Looking for the best adoption agencies in California? Well, strap in because there are 40 of them! Oh wait, we didn’t even exhaust them.
If you are looking to adopt a child soon, then you must know that the best way to go about this is to work with an adoption agency.
California one of the metropolitan cities in the United States is crawling with these adoption agencies.
The most important thing to consider when looking for an adoption agency in California is whether or not they have experience with international adoptions.
Because if they don’t, then it could cost more than necessary and cause you to be disappointed with your results. Below we provide some information about the different adoption agencies in California and how you can contact them. Let’s dive in.
Overview of Adoption in California
California is the most populous state in the United States and has an average birth rate of 12.8 per 1,000 people, according to the latest census data. This means that there are a lot of families waiting to adopt children in California right now.
The death rate is also lower than in other states at 5.9 deaths per 1,000 people and as such there are fewer children available for adoption than in other places in America.
But even with all this competition for childless couples to adopt from California and its neighboring states like Nevada or Arizona, there may still be hope for you.
Why go Through Adoption Agencies in California?
There are many reasons why you should consider going through any of the adoption agencies in California.
- You want to avoid scams: Scams are common and can come from both private individuals and websites, but agencies have the experience and connections to help you weed out the bad ones.
They also have experience with local legislation, so they can tell you what’s legal or not.
Your prospective parent(s) must follow all applicable laws when adopting from another country.
- Adoption agencies in California have training and experience: Adoption agencies are staffed with professionals who know how the process works, including how long it takes, which countries require certification of eligibility of prospective parents (and what kind) before applications can even be considered, etc.
These professionals will also guide you through any paperwork necessary if you’re looking at international adoption or domestic foster care referrals as well as which type would work best for your situation.
What is the Cost of Adopting a Child in California?
Adoption costs vary depending on the agency, as well as where you’re located.
The average cost of adopting a child in California is $30,000 to $50,000. If you adopt through private agencies or attorneys, this cost may be significantly higher—from $60,000 to upwards of $100,000.
Foster care costs are not tax-deductible because they aren’t considered adoptive expenses under the IRS code. Now. let’s look at the list of adoption agencies in California.
The List of Adoption Agencies in California
These are the adoption agencies in California. Each of these agencies has many years of experience placing children into adoptive homes.
As an adoptive or birth parent, you will find it pleasant contracting the services of any of these adoption agencies in California:
Adopt International
- Address: 8 Keller Street, Petaluma, CA 94952
- Phone: (707) 570-2940
- Fax: (707) 570-2943
- Toll-Free: (800) 969-6665 birth parent hotline
Adopt International is a non-profit organization that works with families to help them adopt children from China, Russia, and other countries.
Adopt International is a member of the Council on Accreditation and has been accredited by the United States Department of State since 1997.
Adoption Connection
- Address: 1710 Scott Street, San Francisco, CA 94115-3004
- Phone: (415) 359-2494
- Fax: (415) 359-2490
- Toll-Free: (800) 972-9225
Adoption Connection is one of the adoption agencies in California that helps families through international, domestic, and special needs adoption.
They are a non-profit organization based in San Diego, California and they have been around for over 40 years.
If you’re interested in adopting through this organization, check out their website to find out what services they offer and how to contact them!
Adoption Network of Catholic Charities
- Address: 98 Bosworth Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94112
- Phone: (415) 406-2387
- Fax: (415) 406-2386
Catholic Charities is a nonprofit organization, which means that it is not funded by the government and relies on donations to provide adoption services to families of all faiths.
Catholic Charities has 12 locations throughout California, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles County, and San Diego County.
Adoptions Unlimited, Inc.
- Address: 4091 Riverside Drive, Suite 115 and 116, Chino, CA 91710
- Phone: (909) 902-1412
- Fax: (909) 902-1414
Adoptions Unlimited, Inc. has been in business since 1984 and is a non-profit adoption agency. Adoptions Unlimited, Inc. is also known as “AUI.”
