Adoption Agencies in Texas

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 Texas (some of what you can and can't do) and then provide you with information on children available for adoption in Texas.  We then relate how we can assist you during the adoption process, and finally we provide a list of licensed Texas 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 Texas 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 Texas child adoption law including such topics as advertising, 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 Advertising and Facilitators in Adoptive Placements
Use of Advertisement
Citation: Penal Code § 25.09

A person commits an offense if the person advertises in the public media that the person will place a child for adoption or will provide or obtain a child for adoption. This section does not apply to a licensed child-placing agency that is identified in the advertisement as a licensed child-placing agency.
''Public media'' includes newspapers or other periodicals, billboards or other signs, radio or television broadcasts, or communications through the use of the Internet or another public computer network.

Use of Intermediaries/Facilitators
Citation: Penal Code § 25.08(a)-(b)

A person commits an offense if he or she:

Has custody of a child younger than 18 years of age and offers to accept, agrees to accept, or accepts a thing of value for the delivery of the child to another for the purposes of adoption
Offers to give, agrees to give, or gives a thing of value to another for acquiring a child for the purpose of adoption
It is an exception to the application of this section that the thing of value is:

A fee or reimbursement paid to a child-placing agency as authorized by law
A fee paid to an attorney, social worker, mental health professional, or physician for services rendered in the usual course of legal or medical practice or in providing adoption counseling
A reimbursement of legal or medical expenses incurred by a person for the benefit of the child
A necessary pregnancy-related expense paid by a child-placing agency for the benefit of the child's parent during the pregnancy or after the birth of the child as permitted by the minimum standards for child-placing agencies.

State Regulation of Adoption Expenses
Birth Parent Expenses Allowed
Citation: Pen. § 25.08(b)

Legal and medical expenses in connection with the birth and pregnancy
Adoptive counseling services
Necessary pregnancy-related expenses paid by a child-placing agency, as permitted by department rules

Birth Parent Expenses Not Allowed
Citation: Pen. § 25.08(b)

Any payments not expressly permitted

Allowable Payments for Arranging Adoption
Citation: Fam. § 162.025(a)

A person who is not the parent, legal guardian, or a licensed child-placing agency may not receive payment for placing a child or serving as an intermediary between an adoptive and expectant parent.

Allowable Payments for Relinquishing Child
Citation: Pen. § 25.08(a)(2)

It is unlawful to offer or accept a thing of value for the delivery of a child to another or possession of the child by another for the purposes of adoption.

Consent to Adoption
Who Must Consent to an Adoption
Citation: Fam. Code § 162.010

Unless the managing conservator is the petitioner, the written consent of a managing conservator to the adoption must be filed. A managing conservator must be a parent, a competent adult, an authorized agency, or a licensed child-placing agency.
If a parent of the child is presently the spouse of the petitioner, that parent must join in the petition for adoption, and further consent of that parent is not required.

Age When Consent of Adoptee is Considered or Required
Citation: Fam. Code § 162.010

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

When Parental Consent is not Needed
Citation: Fam. Code §§ 161.003 through 161.007; 162.010

Consent of the parent is not required when:

The parent is unable to care for the child due to mental illness.
The parent has voluntarily terminated parental rights.
The parent has no right of consent after an abortion where the child survives.
A person is convicted of a crime resulting in the birth of a child.
The parent's rights have been terminated on the grounds of abandonment, nonsupport, endangerment, abuse, or neglect.
The court may waive the requirement of consent by the managing conservator if the court finds that the consent is being refused or has been revoked without good cause.

When Consent Can Be Executed
Citation: Fam. Code §§ 161.103; 161.106

An affidavit for voluntary relinquishment of parental rights must be signed after the birth of the child, but not before 48 hours after the birth of the child, by the parent, whether or not a minor, whose parental rights are to be relinquished.

A man may sign an affidavit disclaiming any interest in a child before the birth of the child.

Rights of Presumed (Putative) Fathers
Registry/Paternity Requirements to Receive Notice
Citation: Fam. Code §§160.402(a); 160.312

The putative father may file before the child's birth, but no later than the 31st day after the child's birth.
Registration requires a completed Bureau of Vital Statistics form, signed and acknowledged by the putative father.

Please visit adoption law in Texas for more details.

Yes, through both public and private adoption agencies.  For example, in 2004, Texas had 10,047 children in the welfare system waiting to be adopted of whom 553 were under the age of 1 year, and 3,535 were between ages 1-5 years old. The actual number of children adopted through Texas public child welfare agencies was only 2,556, which represents only a small portion of the total number of all Texas adoptions (exact numbers are not available at this time). 

