Adoption Agencies in New York

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 York (some of what you can and can't do) and then provide you with information on children available for adoption in New York.  We then relate how we can assist you during the adoption process, and finally we provide a list of licensed New York 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 York 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 York child adoption law including such topics as the use of 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: Soc. Serv. Law § 374(2)

No person, agency, association, corporation, institution, society, or other organization except an authorized agency shall place any child. This section shall not restrict or limit the right of a parent, legal guardian, or relative within the 2nd degree to place out a child.

State Regulation of Adoption Expenses
Birth Parent Expenses Allowed
Citation: Soc. Serv. § 374(6)

Reasonable and actual nursing, medical, and hospital costs
Reasonable and actual legal fees
Reasonable expenses for housing, maternity clothing, clothing for the child, and transportation

Birth Parent Expenses Not Allowed
Citation: Soc. Serv. § 374(6)

Payment of living expenses shall not extend for 60 days prior to the birth, and 30 days after the birth, unless the court determines that there are exceptional circumstances.

Allowable Payments for Arranging Adoption
Citation: Soc. Serv. § 374(6)

No person or entity, except for an authorized agency, shall receive payment for placing a child or assisting a parent in arranging a placement.

Allowable Payments for Relinquishing Child
Citation: Soc. Serv. § 374(6)

No person or entity, except for an authorized agency, shall request, accept, or receive compensation or anything of value in connection with the placing out or adoption of a child.

Accounting of Expenses Required by Court
Citation: Dom. Rel. § 115(8)

In a private placement adoption, the adoptive parent will present an affidavit describing all fees and other payments made or promised.
The attorney representing the adoptive parents must also present an affidavit describing all fees and compensation paid in relation to the adoption.

Consent to Adoption
Who Must Consent to an Adoption
Citation: Dom. Rel. Law §§ 111; 113

Consent to adoption shall be required from the following persons or entities:
The parents or surviving parent, whether adult or minor, of a child conceived or born in wedlock
The mother, whether adult or minor, of a child born out of wedlock
The father, whether adult or minor, of a child born out-of-wedlock and placed with the adoptive parents more than 6 months after birth, but only if such father shall have maintained substantial and continuous or repeated contact with the child
The father, whether adult or minor, of a child born out-of-wedlock and placed with the adoptive parents less than 6 months after birth, but only if the father:
Openly lived with the child or the child's mother for a continuous period of 6 months immediately preceding the placement of the child for adoption
Openly held himself out to be the father of such child during such period
Paid a fair and reasonable sum, in accordance with his means, for the medical, hospital, and nursing expenses incurred in connection with the mother's pregnancy or with the birth of the child
Any person or authorized agency having lawful custody of the adoptive child
An authorized agency may consent to the adoption of a minor whose custody and guardianship has been transferred to such agency.

Age When Consent of Adoptee is Considered or Required
Citation: Dom. Rel. Law § 111

Consent to adoption shall be required of the adoptive child who is age 14 or older, unless the judge or surrogate in his discretion dispenses with such consent.

When Parental Consent is not Needed
Citation: Dom. Rel. Law § 111

Consent shall not be required of a parent or of any other person having custody of the child:

Who evinces an intent to forego his or her parental or custodial rights and obligations as manifested by his or her failure for a period of 6 months to visit the child and communicate with the child or person having legal custody of the child, although able to do so
Who has surrendered the child to an authorized agency
For whose child a guardian has been appointed
Who, by reason of mental illness or mental retardation, is presently and for the foreseeable future unable to provide proper care for the child
Who has executed an instrument, that shall be irrevocable, denying the paternity of the child

Revocation of Consent
Citation: Dom. Rel. § 115-b

A judicial consent shall state that it is irrevocable upon such execution or acknowledgment.

In an extrajudicial consents, such consent shall become irrevocable 45 days after the execution of the consent unless written notice of revocation thereof is received by the court in which the adoption proceeding is to be commenced within the 45 days. The notice of revocation shall be given effect only if the adoptive parents fail to oppose such revocation, or, if they oppose such revocation and the court has determined that the best interests of the child will be served by giving force and effect to such revocation.

Nothing contained in this section shall bar actions or proceedings brought on the ground of fraud, duress, or coercion in the execution of an adoption consent.

Please visit adoption law in New York for more details.

Yes, through both public and private adoption agencies.  For example, in 2004, New York had 10,922 children in the welfare system waiting to be adopted of whom 63 were under the age of 1 year, and 2,965 were between ages 1-5 years old. The actual number of children adopted through New York public child welfare agencies was only 4,258, which represents only a small portion of the total number of all New York adoptions (exact numbers are not available at this time). 

