Adoption Agencies in Michigan

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

Use of Facilitators in Adoptive Placements
Use of Intermediaries/Facilitators
Citation: Comp. Laws §§ 722.124b(c)-(d); 722.956

The following terms are defined as follows:

''Adoption facilitator'' is a child-placing agency or attorney who assists a birth parent or adoptive parents with adoption.
''Primary adoption facilitator'' is the adoption facilitator who files court documents on behalf of the adoptive parents.
The adoption facilitator shall:

Provide needed services
Provide the pamphlet prepared by the department describing the adoption process
Describe to the birth parent the process of selecting adoptive parents
Provide to adoptive parents any available nonidentifying information about the child
Disclose to adoptive parents all known information about the child's medical or psychological needs.

State Regulation of Adoption Expenses
Birth Parent Expenses Allowed
Citation: § 710.54(3)

Medical, hospital, nursing, or pharmaceutical expenses incurred by the birth mother or adopted person
Counseling services related to the adoption
Living expenses, legal fees, and travel expenses

Birth Parent Expenses Not Allowed
Citation: § 710.54(3)

Medical expenses that are covered by the birth mother's insurance or Medicaid
Living expenses beyond 6 weeks after the birth of the child

Allowable Payments for Arranging Adoption
Citation: § 710.54(1),(2)

A person shall not pay or receive compensation for:
Arranging placement or consent for adoption
Referring a parent to a prospective adoptive parent or vice versa

Allowable Payments for Relinquishing Child
Citation: § 710.54(6)

Payment for expenses shall not be contingent on:
Release of the child or consent to the adoption
Cooperation in the completion of the adoption

Accounting of Expenses Required by Court
Citation: § 710.54(7)

At least 7 days before placement of the child, a verified accounting, with receipts attached, shall be filed with the court itemizing all payments made, or agreed to be made, in connection with the adoption.
The petitioner's attorney and the child-placing agency shall also submit statements itemizing the services performed and the compensation received.

Consent to Adoption
Who Must Consent to an Adoption
Citation: Comp. Laws § 710.43

Consent to adoption shall be executed by:
Each parent or the surviving parent
The authorized representative of the department or of a child-placing agency to whom the child has been permanently committed by an order of the court or to whom the child has been released
The court or by a Tribal court having permanent custody of the child
The guardian of the child, if a guardian has been appointed
The guardian of a parent, if a guardian has been appointed
The authorized representative of a court or child-placing agency of another State or country that has authority to consent to adoption
If the parent of the child to be adopted is an unemancipated minor, that parent's consent is not valid unless a parent, guardian, or guardian ad litem of that minor parent has also executed the consent.

The guardian of the child to be adopted or a parent shall not execute a consent to that child's adoption unless the guardian has first obtained authority to execute the consent from the court that appointed the guardian.

Age When Consent of Adoptee is Considered or Required
Citation: Comp. Laws § 710.43

A child who is age 14 or older must consent to the adoption.

When Parental Consent is not Needed
Citation: Comp. Laws §§ 710.37; 710.43; 710.51(6)

The court may permanently terminate the rights of the putative father when he:

Submits a verified affirmation of his paternity and a denial of his interest in custody of the child
Files a disclaimer of paternity
Was served with a notice of intent to release or consent at least 30 days before the expected date of birth but failed to file an intent to claim paternity either before the expected date of birth or before the birth of the child
Is given proper notice of hearing but either fails to appear at the hearing or appears and denies his interest in custody of the child
Has not made provision for the child's care and did not provide support for the mother during her pregnancy
Has not provided support for the mother, has not shown any interest in the child, and has not made provision for the child's care, for at least 90 days preceding the hearing required under § 36
Consent to adoption of a child shall be executed by each parent or the surviving parent, except under the following circumstances:

The rights of the parent have been terminated.
The child has been released for the purpose of adoption to a child-placing agency or the department.
A guardian of the child has been appointed.
A guardian of a parent has been appointed.
A parent having legal custody of the child is married to the petitioner.
If the spouse of a custodial parent wants to adopt the child, the court may terminate the rights of the other parent if both of the following occur:

The other parent, having the ability to support the child, has failed or neglected to provide regular and substantial support for the child for a period of 2 years or more.
The other parent, having the ability to visit, contact, or communicate with the child, has regularly and substantially failed or neglected to do so for a period of 2 years or more.

