptable care of the child.
The parent's conviction of a felony will deprive the child of a stable home for a period of years.
There exists a prior pattern of parental neglect or misconduct or a felony assault that resulted in serious bodily injury to the child and a likelihood of future harm to the child based on such prior pattern or assault.

When Consent Can Be Executed
Citation: Ann. Laws Ch. 210 § 2

Written consent shall be executed no sooner than the 4th day after the birth of the child.

Revocation of Consent
Citation: Ann. Laws Ch. 210 § 2

A consent executed in accordance with the provisions of this section shall be final and irrevocable from the date of execution.

Rights of Presumed (Putative) Fathers
Registry/Paternity Requirements to Receive Notice
Citation: Ch. 210 § 4A

Notice of adoption proceedings is given to the father who has filed a parental responsibility claim with the Department of Social Services.
Within 30 days of notice concerning the child's adoption, the person claiming paternity must file a petition for adoption or custody of the child with the probate court.

Please visit adoption law in Massachusetts for more details.

Yes, through both public and private adoption agencies.  For example, in 2004, Massachusetts had 3,019 children in the welfare system waiting to be adopted of whom 112 were under the age of 1 year, and 1,230 were between ages 1-5 years old. The actual number of children adopted through Massachusetts public child welfare agencies was only 812, which represents only a small portion of the total number of all Massachusetts adoptions (exact numbers are not available at this time). 

Remember that while you may be a resident of Massachusetts, you are not limited to adopting a child from Massachusetts.  You can adopt a child born in Massachusetts, 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 Massachusetts, 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 Red Thread Adoption Services, Inc.
681 Washington Street
Suite 12
Norwood, MA 02062
Phone: (781) 762-2428
Fax: (781) 762-2561
Toll-Free: (888) 871-9699

Act of Love Adoptions
99 Summer Street
6th Floor
Boston, MA 02110
Phone: (617) 587-1583
Toll-Free: (800) 277-5387

Adoption Choices/Jewish Family Service of Metrowest
475 Franklin Street
Suite 101
Framingham, MA 01702
Phone: (508) 875-3100
Fax: (508) 875-4373
Toll-Free: (800) 872-5232

Adoption Resources
1340 Centre Street
Suite 200
Newton, MA 02459
Phone: (617) 332-2218
Fax: (617) 332-2695
Toll-Free: (800) 533-4346
Toll-Free: (800) 533-4320

Adoption With Love, Inc. (AWL)
188 Needham Street
Suite 250
Newton, MA 02464
Phone: (617) 964-4357
Fax: (617) 964-2676
Toll-Free: (800) 722-7731

Alliance for Children, Inc.
55 William Street
Suite G10
Wellesley, MA 02481
Phone: (781) 431-7148
Fax: (781) 431-7474

Angel Adoptions, Inc.
11 Dix Street
Waltham, MA 02453
Phone: (781) 899-9222
Fax: (781) 893-8022

Beacon Adoption Center, Inc.
66 Lake Buel Road
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Phone: (413) 528-2749
Fax: (413) 528-4311

Bethany Christian Services
1538 Turnpike Street, Suite 101
North Andover, MA 01845
Phone: (978) 794-9800

Bright Futures Adoption Center, Inc.
5 Broadview Street
Acton, MA 01720
Phone: (978) 263-5400
Fax: (978) 266-1909
Toll-Free: (877) 652-6678

Catholic Charities of Somerville
270 Washington Street
Somerville, MA 02143
Phone: (617) 625-1920
Fax: (617) 629-2246

Catholic Social Services of Fall River, Inc.
PO Box M South Station
1600 Bay Street
Fall River, MA 02724
Phone: (508) 674-4681
Fax: (508) 675-2224

Child and Family Service
1061 Pleasant Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone: (508) 996-8572
Fax: (508) 991-8618

Children's Legal Services, Inc.
4 Cypress Street
Brookline, MA 02445
Phone: (617) 264-7333
Fax: (617) 264-7330

Children's Services of Roxbury, Inc.
11 Roxbury Street
Roxbury, MA 02119
Phone: (617) 445-6655
Fax: (617) 542-2369

Home for Little Wanderers
271 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
Phone: (617) 267-3700
Fax: (617) 267-8142
TDD: (617) 927-0699
Toll-Free: (888) 466-3321

Jewish Family Services of Worcester
646 Salisbury Street
Worcester, MA 01609
Phone: (508) 757-5579

Lutheran Social Services of New England, Inc.
20 Hamilton Street
Worcester, MA 01604
Phone: (508) 791-4488
Fax: (508) 753-8051
Toll-Free: (800) 286-9889

Wide Horizons For Children, Inc. (WHFC)
38 Edge Hill Road
Waltham, MA 02451
Phone: (781) 894-5330
Fax: (781) 899-2769
Toll-Free: (800) 729-5330