The good news? There are thousands of agencies and services offering adoption for couples across the country, and gay families like Cam, Mitchell, and adopted daughter Lily from ABC’s Modern Family are only increasing. The bad news? Some agencies may refuse gay couples their services because of a religious affiliation, personal beliefs or bias. There are also some agencies or services that aren’t completely forthcoming about their intentions or operations for both gay and straight couples.
Thankfully, that is not the norm, and many agencies are more than willing to provide gay and lesbian couples the same services as straight couples. Double thankfully, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has embarked on the All Children – All Families Initiative , a project that helps educate adoption agencies and child welfare professionals about LGBT families, and, in turn, educate LGBT families about adoption and foster care opportunities. Through this initiative, HRC has provided a list of agencies that have achieved and/or are seeking to achieve the All Children–All Families Seal of Recognition, which consists of meeting 10 benchmarks in LGBT cultural competency. We’ve listed the agencies that have achieved the HRC seal and/or are working with the HRC below.
Learn more about the project here
The agencies listed below are participating in the All Children – All Families initiative:
Agencies That Have Achieved The Seal of Recognition
These agencies have achieved all benchmarks of LGBT cultural competence and are fully welcoming of LGBT individuals and families:
Family Focus Adoption Services
54-40 Little Neck Parkway, Suite 4
Little Neck, NY 11362
Phone: (718) 224-1919
Toll Free: 1-866-855-1919
Fax: (718) 225-8360
www.familyfocusadoption.org
Services provided: Home studies, adoption from foster care, infant domestic adoption, welfare training
Additional Information: FAMILY FOCUS ADOPTION SERVICES welcomes all applicants. By policy, this agency does not discriminate on the basis of age, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or marital or financial status.
Forever Families Through Adoption Inc.
62 Bowman Avenue
Rye Brook, New York 10573
Phone: (914) 939-1180
Fax: (914) 939-1181
adopt@foreverfamiliesthroughadoption.org
www.foreverfamiliesthroughadoption.org
Services provided: Domestic adoption, International adoption, resources, and home study services.
Adoption Alliance
Denver, CO
www.adoptall.org
Services offered: Waiting Child adoptions, International adoptions, and therapeutic foster care. Domestically, they also offer Kinship, Designated, Second Parent and Custodial Adoption programs
Adoptions From The Heart
Wynnewood, PA
Services offered: Domestic adoption, International adoption home study, private adoption assistance
www.afth.org
Adoption Resources of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, WI
Services offered: foster care adoption
www.wiadopt.org
Adoptions Together
Silver Spring, MD
Services offered: Domestic adoption, International adoption, foster care adoption
www.adoptionstogether.org
Family Builders
Oakland & San Francisco, CA
Services offered: Foster care and adoption in California
www.cakidsconnection.org
Independent Adoption Center
San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Atlanta, GA
Indianapolis, IN
Raleigh, NC
Houston, TX
Toll Free: 1-800-877-OPEN
Services offered: Largest and one of the oldest fully open adoption agencies in the country and it has been instrumental in pioneering open adoption.
www.adoptionhelp.org
Los Angeles County Department of Children & Family Services
Pasadena, CA
Services offered: Adoptions from Foster Care
www.dcfs.lacounty.gov/adoptions
National Adoption Center
Philadelphia, PA
Services offered: The National Adoption Center expands adoption opportunities for children living in foster care throughout the United States, and is a resource to families and to agencies who seek the permanency of caring homes for children.
www.adopt.org
Penny Lane Centers
North Hills, CA
Services offered: Independent adoption, adoption through foster care
www.pennylane.org
Southern California Foster Family and Adoption Agency
Los Angeles, CA
Services offered: adoption through foster care, Adoption Home Study Services, Adoption Workshops, Post Placement Services and Post Adoption Services to prospective adoptive parents who are going through the Independent Adoption process with an attorney.
