Adoption Agencies in Wisconsin

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 Wisconsin (some of what you can and can't do) and then provide you with information on children available for adoption in Wisconsin.  We then relate how we can assist you during the adoption process, and finally we provide a list of licensed Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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: Ann. Stat. § 48.825

No person may do any of the following:
Advertise for the purpose of finding a child to adopt
Advertise that the person will find an adoptive home for a child or arrange for or assist in the adoption or adoptive placement of a child
Advertise that the person will place a child for adoption
This section does not apply to any of the following:

The department, a county department, or a licensed child welfare agency
An individual or agency providing adoption information
A foster care and adoption resource center or post adoption resource center
An individual who has received a favorable recommendation regarding his or her fitness to be an adoptive parent in this State from the department, a county department, a licensed child welfare agency, or in another jurisdiction from an entity authorized by that jurisdiction to conduct studies of potential adoptive homes
An individual seeking to place his or her child for adoption
No person may publish by a public medium an advertisement that violates this section. If the owner, agent, or employee of the public medium receives a copy of the license of the person or agency requesting the advertisement that indicates that the person or agency is licensed to provide adoption services in this State, the advertisement does not violate this section.

State Regulation of Adoption Expenses
Birth Parent Expenses Allowed
Citation: § 48.913(1)

Preadoptive and postadoptive counseling for the birth parents or an alleged or presumed father
Maternity clothes, not to exceed a reasonable amount
Local transportation expenses
Medical and hospital care received by the birth mother and the child
Legal services
Living expenses up to $1,000 when necessary to protect the health and welfare of mother or fetus
Birthing classes
A gift to the mother, not to exceed $50 in value

Birth Parent Expenses Not Allowed
Citation: § 48.913(1), (4)

Medical and hospital care does not include lost wages or living expenses while receiving medical care.
Any payments other than those specifically authorized by statute are prohibited.

Allowable Payments for Arranging Adoption
Citation: § 948.24

It is illegal for a person to offer anything of value to solicit, negotiate, or arrange the placement of a child for adoption, except under § 48.833.

Allowable Payments for Relinquishing Child
Citation: §§ 948.24; 48.837

It is unlawful to place or agree to place a child for anything other than the actual cost of the items authorized in § 48.913.
Making any payment to a birth parent conditional upon the surrender of the child is considered coercion and grounds to dismiss the petition to adopt.

Allowable Fees Charged by Department/Agency
Citation: §§ 48.913(1); 48.838

Fees may be charged for services provided or investigations completed.
The department may charge a fee of $75 to review foreign adoption documents and provide the certification and approval required by State and Federal law.

Accounting of Expenses Required by Court
Citation: § 48.913(6), (7)

A report shall be submitted to the court at the time of the hearing that provides a list of all transfers of value made or agreed to be made to the birth parents or any other person in connection with the adoption.

Consent to Adoption
Who Must Consent to an Adoption
Citation: Ann. Stat. §§ 48.41; 48.42

A parent may consent to a voluntary termination of parental rights. The father of a nonmarital child may consent to the termination of any parental rights that he may have.
A petition may also be filed by an agency or other authorized person. The following persons must be given notice of any hearing for terminating parental rights:

The parent or parents of the child, unless the child's parent has waived the right to notice
If the child is a nonmarital child who is not adopted or whose parents do not subsequently intermarry and whose paternity has not been established:
A person who has filed an unrevoked declaration of paternal interest before the birth of the child or within 14 days after the birth of the child
A person or persons alleged to the court to be the father of the child or who may, based upon the statements of the mother or other information presented to the court, be the father of the child unless that person has waived the right to notice
A person who has lived in a familial relationship with the child and who may be the father of the child
If the child is a nonmarital child who is under age 1 at the time the petition is filed and who is not adopted or whose parents do not subsequently intermarry and whose paternity has not been established and if an affidavit is filed with the petition:
A person who has filed an unrevoked declaration of paternal interest before the birth of the child, within 14 days after the birth of the child, or within 21 days after a notice is mailed, whichever is later
A person who has lived in a familial relationship with the child and who may be the father of the child
The guardian, guardian ad litem, and legal custodian of the child

Age When Consent of Adoptee is Considered or Required
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 48.42

Any child who is age 12 or older must be given notice to attend the hearing pertaining to his or her adoptive placement.