When Consent Can Be Executed
Citation: Comp. Laws §§ 710.31; 710.44

If a child is born out of wedlock and the release or consent of the birth father cannot be obtained, the child shall not be placed for adoption until the parental rights of the father are terminated by the court.
Pending the termination of the rights of the father, the mother may execute a release terminating her rights to the child. At the request of the mother, her formal execution of a release or consent shall be delayed until after court determination of the status of the putative father's request for custody of the child.

If the consent of a parent or guardian is required, the consent shall not be executed until after the judge, referee, or other authorized individual has fully explained to the parent or guardian the legal rights of the parent or guardian and the fact that the parent or guardian by virtue of the consent voluntarily relinquishes permanently his or her rights to the child.

If the adopted person's consent to adoption is required, the consent shall not be executed until after the judge or referee has fully explained to the adopted person the fact that he or she is consenting to acquire permanently the adopting parent or parents as his or her legal parent or parents as though the adopted person had been born to the adopting parent or parents.

Revocation of Consent
Citation: Comp. Laws § 710.29

The person who granted consent may petition the court for a hearing on whether to grant revocation.
A release may not be revoked if the child has been placed for adoption, unless the child was placed as provided by § 710.41(2) [while an appeal of a termination of parental rights is pending], and a petition has been filed for a rehearing within the time required.

Rights of Presumed (Putative) Fathers
Registry/Paternity Requirements to Receive Notice
Citation: §§ 710.33(1); 710.34(1)

The putative father must file, under oath, a verified notice before the child's birth.
The putative father must complete a Department of Public Health form.
The birth mother may file an ex parte petition that requests the court to notify the putative father about his rights to file a notice to claim paternity.

Please visit adoption law in Michigan for more details.

Yes, through both public and private adoption agencies.  For example, in 2004, Michigan had 6,669 children in the welfare system waiting to be adopted of whom 178 were under the age of 1 year, and 1,644 were between ages 1-5 years old. The actual number of children adopted through Michigan public child welfare agencies was only 2,801, which represents only a small portion of the total number of all Michigan adoptions (exact numbers are not available at this time).

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

Adoptaid of Greater Hopes, formerly known as Adoptions Of The Heart, Inc.
4350 Plainfield Avenue NE
Suite H
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
Phone: (616) 365-3166
Fax: (616) 365-9325

Adoption Associates, Inc.
1338 Baldwin Street
Jenison, MI 49428
Phone: (616) 667-0677
Fax: (616) 667-0920
Toll-Free: (800) 677-2367

Adoption Associates, Inc.
26105 Orchard Lake Road
Suite 301
Farmington Hills, MI 48334
Phone: (248) 474-0990
Toll-Free: (877) 257-3591

Adoption Associates, Inc.
4901 Towne Centre Road
Suite 235
Saginaw, MI 48604
Phone: (989) 497-5437

Adoption Associates, Inc.
800 Thomas L. Parkway
Suite 1
Lansing, MI 48917
Phone: (517) 327-1388
Toll-Free: (877) 869-4196

Adoption Consultants, Inc. (ACI)
32781 Middlebelt Road
Suite D
Farmington, MI 48334
Phone: (248) 737-0336
Fax: (248) 737-0349

AdoptionPros
517 Baldwin Street
Jenison, MI 49428
Phone: (616) 457-6537
Toll-Free: (800) 419-0289

Baptist Children's Home and Family Ministries, Inc.
214 North Mill Street
St. Louis, MI 48880
Phone: (989) 681-2171
Fax: (989) 956-5907
Toll-Free: (888) 464-9540

Bethany Christian Services (BCS)
PO Box 294
901 Eastern Avenue NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49501-0294
Phone: (612) 224-7617
Fax: (616) 224-7589
Toll-Free: (800) 238-4269

Bethany Christian Services
3886 Cass Road
Traverse City, MI 49684
Phone: (231) 995-0870
Fax: (231) 995-0871
Toll-Free: (800) 238-4269

Bethany Christian Services
6995 West 48th Street
Fremont, MI 49412-0173
Phone: (231) 924-3390
Fax: (231) 924-2848

