Adoption Agencies in Ohio

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 Ohio (some of what you can and can't do) and then provide you with information on children available for adoption in Ohio.  We then relate how we can assist you during the adoption process, and finally we provide a list of licensed Ohio 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 Ohio 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 Ohio child adoption law including such topics as advertising, use of adoption facilitators, adoption expenses, 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: Rev. Code § 5103.17

Subject to § 5103.16, no person or government entity, other than a private child-placing agency or private noncustodial agency certified by the department, or a public children services agency, shall advertise that the person or government entity will adopt children, place children in foster homes, hold out inducements to parents to part with their offspring, or in any manner knowingly become a party to the separation of a child from the child's parents or guardians, except through a juvenile court or probate court commitment.

Use of Intermediaries/Facilitators
Citation: Rev. Code § 3107.011(A)

A person seeking to adopt a minor shall utilize an agency or attorney to arrange the adoption. An attorney may not represent with regard to the adoption both the person seeking to adopt and the parent placing a child for adoption.

Any person may informally aid or promote an adoption by making a person seeking to adopt a minor aware of a minor who will be or is available for adoption.

State Regulation of Adoption Expenses
Birth Parent Expenses Allowed
Citation: § 3107.10(C)

Physician, hospital, or other medical facility costs
Attorney's fees and court costs
Temporary maintenance and medical care, or foster care for the child
Guardian ad litem fees.

Birth Parent Expenses Not Allowed
Citation: § 3107.10(D)

Any expense not expressly permitted by the statute
Any expense that the court finds unreasonable

Allowable Payments for Arranging Adoption
Citation: § 3107.10(C)

No person, agency, or attorney shall make any disbursements in connection with the surrender, placement, or adoption other than those specified by law.

Allowable Payments for Relinquishing Child
Citation: § 3107.10(C)

No person shall make any disbursements in connection with the surrender of a child other than those specified by law.

Accounting of Expenses Required by Court
Citation: § 3107.10(B)

The agency or attorney that arranged the adoption shall file a preliminary accounting no later than the filing of petition for adoption.
A final accounting must be made before the final decree, specifying all disbursements made or agreed to be made.
A final decree will not be issued until at least 10 days after the accounting has been filed.

Consent to Adoption
Who Must Consent to an Adoption
Citation: Rev. Code § 3107.06

A petition to adopt a minor may be granted only if written consent to the adoption has been executed by all of the following:
The mother of the minor
The father of the minor, if any of the following apply:
The minor was conceived or born while the father was married to the mother.
The minor is his child by adoption.
Prior to the date the petition was filed, it was determined by a court proceeding that he has a parent and child relationship with the minor.
He acknowledged paternity of the child.
The putative father of the minor
Any person or agency having permanent custody of the minor or authorized by court order to consent
The juvenile court that has jurisdiction to determine custody of the minor, if the legal guardian or custodian of the minor is not authorized by law or court order to consent to the adoption

Age When Consent of Adoptee is Considered or Required
Citation: Rev. Code § 3107.06

A child who is age 12 or older must consent, unless the court finds that it is in the child's best interest to waive the requirement.

When Parental Consent is not Needed
Citation: Rev. Code § 3107.07

Consent to adoption is not required of any of the following:
A parent who has failed without justifiable cause to communicate or provide support of the minor for a period of at least 1 year
The putative father if:
He has failed to register with the putative father registry within 30 days of the minor's birth.
The court finds that he is not the father of the minor, has willfully abandoned or failed to care for and support the minor, or has willfully abandoned the mother of the minor during her pregnancy.
A parent who has entered into a voluntary permanent custody surrender agreement
A parent whose parental rights have been terminated
A parent who is married to the petitioner and supports the adoption
The father of a minor if the minor is conceived as the result of the commission of rape by the father
A legal guardian or guardian ad litem of an incompetent parent who is found to be withholding consent unreasonably
Any legal guardian or custodian of the adopted person, other than a parent, who is found to be withholding consent unreasonably
The spouse of the adopted person, if the failure of the spouse to consent is by reason of prolonged unexplained absence, unavailability, incapacity, or circumstances that make it impossible or unreasonably difficult to obtain the consent or refusal of the spouse
Any parent, legal guardian, or other custodian in a foreign country, if the adopted person has been released for adoption pursuant to the laws of the country in which the person resides and the release of such person is in a form that satisfies the requirements of the immigration and naturalization service of the U.S. Department of Justice
A juvenile court, agency, or person given notice of the petition that fails to file an objection to the petition within 14 days
Any guardian, custodian, or other party who has temporary custody of the child

When Consent Can Be Executed
Citation: Rev. Code § 3107.08(A)

The required consent to adoption may be executed at any time after 72 hours after the birth of a minor.

Revocation of Consent
Citation: Rev. Code § 3107.084

A consent to adoption is irrevocable and cannot be withdrawn after the entry of an interlocutory order or after the entry of a final decree of adoption when no interlocutory order has been entered. The consent of a minor is not voidable by reason of the minor's age.

A consent to adoption may be withdrawn prior to the entry of an interlocutory order or prior to the entry of a final decree of adoption when no interlocutory order has been entered if the court finds after hearing that the withdrawal is in the best interest of the person to be adopted and the court by order authorizes the withdrawal of consent. Notice of the hearing shall be given to the petitioner, the person seeking the withdrawal of consent, and the agency placing the minor for adoption.

