Christian Adoption Agencies

Choosing between Christian adoption agencies that you love can seem like a mind-boggling task. It may feel like there are so many options to narrow down and you’re unsure of where to start. Don’t worry; you’re not alone and it is possible to pick the adoption agency that ticks all your boxes. Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you find the right Christian adoption agency for you:

• Do you want to go through a local agency or an agency further away?
• What are the beliefs of Christian adoption agencies?
• Will I be able to see what kind of families are a part of these agencies?
• How can I compare Christian and secular adoption agencies?
• What kind of support will I get going through a Christian agency?

Local or National?

Is distance a dealbreaker for you? A good place to start looking for a Christian adoption agency is to see if there are any in your town/city, county, and state. If you’re unable to find one near you or you’re willing to broaden your search, you can look for agencies that are across the country. Odds are there is one near you that would love to help you with your adoption journey.

However, if the distance is a problem, then some adoption agencies can assist you financially. For example, The Gladney Center of Adoption has many services specifically geared towards pregnant mothers, their partners, and their families. They can help with housing, doctor and hospital visits, legal costs, counseling, planning for your future after the adoption process is over, and more. And while they are based in Texas, they provide services both around the country and the world.

Beliefs

Whether you were raised in a Christian home, know about Christianity, or just stumbled upon information about a Christian agency, it can be common to wonder what exactly these agencies believe and stand for. Most Christian agencies have similar beliefs and “mission statements” about who they serve, what they do, and why they do it.

Adoption is a picture of how God accepts us

Many Christians, and Christian adoption agencies, look at adoption as a beautiful representation of how God adopts them into His family. Regardless of what an individual has gone through, what their past is like, and what the choices they will make in the present day and in the future, God readily accepts those who are willing to have their lives transformed by Him. Not only is it about believing, but it’s about accepting Jesus Christ as one’s Lord over their lives, having a relationship with Him, and growing in their walk with God.  

If you were to ask almost any parent if they would still love their child(ren) after they did something awful, most moms and dads would say, “Yes, absolutely. My love for my child will never run out.” Of course, we’re imperfect human beings who tend to stumble and fall time and time again. God’s love is completely perfect and unconditional, meaning that no matter what someone does or how far away they are from Him, that love will never fade. 

Adoption is taking in a child that isn’t theirs by blood or genetics and literally having them join the family in every aspect of the word. Once a child is theirs “legally” they will have the same name and rights that the adoptive parents do. How wonderful is that? In the same way, God calls us His children when we accept Him into our lives. 

The Bible talks a lot about adoption

Adoption is actually in the Bible quite a bit. A Google search on “adoption Bible verses” will pull up many results. Here are a few verses:

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” Psalms 68:5

“In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will . . . ” Ephesians 1:5

“He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.” Deuteronomy 10:18

These verses explain exactly how God loves His children and adopts them into His family. But did you know that the Bible also mentions some actual adoption stories? That’s right; there are a few people written in the Bible that were adopted, so this isn’t a foreign concept to many Christians.

One of the very first adoptions was the story of Moses. During a very dark time in Israelite history, the Egyptian people had the Israelites (the people of God) enslaved and treated them terribly. The Egyptian Pharaoh felt threatened by the Israelites populating and made the atrocious decision to have all the baby boys killed. An Israelite woman named Jochebed had a baby boy during this time and didn’t want to see her son get murdered. She made the selfless choice to put her son in a basket down the river to ensure that the soldiers wouldn’t find him. His older sister Miriam kept an eye on him by following him on the riverbank. Ironically, the Pharaoh’s daughter was bathing in the river with her servants when she saw the basket coming towards them. She had one of her servants grab the basket, and saw the crying baby boy. The English Standard Version (or ESV) of the Bible said that she took pity on him and knew that he was one of the Hebrew boys. She called him “Moses” because she drew him from the water. His name is literally his story. Miriam then asked Pharaoh’s daughter if she wanted a wet nurse for him, and was able to have Jochebed raise him until he was done nursing. When he became older, she brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter to be raised as her son. You can read that story in its entirety in Exodus 2.

