Adoption Services

Eligibility

For Birth Parents

Catholic Charities offers free counseling to any birth parent who may be considering adoption. Whether you move forward with an adoptive placement decision or you decide to parent, our staff is here to support both you and your decision.

We will explain how the adoption process works and will prepare you for every step of the way.

Please read our Birth Parent FAQs or contact our office with any questions you may have.

For Adoptive Families

Building a family through adoption can be both an exciting and lengthy journey.

We begin with an orientation meeting where families have the opportunity to discuss the adoption process with Catholic Charities staff. While timelines differ for each adoptive family, you can expect to experience the following if you decide to adopt through our agency:

Homestudy
The homestudy approval completion is the first step after an orientation meeting toward building your family. The homestudy consists of joint and individual interviews, references, medical statements, financial statements, criminal background clearances, a site and safety check of your home as well as other required documentation.

Catholic Charities is a licensed adoption agency through the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services and we can complete your homestudy.

Placement
A child can join your family just as soon as the child you are looking for is identified. Answering how long it will take to receive a placement is impossible to do. The best advice we can offer is to tell our families to be proactive.

Legalization
Following an adjustment period, your adoption will be finalized in approximately six months (as is required in Ohio). Catholic Charities can help complete the paperwork and filing in court.

Ongoing Support
Adoption is a life-long commitment and Catholic Charities is there every step of the way to provide additional services that address the unique challenges of adoptive families, including specialized counseling, background information, access to other community-support services and more.

Learn More

If you have further questions, please read our Adoptive Family FAQs or contact our office for more information.