Adoption Agencies in North Dakota

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 North Dakota (some of what you can and can't do) and then provide you with information on children available for adoption in North Dakota.  We then relate how we can assist you during the adoption process, and finally we provide a list of licensed North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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 in Adoptive Placements
Use of Advertisement
Citation: Cent. Code §§ 23-16-08; 50-11-06; 50-19-11

No hospital providing maternity care may in any way advertise that it will give children for adoption or hold itself out, directly or indirectly, as being able to dispose of children; however, such hospitals may inform an unmarried mother of child-placing agencies licensed by the Department of Human Services.
No facility licensed under this chapter [to provide foster care] may advertise children for adoption, or be held out directly or indirectly, as being able to dispose of children, without first being licensed so to do under chapter 50-12.

No maternity home for unmarried mothers licensed under the provisions of this chapter may in any way advertise that it will give children for adoption, or hold itself out, directly or indirectly, as being able to dispose of children, but may inform an unmarried mother of licensed child-placing agencies.

State Regulation of Adoption Expenses
Birth Parent Expenses Allowed
Citation: §§ 14-15-10; 14-15.1-06

Preplacement counseling, adoption assessment, placement of the child, foster care, other preadoption services, or legal fees that must be paid directly to the provider of the services
Medical expenses relating to prenatal care and the birth of the child that are not already covered by health insurance
Expenses for transportation, meals, and lodging incurred for placement of the child or in order to receive services
Living expenses of the birth mother that are needed to maintain an adequate standard of living, which the birth mother is unable to otherwise maintain because of loss of income resulting from the pregnancy

Birth Parent Expenses Not Allowed
Citation: §§ 14-15-10; 14-15.1-06

Payments may not extend beyond 6 weeks after delivery unless approved by the court.
Living expenses do not include lost wages, gifts, educational expenses, vacations, or other similar expenses.

Allowable Payments for Arranging Adoption
Citation: § 12.1-31-05

It is unlawful to accept, offer, or agree to accept anything of value for enabling another to furnish a minor child for adoption.

Allowable Payments for Relinquishing Child
Citation: §§ 12.1-31-05; 14-15-10

It is unlawful to accept anything of value for furnishing a child for purposes of adoption.
Fees may not be contingent upon placement of the child for adoption.

Accounting of Expenses Required by Court
Citation: § 14-15-10

The petitioner shall file a full accounting in a manner acceptable to the court of all disbursements made or agreed to be made related to the adoption.

Consent to Adoption
Who Must Consent to an Adoption
Citation: Cent. Code § 14-15-05

A petition to adopt a minor may be granted only if written consent to a particular adoption has been executed by:
The mother of the minor, whether by birth or adoption
The father of the minor, if:
The minor is the father's child by adoption, or the father has otherwise legitimated the minor according to the laws of the place in which the adoption proceeding is brought.
The person is presumed to be the biological father of the minor, provided the nonexistence of the father and child relationship between them has not been judicially determined.
Any individual lawfully entitled to custody of the minor or empowered to consent
The court having jurisdiction to determine custody of the minor, if the legal guardian or custodian of the minor is not empowered to consent to the adoption
The spouse of the minor to be adopted

Age When Consent of Adoptee is Considered or Required
Citation: Cent. Code § 14-15-05

A child who is age 10 or older must consent to the adoption.

When Parental Consent is not Needed
Citation: Cent. Code § 14-15-06

Consent to adoption is not required of:
A parent who has deserted a child without affording means of identification or who has abandoned a child
A parent of a child in the custody of another, if the parent for a period of at least 1 year has failed significantly without justifiable cause to communicate with the child or to provide for the care and support of the child
The father of a minor if the father's consent is not required by § 14-15-05(1)
A parent who has relinquished that parent's right to consent
A parent whose parental rights have been terminated
A parent judicially declared incompetent or mentally defective if the court dispenses with the parent's consent
Any parent of the individual to be adopted, if the individual is an adult
Any legal guardian or lawful custodian of the individual to be adopted, other than a parent, who has failed to respond in writing to a request for consent for a period of 60 days or who, after examination of the guardian's or custodian's written reasons for withholding consent, is found by the court to be withholding consent unreasonably
The spouse of the individual to be adopted, if the failure of the spouse to consent to the adoption is excused by the court by reason of prolonged unexplained absence, unavailability, incapacity, or circumstances constituting an unreasonable withholding of consent
A parent of the minor, if the failure of the parent to consent is excused by the court in the best interest of the child by reason of the parent's prolonged unexplained absence, unavailability, incapacity, or significant failure, without justifiable cause, to establish a substantial relationship with the minor or to manifest a significant parental interest in the minor, or by reason of inability of the court to identify the parent

