Adoption Agencies in Missouri

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 Missouri (some of what you can and can't do) and then provide you with information on children available for adoption in Missouri.  We then relate how we can assist you during the adoption process, and finally we provide a list of licensed Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri 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: Ann. Stat. § 568.175

A person, agency, or other organization commits the crime of trafficking in children if he or it offers, gives, receives, or solicits any money, consideration, or other thing of value for the delivery or offer of a child for adoption, or for the execution of a consent to future adoption.

State Regulation of Adoption Expenses
Birth Parent Expenses Allowed
Citation: § 453.075(1)

Hospital, medical, or physician expenses incurred by the mother or the child
Counseling services for the parent or child for a reasonable time before and after the placement for adoption
Expenses incurred in having any needed assessments made
Reasonable legal expenses, court costs, travel, and other administrative expenses in connection with the adoption
Reasonable living expenses, including food, shelter, utilities, transportation, and clothing
Any other services or items the court finds reasonably necessary

Birth Parent Expenses Not Allowed
Citation: § 453.075(2)

Payments that the court finds unreasonable
Any payment not permitted by law

Allowable Payments for Arranging Adoption
Citation: § 568.175

It is a felony for any organization to engage in child trafficking by soliciting, offering, or giving money for the delivery of a child for adoption.

Allowable Payments for Relinquishing Child
Citation: § 568.175

It is a felony to give or receive anything of value for the execution of consent to adoption, or waiver of consent for future adoption or termination of parental rights.

Accounting of Expenses Required by Court
Citation: § 453.075(1)

The petitioner must file with the court a signed and verified full accounting of all payments made, agreed to be made, or promised in connection with the adoption.

Consent to Adoption
Who Must Consent to an Adoption
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 453.030

The written consent of the following persons shall be required:
The mother
Only the man who is presumed to be the father, if he has acted to establish paternity no later than 15 days after the birth of the child, or has filed with the putative father registry
The child's current adoptive parents or other legally recognized parent

Age When Consent of Adoptee is Considered or Required
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 453.030

A child who is age 14 or older must consent to the adoption, except where the court finds that the child lacks sufficient mental capacity.

When Parental Consent is not Needed
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 453.040

The consent to the adoption of a child is not required of:
A parent whose rights to the child have been terminated
A parent of a child who has legally consented to a future adoption of the child
A parent whose identity is unknown and cannot be ascertained at the time of the filing of the petition
A man who has not been established to be the father and who is not presumed by law to be the father and who, after the conception of the child, executes a verified statement denying paternity and disclaiming any interest in the child
A parent or other person who has not executed a consent and fails to respond to notice
A parent who has a mental condition that is shown by competent evidence either to be permanent or such that there is no reasonable likelihood that the condition can be reversed and that renders the parent unable to knowingly provide the child the necessary care, custody, and control
A parent who has for a period of at least 6 months for a child age 1 or older, or at least 60 days for a child under age 1, immediately prior to the filing of the petition for adoption, willfully abandoned the child or, for a period of at least 6 months immediately prior to the filing of the petition for adoption, willfully, substantially, and continuously neglected to provide the child with necessary care and protection

When Consent Can Be Executed
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 453.030

The written consent of the birth mother shall not be executed anytime before the child is 48 hours old.

Revocation of Consent
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 453.030

Written consent may be withdrawn anytime until it has been reviewed and accepted by a judge.

Rights of Presumed (Putative) Fathers
Registry/Paternity Requirements to Receive Notice
Citation: §§ 453.030; 192.016

The putative father may file prior to the child's birth, or within 15 days after the child's birth, a notice of intent to claim paternity or an acknowledgment of paternity form.
Registration requires a completed Department of Health form.

Please visit adoption law in Missouri for more details.

Yes, through both public and private adoption agencies.  For example, in 2004, Missouri had 3,391 children in the welfare system waiting to be adopted of whom 196 were under the age of 1 year, and 996 were between ages 1-5 years old. The actual number of children adopted through Missouri public child welfare agencies was only 1,391, which represents only a small portion of the total number of all Missouri adoptions (exact numbers are not available at this time).

Remember that while you may be a resident of Missouri, you are not limited to adopting a child from Missouri.  You can adopt a child born in Missouri, 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 Missouri, 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 Haven
215 South Kirkwood Road
Suite 202
St. Louis, MO 63122
Phone: (314) 822-5708

Adoption and Beyond, Inc.
6711 East 55th Street
PO Box 481051
Kansas City, MO 64129
Phone: (816) 822-2800
Fax: (913) 381-6909

Bethany Christian Services
1 McBride and Son Corporate Center Drive
Suite 210
Chesterfield, MO 63054
Phone: (636) 536-6363
Fax: (636) 536-6262

Butterfield Youth Services (BYS)
1180 Highway WW
PO Box 333
Marshall, MO 65340
Phone: (660) 886-2253
Fax: (660) 886-6601

Catholic Charities of Kansas City/St. Joseph, Inc
1112 Broadway
Kansas City, MO 64105
Phone: (816) 221-4377
Fax: (800) 221-9116
Toll-Free: (800) 875-4377

Catholic Services for Children and Youth
#20 Archbishop May Drive
St. Louis, MO 63119
Phone: (314) 792-7400
Fax: (314) 792-7438

Christian Family Services
7955 Big Bend Boulevard
Webster Groves, MO 63119
Phone: (314) 968-2216
Fax: (314) 968-2335

Faith House
5355 Page Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63112
Phone: (314) 367-5400

LIGHT House
7110 Wyandotte
Kansas City, MO 64114
Phone: (816) 361-2233
Fax: (816) 361-8333

Love Basket, Inc.
10306 State Highway 21
Hillsboro, MO 63050
Phone: (636) 797-4100
Fax: (636) 789-4978

Missouri Alliance for Children and Families L.L.C. (MACF)
3411-B Knipp Drive
Jefferson City, MO 65109
Phone: (573) 556-8090
Fax: (573) 632-2761
Toll-Free: (888) 974-7035

Our Little Haven
4326 Lindell Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63108
Phone: (314) 531-3183 ext. 238

The Children's Home Society of Missouri (CHS)
9445 Litzsinger Road
Brentwood, MO 63144
Phone: (314) 968-2350
Fax: (314) 968-4239

The Family Conservancy
3100 NE 83rd Street
Suite 1401
Kansas City, MO 64119
Phone: (816) 436-0486
Fax: (816) 436-0973

Universal Adoption Services (UAS)
1905 Cole Drive
Jefferson City, MO 65109
Phone: (573) 634-3733

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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