The AUI program provides services to children who have been abused or neglected by their biological parents and to children whose biological parents were unable to meet their needs because of poverty, addiction, or other issues.
The program aims to provide these children with stable homes through adoption placement into loving families that can provide them with the care they need.
Alternative Family Services Adoption Agency
- Address: 250 Executive Park Boulevard, Suite 4900, San Francisco, CA 94134
- Phone: (415) 626-2700
- Fax: (415) 626-2760
- Toll-Free: (800) 300-1022
Alternative Family Services provides services to the following areas of California: Los Angeles County, Orange County, and San Diego County.
The agency is one of the adoption agencies in California licensed by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). It serves as a resource for families wanting to adopt kids from foster care and other related resources (such as adoption training).
Services include counseling and home studies for prospective adoptive parents who are interested in adopting a child through CDSS or an Independent Adoption Plan (IAP).
They also provide post-placement services such as support groups or referral services.
Aspira Foster and Family Services
- Address: 333 Gellert Boulevard, Suite 203, Daly City, CA 94015-2614
- Phone: (805) 654-6800
- Fax: (805) 654-6803
Aspira Foster and Family Services is a non-profit agency that provides services to children and families in the foster care system, as well as to children in need of adoption. The agency is passionate about helping at-risk children.
Aspira has offices across California, including locations in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange County.
Bethany Christian Services
- Modesto Address: 3048 Hahn Drive, Modesto, CA 95350-6503
- Phone: (209) 522-5121
- Fax: (209) 522-1499
- Toll-Free: (800) 454-0454
- La Mirada Address: 16700 Valley View Avenue, Suite 210, La Mirada, CA 90638
- Phone: (714) 994-0500
- Fax: (714) 994-0515
Chino Address: 14125 Telephone Avenue, Suite 12, Chino, CA 91710-5771
Phone: (909) 465-0057
Fax: (909) 628-8294
Bethany Christian Services is a non-profit organization that provides adoption services to families in the United States and around the world.
The organization, which is based in Michigan, was founded by a group of American Baptists who wanted to help orphaned children.
Bethany Christian Services is a member of the National Council for Adoption (NCFA).
It also partners with other adoption agencies throughout the world, including Russia, China, and South Korea.
Black Adoption Placement and Research Center
- Address: 7801 Edgewater Drive, Suite 2000, Oakland, CA 94621-2002
- Phone: (510) 430-3600
- Fax: (510) 430-3615
- Toll-Free: (800) 299-3678
The Black Adoption Placement and Research Center (BAPRC) was founded in 1974. It is located in Oakland, California.
The organization provides adoption services for African-American children, counseling services, foster care services, post-adoption services, pre-adoption services, and training services as well.
Catholic Charities Adoption Agency
- Address: 349 Cedar Street, San Diego, CA 92101-3197
- Phone: (619) 231-2828
- Fax: (619) 232-3807
- Toll-Free: (800) CARE002
Catholic Charities is a non-profit organization that offers adoption services. It has been a licensed child-placing agency for over 50 years and has helped place more than 5,000 children with families throughout California.
The Catholic Charities Adoption Agency provides free counseling to prospective (adoptive) parents and births parents before, during, and after an adoption.
They also provide legal services to help ensure the safety of all parties involved in an adoption.
Children’s Bureau
- Address: 3910 Oakwood Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90004-3487
- Phone: (323) 953-7356
- Fax: (323) 661-7306
The Children’s Bureau provides adoption and fosters care services. The adoption services include domestic, international, and foster care.
The foster care services include emergency, short-term, and long-term placements. Foster care services also include therapeutic, respite, and kinship placements.
Children’s Home Society of California
- Address: 1300 West Fourth Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017
- Toll-Free: (800) 564-9095
The Children’s Home Society of California is a non-profit adoption agency in the state.