When Consent Can Be Executed
Citation: Cent. Code § 14-15-07

The required consent to adoption may be executed at any time after the birth of the child.

How Consent Must Be Executed
Citation: Cent. Code § 14-15-07

The required consent to adoption must be executed in the following manner:
If by the individual to be adopted, in the presence of the court
If by an agency, by the executive head or other authorized representative, in the presence of an individual authorized to take acknowledgments
If by any other individual, in the presence of the court or in the presence of an individual authorized to take acknowledgments
If by a court, by appropriate order or certificate

Revocation of Consent
Citation: Cent. Code § 14-15-08

A consent to adoption cannot be withdrawn after the entry of a decree of adoption.
A consent to adoption may be withdrawn before the entry of a decree of adoption if the court finds, after notice and opportunity to be heard is afforded to petitioner, the individual seeking the withdrawal, and the agency placing a child for adoption, that the withdrawal is in the best interest of the individual to be adopted and the court orders the withdrawal.

Rights of Presumed (Putative) Fathers
Registry/Paternity Requirements to Receive Notice
Citation: §§ 14-17-23; 14-17-24

If the mother relinquishes or proposes to relinquish the child for adoption, the birth father is given notice if:
He is a presumed father
He is a father whose relationship to the child has been determined by a court
He is a father to whom the child is a legitimate child under law
To identify the biological father (if need be), the court will cause an inquiry to be made. If the biological father is identified to the court's satisfaction, he is given notice of termination proceedings.
The birth father must appear and claim custodial rights.

Please visit adoption law in North Dakota for more details.

Yes, through both public and private adoption agencies.  For example, in 2004, North Dakota had 284 children in the welfare system waiting to be adopted of whom 40 were under the age of 1 year, and 97 were between ages 1-5 years old. The actual number of children adopted through North Dakota public child welfare agencies was only 128, which represents only a small portion of the total number of all North Dakota adoptions (exact numbers are not available at this time). 

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

Adults Adopting Special Kids (AASK)
PO Box 389
Fargo, ND 58107-0389
Phone: (701) 356-7993

Catholic Charities North Dakota (CCND)
311 South Fourth Street
Suite 105
Grand Forks, ND 58201
Phone: (701) 775-4196
Phone: (701) 772-7577

Catholic Charities North Dakota (CCND)
5201 Bishops Boulevard
Suite B
Fargo, ND 58104-7605
Phone: (701) 235-4457
Fax: (701) 356-7993
Toll-Free: (800) 450-4457

Christian Family Life Services
203 South 8th Street
Fargo, ND 58103-1824
Phone: (701) 237-4473
Fax: (701) 235-1703
Toll-Free: (800) 747-2304

The Adoption Option (The Village Family Service Center/Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota)
300 3rd Avenue SW
Suite D
Minot, ND 58701
Phone: (701) 852-3328
Fax: (701) 838-2521
Toll-Free: (800) 627-8220

The Adoption Option (The Village Family Service Center/Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota)
412 Demers Avenue
Grand Forks, ND 58201
Phone: (701) 772-7577
Fax: (701) 746-1239
Toll-Free: (800) 627-8220

The Adoption Option (The Village Family Service Center/Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota)
411 North 4th Street
Suite 10
Bismarck, ND 58501
Phone: (701) 255-1165
Fax: (701) 255-7647
Toll-Free: (800) 627-8220

The Adoption Option (The Village Family Service Center/Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota)
1325 11th St South
Fargo, ND 58103
Phone: (701) 451-4900
Fax: (701) 451-5057
Toll-Free: (800) 627-8220