Adoption Agencies in New Mexico

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 New Mexico (some of what you can and can't do) and then provide you with information on children available for adoption in New Mexico.  We then relate how we can assist you during the adoption process, and finally we provide a list of licensed New Mexico 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 New Mexico 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 New Mexico child adoption law including such topics as adoption facilitators, adoption expenses, and the critical issue of ending the biological parental rights (called a Consent, Relinquishment or Surrender).

Use of Facilitators in Adoptive Placements
Use of Intermediaries/Facilitators
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 32A-5-42(A)

No person, other than an agency, may select an adoptive family for a prospective adoptee or arrange for the selection.

The exchange of information between persons regarding the existence of a potential adoptee or adoptive family is not prohibited.

State Regulation of Adoption Expenses
Birth Parent Expenses Allowed
Citation: § 32A-5-34(B)

Medical, hospital, pharmaceutical, or nursing costs
Travel expenses
Counseling services
Living expenses for the mother and her dependent children
Legal fees and court costs
Any other court approved expenses

Birth Parent Expenses Not Allowed
Citation: § 32A-5-34(B), (C)

Living expenses beyond 6 weeks after the child's birth
Any payments other than those permitted by statute

Allowable Payments for Relinquishing Child
Citation: § 32A-5-34(D), (F)

It is unlawful to demand repayment of expenses to coerce consent.
It is not permitted to pay a woman to conceive and carry a child.

Accounting of Expenses Required by Court
Citation: § 32A-5-34(A)

Prior to the final hearing, the petitioner shall file a full accounting of all disbursements made or agreed to be made in connection with the adoption.

Consent to Adoption
Who Must Consent to an Adoption
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 32A-5-17

Consent to adoption or relinquishment of parental rights to the department or an agency licensed by the State of New Mexico shall be required of the following:
The mother
The proposed adoptive parent
The presumed father
The acknowledged father
The department or the agency to whom the child has been relinquished that has placed the child for adoption
The guardian of the child's parent, when that guardian has express authority to consent to adoption
In any adoption involving an Indian child, consent to adoption by the petitioner or relinquishment of parental rights shall be obtained from an ''Indian custodian,'' as required by the provisions of the Federal Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. § 1901, et seq.).

Age When Consent of Adoptee is Considered or Required
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 32A-5-17

Consent to adoption shall be required of the child, if age 14 or older, except when the court finds that the child does not have the mental capacity to give consent.

When Parental Consent is not Needed
Citation: Ann. Stat. §§ 32A-5-18; 32A-5-19

A consent to adoption shall be implied by the court if the parent, without justifiable cause, has:

Left the child without provision for the child's identification for a period of 14 days
Left the child with others, including the other parent or an agency, without provisions for support and without communication for a period of:
3 months, if the child was under age 6 at the commencement of the 3-month period
6 months, if the child was over age 6 at the commencement of the 6-month period
The consent to adoption shall not be required from:

A parent whose rights with reference to the child have been terminated
A parent who has relinquished the child to an agency for adoption
A biological father of a child conceived as a result of rape or incest
A person who has failed to respond when given notice pursuant to the provisions of § 32A-5-27
An alleged father who has failed to register with the putative father registry within 10 days of the child's birth and is not otherwise the acknowledged father

When Consent Can Be Executed
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 32A-5-21(G)

No consent to adoption or relinquishment of parental rights shall be valid if executed within 48 hours after the child's birth.

Revocation of Consent
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 32A-5-21(I)

A consent or relinquishment executed by a parent who is a minor shall not be subject to revocation solely by reason of the parent's minority.

A consent to or relinquishment for adoption shall not be withdrawn prior to the entry of a decree of adoption unless the court finds that the consent or relinquishment was obtained by fraud.

In no event shall a consent or relinquishment be withdrawn after the entry of a decree of adoption.

Rights of Presumed (Putative) Fathers
Registry/Paternity Requirements to Receive Notice
Citation: § 32A-5-20(B)(2)

The putative father may file a notice of intent to claim paternity before or after the child's birth.

Please visit adoption law in New Mexico for more details.

Yes, through both public and private adoption agencies.  For example, in 2004, New Mexico had 632 children in the welfare system waiting to be adopted of whom 10 were under the age of 1 year, and 198 were between ages 1-5 years old. The actual number of children adopted through New Mexico public child welfare agencies was only 265, which represents only a small portion of the total number of all New Mexico adoptions (exact numbers are not available at this time). 

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

Adoptions Plus
11811 Menaul NE
Suite 5
Albuquerque, NM 87112
Phone: (505) 323-6002
Fax: (505) 323-6009

Catholic Charities
4985 Airport Road
Santa Fe, NM 87505-0443
Phone: (505) 424-9789
Fax: (505) 424-9792

Catholic Charities
501 South 4th Street
Santa Rosa, NM 88435
Phone: (505) 472-5938
Toll-Free: (800) 313-6023

Child-Rite, Inc.
PO Box 1448
216-J Paso del Pueblo Norte
Taos, NM 87571
Phone: (505) 758-0343
Fax: (505) 758-4482
Toll-Free: (866) 758-0343

LDS Family Services
925 Cannery Court
Suite A
Farmington, NM 87401-4058
Phone: (505) 327-6123
Fax: (505) 327-9562

La Familia, Inc.
707 Broadway Boulevard NE
Suite 103
Albuquerque, NM 87102-2300
Phone: (505) 766-9361
Fax: (505) 243-2252
TDD: (505) 323-1057
Toll-Free: (888) 732-4111

New Mexico Christian Children's Home
1356 NM 236
Portales, NM 88130
Phone: (505) 356-4232
Fax: (505) 356-0760
Toll-Free: (800) 553-2229

New Mexico Parent and Child Resources, Inc.
3500 Indian School Road NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
Phone: (505) 858-3028
Fax: (505) 268-4973

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