There isn’t a lot of background on the story of Esther, but we’re told she was raised by her cousin Mordecai due to her parents passing away. Throughout her story, it’s easy to see that he was a great influence and raised her well. She married a king and ended up saving all the Jews from genocide in a culture where women typically didn’t have a lot of rights and freedoms. You can read the book of Esther for the details on this incredible story.

Jesus Christ (yes, the Son of God) was adopted by his stepfather, Joseph. Even though Jesus was fully God, he was still fully human. He wasn’t brought up in royalty; Joseph was a humble carpenter and Jesus followed in his footsteps until he began his ministry in his early 30s. There isn’t a lot of information about Joseph other than him being a descendent of King David. That was why Jesus was born in Bethlehem; Joseph had to go there to register for the census decreed by the Roman emperor and brought Mary with him. The only other times Joseph is mentioned is when he had a dream to flee to Egypt when King Herod wanted to have all the baby boys killed and again when Jesus was 12 years old. The family went to the temple in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, and that was the last time Joseph is mentioned. It’s speculated that he passed away sometime between the visit to the Jerusalem temple and Jesus beginning his ministry.

Their mission is usually to minister to the children

Just like the verses in Psalms and Deuteronomy, it’s easy to see that God’s heart is really for those who don’t have families of their own. Many Christians pray that God will give them a heart to serve and minister to others. Adopting a child can be a great way to do this. Your child will be surrounded with love, support, and an understanding that biology doesn’t really affect their place in the family.

Families

Many Christian adoption agencies have parent profiles either on their websites or physically at their offices. Usually, there will be information about if they have any kids, ethnicities, ages, pets, where they live, and so much more. Additionally, they may explain why they decided to adopt and sometimes even describe the kind of relationship that they want with the birth mother.

Some agencies will let you message the parents directly, call them on the phone, or visit in person. This is a great time to ask questions you might have about them, their parenting styles, or other family dynamics. You as the birth mother have the ultimate control to choose the prospective family to adopt your child. It’s imperative to get to know the families to see if they’re the perfect fit for you.

Here are some questions that you could ask families when meeting them:

• Why did you decide to go through a Christian adoption agency?

• Are you planning on raising the child with the same values that you have?

• How is your Christian faith and your desire to adopt intertwined with each other?

Every family will have different reasons for why they want to adopt. They may not be able to have children biologically due to infertility problems, they want to help children in need, or they want to grow their family biologically and through adoption. Regardless of their side motivations, the main motivation is usually the same: to serve God and glorify Him in all that they do. James 1:27 (ESV version) says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction…” It’s obvious that God loves and cares for those in need and wants Christians to have His heart for them, too.

Differences in Christian Adoption Agencies and Secular Adoption Agencies

There are some similarities and differences between Chrisitan agencies and other agencies:

Similarities

Just like the state’s welfare system, Christian agencies will adhere to the same laws and regulations. Adoptive parents and birth families have to go through the courts to get everything squared away. They also have to respect the various other laws whether they are federal, state, and local.

Unless the adoption is private, other adoptive families using different agencies will have access to the same children. Regardless of the family and agency, everyone is able to “throw their hat in the ring” so to speak.

Differences

In a Christian agency, everyone who is associated with the agency tend to have the same faith and beliefs. Social workers, counselors, and volunteers are typically all considered Christians. They should be able to help you spiritually and even pray for you, if you desire. This support is different from a secular agency and you wouldn’t necessarily receive those services if you went through a different agency.

Typically, the families connected with Christian agencies are heterosexual, married couples. Other agencies have singles, unmarried couples, etc. Some may think this is “closed-minded”, but most Christians believe that the family dynamic should be between one man and one woman joined in the union of marriage. If you are fine with not having a wider variety of singles or other couples to choose from, then you can keep going with choosing a Christian adoption agency.

Christian Adoption Agencies

The main purpose of the Christian people and the Christian adoption agencies is simple: to love those with who they come in contact with. You won’t feel judged by choosing to place your child with an adoptive family. Many Christian adoptive families are more than willing to maintain a relationship with you and let you still be in the child’s life. Your child can be so loved and adored by their new family. Not only that, but you may receive endless support from your caseworkers, counselors, and other support groups. There are some similarities and differences between Christian and secular adoption agencies, but it’s still important to find the right fit for you and your child. You get to decide which agency you go through and which family you choose. Don’t make a decision if you’re not 100% in it. You got this.