ADOPTION
The Journey To Forever Starts Here
Let Agape Help Equip You To Answer God’s Call To Care For Vulnerable Children.
Agape seeks loving, Christian families to provide forever homes for vulnerable children. We see our adoptive families as ministry partners. Families come to Agape hoping to adopt for many reasons.
Agape will help identify your family’s strengths and work to equip and prepare you to meet the needs of the child you will parent. From your first contact with us, to the home study, to the waiting, to the placement, and after; Agape will walk this journey with you.
ADOPTION
DOMESTIC ADOPTION
Agape helps expectant parents, and the adoptive family, to make the adoption plan that best meets the needs of the child.
- Residents of Alabama
- Good health, as confirmed by medical exams
- Faithful, active Christians whose life is consistent with Agape’s Statements of Affirmation & Faith.
- Married for a minimum of 3 years at time of approval.
- At least 25 years of age
- Couples must complete Prepare and Enrich marriage assessment with Agape’s Child and Family Therapist.
- Must be willing to have some level of openness with child’s birth family post adoption.
- Agape does approve single parents on a case by case basis.
- Review eligibility requirements with an Agape representative and submit Application for Services
- Begin gathering paperwork for home study: obtaining medical exams, criminal background clearances, parent-preparation training, register for Prepare & Equip Assessment, and financial and identification verifications
- A minimum of 3 home visits with an Agape social worker to complete the home study process
- Prepare a profile book with Agape’s assistance. This will be used to present your family to expectant parent(s) who are considering making an adoption plan.
- Wait period of approximately 2-3 years
- Post placement visits, legal services for finalization coordinated by Agape
- Post placement counseling and support
- Agape is committed to helping our families with the financial constraints of adoption. We partner with Your Adoption Finance Coach to assist our families in creating a comprehensive financial plan for their journey which includes support with grants, loans, fundraising and even the adoption tax credit. For more information click here
Interested in domestic adoption? Contact us our adoption team at 205-733-9755
ADOPTION
INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION
Agape provides home study, post placement & post adoption services to families.
Agape is Hague-accredited through the Council on Accreditation (COA) to provide services to prospective adoptive parent(s) pursuing an international adoption.
Agape’s Adoption Team provides skilled, knowledgeable services to prospective adoptive families seeking to adopt a child through international adoption. Our home study process is designed to assist prospective adoptive families in preparing for the joys and challenges of parenting an internationally adopted child. Our goal is to assist adoptive parents in identifying their strength and need areas, while learning about the complex needs of adopted children and preparing to parent such a child. Agape’s home study social workers are prepared to support a family through their home study process all the way through the completion of post placement and/or post adoption reports. Inter-Country Home Study Only Eligibility Requirements- Residents of Alabama
- Good health, as confirmed by medical exams
- Faithful, active Christian(s) whose life is consistent with Agape’s Statements of Affirmation & Faith.
- Marriage requirements vary from country to country but Agape recommends 3 years at time of approval
- Clearance from ABI/FBI background check and Child Abuse/Neglect Registry for each state/country each parent has lived in since age 18.
- At least 25 years of age
- Applicant/s must be willing to complete First Aid/CPR certification
- Applicant/s must be willing to comply with Agape of Central Alabama’s Adoption Education requirements.
- Applicant/s must be willing to comply with Agape’s Discipline Policy
- Schedule an informational meeting with a member of Agape’s Adoption team to review eligibility requirements and initial agency documents
- Submit application for services
- Begin gathering paperwork for home study: obtaining medical exams, criminal background clearances, parent-preparation training, and financial and identification verifications
- Complete Agape’s required home study education
- A minimum of 3 home visits with an Agape social worker to complete the home study process
- Meet with a member of Agape’s Therapeutic Services Team to complete Prepare Enrich
- Receive your finalized home study
- Support & further preparation while you await match & prepare for travel
- Complete post placement/post adoption visits with your adoption home study social worker
- Post placement counseling and support
- Agape is committed to helping our families with the financial constraints of adoption. We partner with Your Adoption Finance Coach to assist our families in creating a comprehensive financial plan for their journey which includes support with grants, loans, fundraising and even the adoption tax credit. For more information click here
For more information on Agape’s inter-country adoption program our adoption team
205-733-9755
ADOPTION STORIES
Adoption is a truly life-changing experience—for the child and the families involved. Agape invites you to share this experience through the stories of those who’ve adopted through our services.
AGAPE
ADOPTION FAQ
Total adoption costs paid to Agape: $17,935-$23.435
Fees paid to Agape for domestic adoption include: an application fee, a case management fee, Prepare and Enrich fee, home study fee, post placement services fee and a final placement fee. The final placement fee is based on a sliding scale and determined by a family’s most current 1040.
** Above total does not include fees paid to outside services including legal fees required for finalization.
The wait time for adoption can vary greatly. Agape’s current average wait time is approximately 18 months to 2 years. However, some families’ wait time can exceed 3 years. Agape works diligently to provide birth parents with adoptive families that fit their preferences, but ultimately the choice of adoptive family lies within their hands. Because of this, adoptive families need to prepare for a certain level of uncertainty and unpredictability in their wait time.
This is a common question that is asked when discussing openness with the adopted child’s birth family. Agape requires that adoptive families agree to, at minimum, a “semi-open” adoption. This means that the adoptive family must be at least willing to send photographs and letters to the birth parents through the agency. Every birth parent is different in his/her request for openness just as every adoptive parent is different in his/her comfort level with openness. It is important to remember that the relationship between adoptive parents and birth parent(s) is a unique one and will evolve over time. Some adoptive families start with a “semi-open” adoption and gradually progress to a more open adoption as the relationships grows. Agape’s social workers will assist adoptive families in exploring the levels of openness and finding the level of openness that is best for the child, birth parent(s), and the adoptive family.
The number of adoptions each year depends on the number of pregnant women Agape serves and the number of those women who make an adoption plan for her child. In recent years, the average number of placements per year typically range from six-nine. Agape closely evaluates the number of families who are waiting for a placement and the number of pregnant women who are currently being served by the agency in an effort to keep the time that the adoptive families wait for placement reasonable.