www.scffaa.org
Agencies That Have Completed Assessment
These agencies have completed their self-assessment and are working with the HRC Foundation to review their policies and practices as needed in order to be fully welcoming of LGBT individuals and families:
• Adopt A Special Kid (AASK), Oakland, CA
• Adoption & Counseling Services for Families Inc., Overland Park, KS
• Adoption Connection, San Francisco, CA
• Adoption Resource Associates, Cambridge, MA
• Alameda County Social Services Agency, Oakland, CA
• Anchor House, Trenton, NJ
• Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau, Shaker Heights, OH
• Casey Family Programs, Seattle, WA
• Child & Family Services Agency, Washington, DC
• Clark County Department of Family Services, Las Vegas, NV
• Devereux Arizona, Tucson, AZ
• Diakon Adoption and Foster Care, Mechanicsburg, PA
• Family to Family Adoptions Inc., Richmond, TX
• Five Acres Foster/Adoptive Family Agency, El Monte, CA
• Fostering Futures, Ypsilanti, MI
• Friends in Adoption, Middletown Springs, VT
• Hands Across The Water, Ann Arbor, MI
• Hillsborough Kids, Tampa, FL
• Klingberg Family Centers, New Britain, CT
• McKinley Children’s Center, Glendora, CA
• Midwest Foster Care and Adoption Association (MFCAA), Independence, MO
• Nathanson Adoption Services, Charlotte, NC
• New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services, Trenton, NJ
• New York Council on Adoptable Children, New York, NY
• Pact, An Adoption Alliance, Oakland, CA
• Project Patchwork Inc., St. Petersburg, FL
• TLC Child & Family Services, Sebastopol, CA
• Upper Bay Adoption & Counseling Services, Wilmington, DE
Reader-Recommended Gay Friendly Agencies
Kinship Center
Salinas, California (with various locations throughout CA)
Services offered: adoption, foster care, and adoption education
www.kinshipcenter.org
Open Adoption & Family Services
Portland and Eugene, OR
Seattle, WA
Services offered: Open adoption for gay and lesbian families
www.openadopt.org
Adoption Advocates
Austin, TX
Services offered: Open adoption. Adoption Advocates is a small, nonprofit, charitable adoption agency licensed by the State of Texas since 1991.
www.adoptionadvocates.net
Heartsent Adoptions, Inc.
Orinda, California and
Pasadena, California
454 S. Marengo Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91101
Phone: 626-793-8333
Fax: 626-793-2738
laadoptions@heartsent.org
Services offered: Domestic adoptions to California same-sex couples
www.heartsent.org
Adoption Advocates International
709 South Peabody
Port Angeles, WA 98362
Phone: 360-452-4777
Fax: 360-452-1107
www.adoptionadvocates.org
Services offered: International and domestic adoption
IC reader Julie says:
“My partner and I are adopting from Ethiopia. We are using Adoption Advocates International out of Washington. They’ve been fabulous.”
Other Adoption Resources in NY:
Lisa D. Maynard
Adoption Resource Network at Hillside Children’s Center
1183 Monroe Avenue
Rochester, NY 14620
Services Provided: Information, education, referral and support on all aspects of adoption and foster care.
Phone: (585) 256-7967
Fax: (585) 256-7555
Email: lmaynard@hillside.com
www.hillside.com
Carolyn N. Berger, LCSW
Chair
Adoption Advisory Council
The American Fertility Association
Email: cnberger@optonline.net
Phone: 914-834-6396
www.carolynberger.org
If you have a recommendation for this list or would like to be listed here, please Contact Us.
We are using Open Adoption and Family Services in Seattle. They are very gay friendly, and have never had an issue feeling anything less than welcomed by all of the counselors. http://www.openadopt.org.
Thanks Kristen, we are always looking to grow our resources, so we will add them to the list!
My partner and I just began thinking about adoption. Does anyone know of any resources in Illinois? We just don’t even know where to begin.
We are also using Open Adoption & Family Services through Portland Oregon. They have made us feel so welcome! We live in Oklahoma and are using them because of their openness to everyone.
Hands Across the Water in Ann Arbor, MI is no longer in the assessment stage, but has now achieved the Seal of Recognition from the HRC!
My name is Daniel, my partner and I are looking to adopt but not sure where to start. We live in Virginia and know it is almost impossible to adopt here together. Can anyone please help us? We have heard that we can adopt from another state is this true?
Hi, Daniel, I recommend you contact Rainbow Families DC. They have an adoption support group, an email list, etc., and can give advice and/or connect you with someone who can. We have friends who live in VA and adopted — it’s definitely possible!
Me and my parther have been thinking about children for awhile and we were looking into adoption agencies open to sam sex couples in Illinois and as well as artificial insemination and sperm banks. Any information will be helpful
I am the Volunteer Coordinator for JFSA (Jewish Family Service Agency) in Las Vegas, NV. We are a social services agency. While our focus is on the Jewish community, we serve all individuals without regard to religion, race, age, disability, sexual orientation, or national origin. Through our agency we offer an adoption program, Open Arms Adoptions. We help those deserving parents of ANY kind find a baby to help complete their family.
I am honored to work with the dedicated individuals I do and I just wanted to help spread the word of the wonderful things we do.