The organization helps children who are in foster care or who have been removed from their homes and places them with families that want to adopt them.
The Children’s Home Society of California has several services available for people looking to adopt, including support groups and workshops on topics like parenting skills and healthy relationships.
If you’re interested in working with this agency, consider checking out their website for more information about what they do and how they can help you through the adoption process.
Chrysalis House, Inc. (CHI)
- Address: 4035 North Fresno Street, Suite 101, Fresno, CA 93726
- Phone: (559) 229-9862
- Fax: (559) 229-9863
- Toll-Free: (866) 272-3678
Chrysalis House, Inc. (CHI) is a non-profit agency that serves the greater Los Angeles area. They have helped over 2,000 children find homes through domestic adoption and foster care placement services.
They work with pregnant women who are considering placing their child for adoption, as well as those who are hoping to adopt a child of their own.
Chrysalis House helps you through every step of the process: from completing an application form to submitting background checks, from arranging meetings with birth parents to choosing your child’s adoptive family, or from delivering your baby at an approved hospital or birthing center to caring for them after they’re born; Chrysalis is one of the few adoption agencies in California that does it all.
Families First
- Address: 6507 4th Avenue, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95817
- Phone: (916) 641-9595
- Fax: (916) 641-9599
Families First is a non-profit adoption agency that has been in operation since 1955. It was founded to provide adoption services for children of all ages, including infants and older children.
Families First has offices in both Los Angeles and Orange Counties, with many of their clients living in the greater Los Angeles area.
Families for Children
- Address: 2201 Broadway, Suite 508, Oakland, CA 94612
- Phone: (510) 663-5250
- Fax: (510) 663-5255
- Toll-Free: (800) 955-2455
Families for Children is a licensed adoption agency that provides services to children in foster care.
The agency was founded in 1994 by parents who saw the need for an agency that focused on finding homes for children. Families for Children is located in Santa Ana, California, and has been serving families since then.
Family Builders by Adoption
- Address: 528 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610
- Phone: (510) 272-0204
- Fax: (510) 272-0277
Family Builders by Adoption is one of the private adoption agencies in California that is licensed by the state of California. Family Builders by Adoption is a non-profit adoption agency, meaning they are a non-profit organization providing services for the public.
Family Builders by Adoption serves as an adoption agency for families who live in California and families who plan to move to California after their child’s birth. Family Builders by Adoption also provides international adoptions.
They help couples or single persons who want to become parents through open adoption, same-sex, and transracial/transcultural adoptions, as well as closed adoptions and stepparent adoptions.
This means that if you’re looking for help getting pregnant via IVF or other fertility treatments (or if you already have children), this agency might not be right for you.
Family Connections Adoptions
- Address: 1401 El Camino Avenue, Suite 102, Sacramento, CA 95815
- Phone: (916) 568-5966
- Fax: (916) 568-6005
Family Connections Adoptions is a licensed non-profit adoption agency. It is based in Sacramento, California.
The agency is faith-based and private. Family Connections Adoptions offers domestic infant, international infant, and sibling placements through its program.
They do not place newborns with same-sex couples at this time, but they will accept applications from single parents who need help finding placement for their children.
Family Connections Christian Adoptions
- Address: 1120 Tully Road, Modesto, CA 95350
- Phone: (209) 524-8844
- Fax: (209) 578-9823
Family Connections Christian Adoptions is a non-denominational and non-profit adoption agency located in San Diego, California. The organization provides both domestic infant and sibling placements to families seeking to adopt children of all races.
Family Connections also takes referrals from other agencies, so be sure to check their website for details on the types of kids they have available and if they accept referrals from outside agencies.
Specialties: Domestic infant and sibling placements. Other services include counseling for birth mothers who plan on placing their child for adoption with an open adoption agreement or other legal services such as the power of attorney forms.
