Adoption Agencies in Rhode Island

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

Consent to Adoption
Who Must Consent to an Adoption
Citation: Gen. Laws §§ 15-7-5; 15-7-10

The parents of the child, or their survivor, shall consent in writing to the adoption. If neither parent is living, consent may be given by:
The guardian of the person of the child
The next of kin, if there is no guardian
A suitable person appointed by the court as next friend of the child, if there is no next of kin
If the child to be adopted is age 18 or older, the consent of, or notice to, the child's parents or other person in the child's behalf shall not be required.
No minor parent may give a binding consent to any adoption petition or to any termination of rights except with the consent of one of the parents, guardian, or guardian ad litem of the minor parent.

When the petitioners are one of the natural parents of the child and his or her spouse or one of the grandparents of the child and the child is residing, at the time the petition is filed, with the petitioners, if the noncustodial parent refused to consent to the adoption, the court shall determine whether the noncustodial parent's rights shall be terminated involuntarily. The court may grant the petition without a noncustodial parent's consent if the petitioners prove by clear and convincing evidence any of the grounds set forth in § 15-7-7(a)(1), (2), or (4). The court shall give primary consideration to the physical, psychological, mental, and intellectual needs of the child.

Age When Consent of Adoptee is Considered or Required
Citation: Gen. Laws § 15-7-5

If the child is age 14 or older, the adoption shall not be made without the child's consent.

When Parental Consent is not Needed
Citation: Gen. Laws § 15-7-7

The court shall terminate any and all legal rights of the parent to the child, including the right to notice of any subsequent adoption proceedings involving the child, if the court finds as a fact by clear and convincing evidence that:

The parent has willfully neglected to provide proper care and maintenance for the child for a period of at least 1 year where financially able to do so.
The parent is unfit by reason of conduct or conditions seriously detrimental to the child; such as, but not limited to:
Institutionalization of the parent, including imprisonment, for a duration as to render it improbable for the parent to care for the child for an extended period of time
Conduct toward any child of a cruel or abusive nature
A chronic substance abuse problem that has made the parent unable to adequately care for the child
Inability to correct conditions that led to termination of rights to another child
Subjecting the child to aggravated circumstances, including abandonment, torture, chronic abuse, or sexual abuse
Commission of murder, voluntary manslaughter, or felony assault resulting in serious bodily injury on that child or another of his or her children
Behavior or conduct that is seriously detrimental to the child, for a duration as to render it improbable for the parent to care for the child for an extended period of time
The child has been placed in the legal custody or care of the department for at least 12 months, and the parents were offered or received services to correct the situation that led to the placement, and it is still unsafe for the child to return home.
The parent has abandoned or deserted the child.

When Consent Can Be Executed
Citation: Gen. Laws § 15-7-6

Termination of rights or consent to adoption may not be executed sooner than 15 days after the child's birth.

Revocation of Consent
Citation: Gen. Laws § 15-7-21.1

A decree of adoption or a termination of a parent's right to give or withhold consent for adoption shall not be subject to a challenge or petition to reverse unless the challenge or petition is filed in the family court 180 days after the decree or order is entered.
In the event a challenge is brought within the 180-day period by an individual whose parental relationship to an adopted person is terminated, or by any individual who is asserting a parental relationship to the adopted person, the family court shall deny the challenge unless the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the decree or order is not in the best interest of the adopted person.

Rights of Presumed (Putative) Fathers
Registry/Paternity Requirements to Receive Notice
Citation: § 15-7-26

The putative father must appear at the adoption proceedings and claim rights to the child.
The putative father is given notice of the adoption proceedings if he is identified to the satisfaction of the court.

Please visit adoption law in Rhode Island for more details.

Yes, through both public and private adoption agencies.  For example, in 2004, Rhode Island had 334 children in the welfare system waiting to be adopted of whom 10 were under the age of 1 year, and 86 were between ages 1-5 years old. The actual number of children adopted through Rhode Island public child welfare agencies was only 235, which represents only a small portion of the total number of all Rhode Island adoptions (exact numbers are not available at this time). 

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

Adoption Options/Jewish Family Services
229 Waterman Street
Providence, RI 02906
Phone: (401) 331-5437
Toll-Free: (800) 337-6513

Children's Friend and Service
153 Summer Street
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: (401) 331-2900

Lutheran Social Services
116 Rolfe Street
Cranston, RI 02910
Phone: (401) 785-0015
Fax: (401) 785-0599
Toll-Free: (800) 286-9889