Bethany Christian Services
1435 East 12 Mile Road
Madison Heights, MI 48071-2653
Phone: (248) 414-4080
Fax: (248) 414-4085
Toll-Free: (800) BET-HANY

Bethany Christian Services of Holland (BCS)
12048 James Street
Holland, MI 49424-9556
Phone: (616) 396-0623
Fax: (616) 396-2315
Toll-Free: (800) 238-4269

Bethany Christian Services of Southwest Michigan (BCS)
6687 Seeco Drive
Kalamazoo, MI 49009-5968
Phone: (269) 372-8800
Fax: (269) 372-8855
Toll-Free: (800) 238-4269

Bethany Christian Services of Southwest Michigan (BCS)
1602 North Main Street
Three Rivers, MI 49093
Phone: (269) 279-8003
Toll-Free: (800) 238-4269

Catholic Charities of Shiawassee and Genessee Counties
901 Chippewa Street
Flint, MI 48503
Phone: (810) 232-9950
Fax: (810) 232-7599

Catholic Charities of Shiawassee and Genessee Counties
120 West Exchange Street
Suite 204
Owosso, MI 48867
Phone: (989) 723-8239
Fax: (989) 723-8230

Catholic Family Services
1819 Gull Road
Kalamazoo, MI 49098
Phone: (269) 381-9800
Fax: (269) 381-2932

Catholic Social Services of Kent County
40 Jefferson SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Phone: (616) 456-1443
Fax: (616) 732-6390

Catholic Social Services of Oakland County
17500 West 8 Mile Road
Southfield, MI 48075
Phone: (248) 552-0750
Fax: (248) 552-9019

Catholic Social Services of Oakland County
50 Wayne Street
Pontiac, MI 48342
Phone: (248) 333-3700
Fax: (248) 333-3718

Catholic Social Services of St. Clair County
2601 13th Street
Port Huron, MI 48060
Phone: (810) 987-9100
Fax: (810) 987-9105

Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County
4925 Packard Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48108-1521
Phone: (734) 971-9781
Fax: (734) 971-2730

Catholic Social Services of the Upper Peninsula, Inc. (CSSUP)
N10199 Lake Road
Ironwood, MI 49938
Phone: (906) 932-0138
Fax: (906) 932-0338

Catholic Social Services of the Upper Peninsula, Inc. (CSSUP)
347 Rock Street
Marquette, MI 49855
Phone: (906) 227-9121
Phone: (906) 227-9119
Fax: (906) 228-2469

Catholic Social Services of the Upper Peninsula, Inc. (CSSUP)
427 South Stephenson
Suite 215
Iron Mountain, MI 49801
Phone: (906) 724-3323
Fax: (906) 744-2556
Toll-Free: (800) 878-6587

Catholic Social Services of the Upper Peninsula, Inc. (CSSUP)
623 Ludington
Suite 200
Escanaba, MI 49829
Phone: (906) 786-7212
Fax: (906) 786-0676

Catholic Social Services of the Upper Peninsula, Inc. (CSSUP)
616 Sheldon Avenue
Houghton, MI 49931
Phone: (906) 482-1624
Fax: (906) 482-8301

Catholic Social Services of the Upper Peninsula, Inc. (CSSUP)
517 West Easterday Avenue
Sault Suite Marie, MI 49783
Phone: (906) 635-1508
Fax: (906) 635-7369

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If you are looking for a child adoption agency simply click the link below for the state to see a list of the adoption agencies in that state.

Why You Need an Adoption Consultant

There are many risks when you go to adopt a child including losing a child after you have already taken them home (referred to as a disruption), loosing all of the money you have invested in the adoption if the birth mother changes her mind, or finding that there are previously unknown or undisclosed fees that may appear. Dr Berger has helped thousands of  adopting families with domestic adoptions and international adoptions and he is available to assist you no matter what type of adoption you chose to pursue and regardless of whether you work with an adoption agency, facilitator or adoption attorney.  He can help you save your  time, effort and money in helping you to decide what routes to take and the best way to achieve your goal of adopting a child. He can help reduce your risks and potential pain and can help you avoid many of the problems and pitfalls found in the adoption process. You can read and download his free adoption manual or, for more information on how he can help you, please visit his Adoption Consultant link or contact him by phone (1-800-943-0400) or email.

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