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

ARISE Child and Family Services
635 James Street
Syracuse, NY 13203
Phone: (315) 472-3171
Fax: (315) 472-9252
TTY: (315) 479-6363

Adoption House, Inc.
1052 North Indiana Avenue
Lindenhurst, NY 11757
Phone: (516) 921-1102
Toll-Free: (877) 236-7897

Adoption S.T.A.R. (Support, Training, Advocacy and Resources), Inc.
47 Plaza Drive
Williamsville, NY 14221
Phone: (716) 639-3900
Fax: (716) 639-3700

Adoption Services, Inc.
450 Plaza Drive
Vestal, NY 13850
Phone: (717) 737-3960
Fax: (717) 731-0157
Toll-Free: (800) 943-0400

Adoptions From The Heart
Park 9 Plaza
1770 Route 9, Sute 203
Clifton Park, NY 12065
Phone: (518) 371-4782
Fax: (518) 371-3629
Toll-Free: (800) 355-5500

Advocates for Adoption, Inc.
362 West 46th Street
New York, NY 10036
Phone: (212) 957-3938
Fax: (212) 489-6580
Toll-Free: (800) 427-7557

Association to Benefit Children (ABC)
419 East 86 Street
New York, NY 10028
Phone: (212) 831-1322
Fax: (212) 426-9488

Baker Victory Services
780 Ridge Road
Lackawanna, NY 14218
Phone: (716) 828-9510
Toll-Free: (888) 287-9986

Berkshire Farms Center and Family Services for Youth
13640 Route 22
Canaan, NY 12029
Phone: (518) 781-4567

Bethany Christian Services
Warwick Reformed Church
16 Maple Avenue
Warwick, NY 10990
Phone: (845) 987-1453
Fax: (201) 444-5420

Buffalo Urban League, Inc.
224 Northland Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14208
Phone: (716) 854-7625
Fax: (716) 961-1565

Cardinal McCloskey Services
2 Holland Avenue
White Plains, NY 10603
Phone: (914) 997-8000
Fax: (914) 997-2166

Catholic Charities of Buffalo
525 Washington Street
Buffalo, NY 14203
Phone: (716) 856-4494
Fax: (716) 855-1312

Catholic Social Services of Broome County
232 Main Street
Binghamton, NY 13905
Phone: (607) 729-9166
Fax: (607) 729-2062
Toll-Free: (800) CARE-002

Children's Aid Society (CAS)
150 East 45th Street
New York, NY 10017
Phone: (212) 949-4961

Children's Home of Poughkeepsie
10 Children's Way
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Phone: (845) 452-1420
Fax: (845) 625-2098
Toll-Free: (800) 823-3457

Children's Village
2090 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd.
9th Floor
New York, NY 10027
Phone: (212) 932-9009

Children's Village (CV)
2090 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard
9th Floor
New York, NY 10027
Phone: (212) 932-9009

Community Counseling and Mediation (CCM-FCAP)
1 Hoyt Street
7th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: (718) 875-7751
Fax: (718) 875-8034

Downey Side Families for Youth
PO Box 2139
500 West 37th Street
New York, NY 10116-2139
Phone: (212) 714-2200
Fax: (212) 714-9518

Episcopal Social Service (ESS)
305 Seventh Avenue
3rd Floor
New York, NY 10001-6008
Phone: (212) 886-5649
Fax: (212) 989-2844

Family Focus Adoption Services
54-40 Little Neck Parkway
Suite 4
Little Neck, NY 11362
Phone: (718) 224-1919
Fax: (718) 225-8360

Family Tree Adoption Agency
2 Crestmont Drive
Clifton Park, NY 12065
Phone: (518) 371-1336
Fax: (518) 371-4262
Toll-Free: (800) 272-3678

Family and Children's Agency, Inc. (FCA)
1890 Palmer Avenue
Suite 201
Larchmont, NY 10583
Phone: (914) 834-5806
Toll-Free: (800) 676-4066

Family and Children's Services of Broome County
257 Main Street
Binghamton, NY 13905
Phone: (607) 729-6206
Fax: (607) 729-1858

Family and Children's Services of Ithaca
204 North Cayuga Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
Phone: (607) 273-7494
Fax: (607) 273-7484

Forestdale, Inc.
67-35 112th Street
Forest Hills, NY 11375
Phone: (718) 263-0740
Fax: (718) 575-3931

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