Rights of Presumed (Putative) Fathers
Registry/Paternity Requirements to Receive Notice
Citation: § 3107.062

The putative father may file before the child's birth, or within 30 days after the child's birth.
Registration requires a completed Department of Job and Family Services form.

Please visit adoption law in Ohio for more details.

Yes, through both public and private adoption agencies.  For example, in 2004, Ohio had 4,907 children in the welfare system waiting to be adopted of whom 166 were under the age of 1 year, and 1,352 were between ages 1-5 years old. The actual number of children adopted through Ohio public child welfare agencies was only 2,201, which represents only a small portion of the total number of all Ohio adoptions (exact numbers are not available at this time). 

Remember that while you may be a resident of Ohio, you are not limited to adopting a child from Ohio.  You can adopt a child born in Ohio, 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 Ohio, 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 Child's Waiting Adoption Program
3490 Ridgewood Road
Akron, OH 44333
Phone: (330) 665-1811
Fax: (330) 668-1889
Toll-Free: (866) YES-ADOPT

Adopting Children Today Infomation/Option Network (ACTION Adoption, Inc.)
6000 Philadelphia Drive
Dayton, OH 45415
Phone: (937) 277-6101
Fax: (937) 277-2962

Adoption Circle
2500 East Main Street
Suite 103
Columbus, OH 43209
Phone: (614) 237-7222
Fax: (614) 237-8484
Toll-Free: (800) 927-7222

Adoption Home Study Services of Ohio
358 Edna Street
Alliance, OH 44601
Phone: (330) 829-9400

Adoption Link, Inc.
3642 East Enon Road
Yellow Springs, OH 45387
Phone: (937) 767-2466
Fax: (937) 767-2706
Toll-Free: (800) 643-3356

Adoption by Gentle Care
380 1/2 East Town Street
Columbus, OH 43026
Phone: (614) 469-0007
Fax: (614) 621-2229
Toll-Free: (800) 824-9633

Adriel, Inc.
414 North Detroit Street
PO Box 188
West Liberty, OH 43357
Phone: (937) 465-0010
Fax: (937) 465-8690
Toll-Free: (800) 262-0065

Advantage Adoption and Foster Care Inc. (AAFC)
43 East 4th Street
Mansfield, OH 44902
Phone: (419) 528-4411
Fax: (419) 528-4412
Toll-Free: (800) 450-1287

Agape for Youth, Inc.
7755 Paragon Road
Suite 105
Centerville , OH 45459
Phone: (937) 439-4406
Fax: (937) 439-2908

Applewood Centers, Inc.
3518 West 25th Street
Cleveland, OH 44109-1995
Phone: (216) 741-2241 ext. 1252
Phone: (216) 696-6814
Fax: (216) 459-9821

Beech Acres
6881 Beechmont Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45230
Phone: (513) 231-6630
Fax: (513) 231-6837

Beech Brook
3737 Lander Road
Cleveland, OH 44124
Phone: (216) 831-2255
Fax: (216) 831-0436

Bellefaire JCB
22001 Fairmount Boulevard
Shaker Heights, OH 44118
Phone: (216) 932-2800
Fax: (216) 320-8747
Toll-Free: (800) 205-8534

Berea Children's Home and Family Services (BCHFS)
202 East Bagley Road
Berea, OH 44017
Phone: (440) 260-8309
Fax: (440) 260-8388
Toll-Free: (800) 639-4974

Catholic Charities Diocese of Toledo
1933 Spielbusch Avenue
Toledo, OH 43624
Phone: (419) 244-6711
Fax: (419) 244-4860
Toll-Free: (800) 926-8277

Catholic Charities Family Center of Elyria
628 Poplar Street
Elyria, OH 44035
Phone: (440) 366-1106
Fax: (440) 366-5645
Toll-Free: (877) 566-1106

Catholic Charities Services Corporation of Cleveland (CCS/Parmadale)
6753 State Road
Parma, OH 44134
Phone: (440) 845-7700
Fax: (440) 843-5603
Toll-Free: (800) 395-4598

Catholic Charities of Ashtabula County
4200 Park Avenue
3rd Floor
Ashtabula, OH 44004
Phone: (440) 992-2121
Fax: (440) 992-5974

Catholic Social Services of Southwestern Ohio
100 East Eighth Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: (513) 241-7745
Fax: (513) 241-4333

Catholic Social Services, Inc. (CSS)
197 East Gay Street
2nd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-3229
Phone: (614) 221-5891
Fax: (614) 228-1125
Toll-Free: (800) 536-5891

Christian Children's Home of Ohio (CCHO)
PO Box 765
2685 Armstrong Road
Wooster, OH 44691
Phone: (330) 345-7949
Fax: (330) 345-5218
Toll-Free: (800) 643-9073

Cleveland Christian Home, Inc. (CCH)
1700 Denison Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44109
Phone: (216) 416-4266
Fax: (216) 416-0088

Community Services of Stark County, Inc.
6363 Promway Avenue NW
North Canton, OH 44720
Phone: (330) 305-9696
Fax: (330) 305-9292

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