Adoption Agencies in Mississippi

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 Mississippi (some of what you can and can't do) and then provide you with information on children available for adoption in Mississippi.  We then relate how we can assist you during the adoption process, and finally we provide a list of licensed Mississippi 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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi 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: §§ 43-15-23(4); 43-15-117

Legal fees that have been approved by the court
Reasonable and actual medical fees or hospital charges connected with the birth or medical treatment of the child
Counseling

Allowable Payments for Arranging Adoption
Citation: § 43-15-23(2)

Only a licensed agency may receive compensation for placing a child for adoption.

Consent to Adoption
Who Must Consent to an Adoption
Citation: Ann. Code § 93-17-5

Consent shall be executed by the following persons:
The parents, or parent, if only one parent, though either be under age 21
If both parents are dead, then any two adult kin of the child within the third degree
The guardian ad litem of an abandoned child
Those persons having physical custody of the child, except persons having the child as foster parents as a result of placement by the Department of Human Services of the State of Mississippi
Any person to whom custody of the child may have been awarded by a court of competent jurisdiction of the State of Mississippi
The agent of the county Department of Human Services that has placed a child in foster care, either by agreement or by court order

Age When Consent of Adoptee is Considered or Required
Citation: Ann. Code § 93-17-5

If the child is age 14 or older, a consent to the adoption, sworn to or acknowledged by the child, is required.

When Parental Consent is not Needed
Citation: Ann. Code § 93-17-5; 93-17-7

In the case of a child born out of wedlock, the father shall not have a right to object to an adoption unless he has demonstrated, within the period ending 30 days after the birth of the child, a full commitment to the responsibilities of parenthood.
An adoption may be allowed over the objection of a parent where the parent:

Has abused the child
Has not consistently offered to provide reasonably necessary food, clothing, appropriate shelter, and treatment for the child
Suffers from a medical or emotional illness, mental deficiency, behavior, or conduct disorder, severe physical disability, substance abuse, or chemical dependency that makes him or her unable or unwilling to provide an adequate permanent home for the child at the present time or in the reasonably near future based upon expert opinion or based upon an established pattern of behavior
Has a history of past or present conduct, including criminal convictions, that viewed in its entirety, would pose a risk of substantial harm to the physical, mental, or emotional health of the child
Has engaged in acts or omissions permitting termination of parental rights

When Consent Can Be Executed
Citation: Ann. Code § 93-17-5

Consent shall not be executed before 72 hours after the birth of the child.

Revocation of Consent
Citation: Ann. Code § 93-17-15

No action shall be brought to set aside any final decree of adoption, whether granted upon consent or personal process or on process by publication, except within 6 months of the entry thereof.

Rights of Presumed (Putative) Fathers
Registry/Paternity Requirements to Receive Notice
Citation: § 93-17-5

In the case of a child born out of wedlock, the father shall not have a right to object to an adoption unless he has demonstrated, within 30 days, a full commitment to being a parent.

Please visit adoption law in Mississippi for more details.

Yes, through both public and private adoption agencies.  For example, in 2004, Mississippi had 928 children in the welfare system waiting to be adopted of whom 42 were under the age of 1 year, and 928 were between ages 1-5 years old. The actual number of children adopted through Mississippi public child welfare agencies was only 270, which represents only a small portion of the total number of all Mississippi adoptions (exact numbers are not available at this time). 

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

Acorn Adoption, Inc.
113 South Beach Boulevard
Suite D
Bay St. Loius, MS 39520
Toll-Free: (888) 221-1370

Beacon House Adoption Services, Inc.
2320 14th Street
Suite 202
Gulfport, MS 39501
Phone: (228) 863-8383

Bethany Christian Services (BCS)
2618 Southerland Street
Jackson, MS 39216-4825
Phone: (601) 366-4282
Fax: (601) 366-4287
Toll-Free: (800) 331-5876

Bethany Christian Services (BCS)
116 Lawrence Drive
Suite 3
Columbus, MS 39702-5319
Phone: (662) 327-6740
Toll-Free: (800) 331-5876

Bethany Christian Services (BCS)
7 Professional Parkway
Suite 103
Hattiesburg, MS 39402-2637
Phone: (601) 264-4984
Fax: (601) 264-2648
Toll-Free: (800) 331-5876

Catholic Charities, Inc.
200 North Congress Street
Suite 100
Jackson, MS 39201
Phone: (601) 355-8634
Fax: (601) 960-8493
Toll-Free: (800) 844-8655

Catholic Social and Community Services
PO Box 1457
Biloxi, MS 39533-1457
Phone: (228) 702-2137