When Parental Consent is not Needed
Citation: Ann. Stat. §§ 48.415; 48.42

Notice of a hearing to terminate parental rights need be sent to a person who may be the father of a nonmarital child who is not adopted or whose parents do not subsequently intermarry and whose paternity has not been established, and who has failed to establish his right to notice. In addition, consent is not required of any person whose parental rights have been terminated on any of the following grounds:
Parental rights have been terminated due to failure of the parents to assume responsibility.
The parent has abandoned the child.
There is continuing parental disability.
The parent has abused the child.
The parent has relinquished custody of the child when the child was 72 hours old or younger.
The parent has failed to assume responsibility for the child or to establish a substantial relationship with the child.
The parent has caused the child to be conceived as a result of incest or sexual assault.
The parent has been convicted of homicide or of solicitation to commit homicide of the child’s other parent.

When Consent Can Be Executed
Citation: Ann. Stat. § 48.837

A hearing is held within 30 days of the filing of a petition for voluntary termination of parental rights, but not before the birth of the child.

Rights of Presumed (Putative) Fathers
Registry/Paternity Requirements to Receive Notice
Citation: § 48.025(2)

The putative father may file a declaration of parental interest at any time, except after termination of the putative father's parental rights.
The declaration must be in writing and signed by the putative father.

Please visit adoption law in Wisconsin for more details.

Yes, through both public and private adoption agencies.  For example, in 2004, Wisconsin had 1,448 children in the welfare system waiting to be adopted of whom 60 were under the age of 1 year, and 462 were between ages 1-5 years old. The actual number of children adopted through Wisconsin public child welfare agencies was only 1,152, which represents only a small portion of the total number of all Wisconsin adoptions (exact numbers are not available at this time). 

Remember that while you may be a resident of Wisconsin, you are not limited to adopting a child from Wisconsin.  You can adopt a child born in Wisconsin, 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 Wisconsin, 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 Advocates, Inc.
2713 International Lane
Suite 119
Madison, WI 53704
Phone: (608) 246-2844
Fax: (608) 246-2875

Adoption Choice, Inc.
924 Juneau Avenue
Suite 813
Milwaukee, WI 53202-2748
Phone: (414) 276-3262
Fax: (414) 276-2644
Toll-Free: (800) 255-6305

Adoption Services, Inc.
2439 South Oneida Street
Appleton, WI 54915
Phone: (920) 735-6750
Fax: (920) 735-6638
Toll-Free: (877) 335-6750

Adoptions of Wisconsin, INC
434 South Yellowstone Drive
Madison, WI 53719
Phone: (608) 821-8220
Fax: (608) 821-8201
Toll-Free: (866) ADOPTWI

Bethany Christian Services of Wisconsin
2312 North Grandview Boulevard
Suite 207
Waukesha, WI 53188-1606
Phone: (262) 547-6557
Fax: (414) 547-3644
Toll-Free: (800) 238-4269

Catholic Charities - Diocese of Green Bay
PO Box 23825
Green Bay, WI 54305-3825
Phone: (920) 437-7531 ext. 8234
Toll-Free: (877) 500-3580 ext. 8234

Catholic Charities Madison
426 South Yellowstone Drive
Suite 100
Madison, WI 53719
Phone: (608) 833-4800
Fax: (608) 833-7897
Toll-Free: (888) 485-7385

Catholic Charities, Inc. (CCDL)
PO Box 266
128 South 6th Street
LaCrosse, WI 4602-0266
Phone: (608) 782-0704
Fax: (608) 782-0702

Children and Families First, Inc.
583 D'Onofrio Drive
Suite 220
Madison, WI 53719
Phone: (608) 826-0498
Fax: (608) 826-0521

Children's Service Society of Wisconsin
1212 South 70th Street
West Allis, WI 53214
Phone: (414) 453-1400
Fax: (414) 453-3389
Toll-Free: (800) 653-2779

Community Adoption Center (CAC)
3701 Kadow Street
Manitowoc, WI 54220
Phone: (920) 682-9211
Fax: (920) 682-8611
Toll-Free: (800) 236-7863

Lutheran Counseling and Family Services of Wisconsin (LCFS)
PO Box 13367
3800 North Mayfair Road
Wauwatosa, WI 53222
Phone: (414) 536-8333
Fax: (414) 536-8348
Toll-Free: (800) 291-4513

Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, Inc. (LSS)
647 West Virginia Street
Suite 300
Milwaukee, WI 53204-1535
Phone: (414) 281-4400
Fax: (414) 325-3124
Toll-Free: (800) 488-5181

PATH Wisconsin Inc.
516 2nd Street
Suite 209
Hudson, WI 54016-1591
Phone: (715) 386-1547
Fax: (715) 386-2541

Pauquette Children's Services, Inc. (PCS)
PO Box 162
315 West Conant Street
Portage, WI 53901-0162
Phone: (608) 742-8004
Fax: (608) 742-7937

Special Beginnings Adoption Services
275 Regency Court
Suite 104
Brookfield, WI 53045
Phone: (262) 432-1055
Fax: (262) 432-4020
Toll-Free: (800) 481-3611

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