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

Abrazo Adoption Associates (AAA)
10010 San Pedro
San Antonio, TX 78216
Phone: (210) 342-5683
Fax: (210) 342-6547
Toll-Free: (800) 454-5683

Adoption Advisory, Inc.
3607 Fairmount
Dallas, TX 75219
Phone: (214) 520-0004

Adoption Advocates, Inc. (AAI)
1215 Parkway
Austin, TX 78703
Phone: (512) 477-1122
Fax: (512) 477-7060
Toll-Free: (800) 966-4673

Adoption Alliance
7303 Blanco Road
San Antonio, TX 78216
Phone: (210) 349-3991
Fax: (210) 349-8075

Adoption Angels, Inc.
1511 Fredericksburg Road
San Antonio, TX 78201
Phone: (210) 227-2229
Fax: (210) 227-2241
Toll-Free: (866) 316-2229

Adoption Information and Counseling Services, Inc.
2020 Southwest Freeway
Suite 326
Houston, TX 77098
Phone: (713) 529-4341
Fax: (713) 529-5167

Adoption Services Associates (ASA)
5370 Prue Road
San Antonio, TX 78240
Phone: (210) 699-6094
Fax: (210) 691-8836
Toll-Free: (800) 648-1807

Adoption Services Worldwide, Inc.
7300 Blanco Road
Suite 206
San Antonio, TX 78216
Phone: (210) 342-0444
Fax: (210) 342-0710

AdoptionWorks, A Child Placing Agency of ChristianWorks for Children, Inc.
6320 LBJ Freeway
Suite 122
Dallas, TX 75240
Phone: (972)960-9981
Fax: (972)960-0062
Toll-Free: (800)375-2229

Alternatives In Motion
2509 FM 1960 East
Suite B
Houston, TX 77073
Phone: (281) 821-6508

Buckner Adoption and Maternity Services
5200 South Buckner Boulevard
Dallas, TX 75227
Phone: (214) 319-3426
Fax: (214) 319-3470

Caring Adoptions
11601 Katy Freeway
Suite 109
Houston, TX 77079
Phone: (281) 920-4300
Toll-Free: (866) 603-7162

Children and Family Institute
5787 South Hampton Road
Suite 360
Dallas, TX 75232
Phone: (214) 337-9979
Fax: (214) 337-9944

Children's Home of Lubbock
PO Box 2824
Lubbock, TX 79408
Phone: (806) 762-0481
Fax: (806)762-6574

Christian Homes
1202 Estates Drive
PO Box 270
Abilene, TX 79604
Phone: (915) 677-2205
Fax: (915) 677-0332
Toll-Free: (800) 592-4725

DePelchin Children's Center
4950 Memorial Drive
Houston, TX 77007
Phone: (713) 730-2335
Fax: (713) 802-3801
Toll-Free: (888) 730-2335

El Paso Adoption Services (EPAS)
905 Noble Street
El Paso, TX 79902
Phone: (915) 542-1086
Fax: (915) 544-7080

Gladney Center for Adoption
6300 John Ryan Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76132-4122
Phone: (817) 922-60000
Fax: (817) 922-65955
Toll-Free: (800) 452-3639

Hope Cottage Pregnancy and Adoption Center
4209 McKinney Avenue
Dallas, TX 75205
Phone: (214) 526-8721
Fax: (214) 528-7168
Toll-Free: (800) 944-4460

International Family Services (IFS)
700 South Friendswood Drive
Suite B
Friendswood, TX 77546
Phone: (281) 992-4677
Fax: (281) 992-3179
Toll-Free: (800) 619-8435

Jewish Family Service - Adoption Family Service
5402 Arapaho Road
Dallas, TX 75248
Phone: (972) 437-9950
Fax: (972) 437-1988

Lena Pope Home, Inc.
3131 Sanguinet Street
Fort Worth, TX 76107
Phone: (817) 731-8681
Fax: (817) 731-9858

Lutheran Social Services of the South, Inc.
PO Box 140767
8305 Cross Park Drive
Austin, TX 78765
Phone: (512) 459-1000
Fax: (512) 452-6855
Toll-Free: (800) 938-5777

Marywood Children and Family Services
510 West 26th Street
Austin, TX 78705
Phone: (512) 472-9251
Fax: (512) 472-4829
Toll-Free: (800) 251-5433

Methodist Children's Home
1111 Herring Avenue
Waco, TX 76708
Phone: (254) 753-0181
Fax: (254) 750-1300

Methodist Mission Home
6487 Whitby Road
San Antonio, TX 78240
Phone: (210) 696-2410
Fax: (210) 699-1866
TDD: (210) 699-3311
Toll-Free: (800) 842-5433

Spaulding for Children
8552 Katy Freeway
Suite 300
Houston, TX 77024
Phone: (713) 681-6991
Fax: (713) 681-9089
Toll-Free: (800) 460-6298

Texas Baptist Home
629 Farley Street
Waxahachie, TX 75165
Phone: (972) 937-1321
Fax: (972) 937-9510
Toll-Free: (888) 228-6350