Family Linkage Adoption
- Address: 290 I.O.O.F. Avenue, Gilroy, CA 95020
- Phone: (408) 846-2130
- Fax: (408) 846-2419
Family Linkage Adoption is a family-based adoption agency. The agency provides adoption services for families with children and families with children in foster care.
The agency also provides adoption services to families with children in kinship care and to families with children in kinship care who are also in foster care.
Five Acres
- Address: 760 West Mountain View Street, Altadena, CA 91101
- Phone: (626) 798-6793
- Fax: (626) 585-1664
- Toll-Free: (800) 696-6793
Five Acres is one of the Christian adoption agencies in California, located in Los Angeles. They’re a non-profit and have been helping families find each other.
They work with pregnant women and families looking to adopt by providing counseling, home visits, and more services (including financial assistance) for expectant mothers as well as adoptive parents.
The fees for their services vary based on the type of service you’re seeking (if any). If you are interested in adopting through Five Acres, be sure to contact them directly for more information about their fees.
Future Families Adoption and Foster Care and Family Services
- Address: Future Families Office, 1671 The Alameda, Suite 201, San Jose, CA 95126
- Phone: (408) 298-8789
- Fax: (408) 298-8870
- Toll-Free: (800) 922-5437
Future Families Adoption and Foster Care and Family Services is a non-profit organization. It is one of the adoption agencies in California that is truly one of a kind.
Asides from being an adoption agency, FFAFCFS also tackles the problem of homelessness and angst among teenagers and youths.
They offer free counseling to depressed youths; in addition to the role, they play in finding homes for babies.
Hand in Hand Foundation
- Address: 200 Helen Court, Santa Cruz, CA 95065
- Phone: (831) 476-1866
- Fax: (831) 476-9287
Hand in Hand Foundation is a non-profit organization, meaning it’s been established by people who want to use their resources to benefit the community. This type of foundation generally has a charitable purpose and isn’t for profit.
The Hand in Hand Foundation is also a Christian organization, meaning its religious beliefs are based on Christianity.
If you’re looking for an agency that shares your faith but not necessarily your religion (or vice versa), this may be important information for you to consider when choosing an adoption agency that works well with your family values and beliefs.
Faith-based organizations often offer counseling services as part of their mission, so if finding someone who can help you cope with the stressors related to infertility or adoption is important to you then this could be worth exploring further when researching agencies near California.
Holy Family Services – Counseling and Adoption
- Address: 1403 South Main Street, Santa Ana, CA 92707-1790
- Phone: (714) 835-5551
- Fax: (714) 973-4971
Holy Family Services is a Catholic agency that offers adoption, foster care, and counseling. They are located in Los Angeles. Their services include:
- Adoption services
- Counseling services
- Domestic and international adoptions
They have a wide range of programs and resources, including an accredited counseling program for birth mothers, post-adoption support groups for adoptive families, and family resource centers in the San Fernando Valley (Van Nuys) and East Los Angeles. They are also accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA).
Holy Family Services Adoption & Foster Care (HFS)
- Address: 402 South Marengo Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101-3113
- Phone: (626) 432-5680
- Fax: (626) 578-7321
- Toll-Free: (800) 464-2367
Holy Family Services Adoption & Foster Care (HFS) is a non-profit, non-sectarian agency that provides professional guidance to families who are interested in adopting children.
The agency is licensed by the California Department of Social Services, and it is a member of the National Association of Private Adoption Agencies (NAPAA).
HFS was founded as an organization that offers services like home studies, training and education programs for prospective parents (including stepfathers), risk evaluation reports on potential foster parents, and adoptions specialists who guide prospective parents through the process of selecting an adoptive child.
Hope 4 Kids Adoption
- Address: PO Box 1235, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92693
- Phone: (949) 496-9430
- Fax: (949) 496-3042
Hope 4 Kids Adoption is a non-profit adoption agency in California. Hope 4 Kids Adoption has a network of more than 1,000 adoption professionals across the country.
Their goal is to provide families with access to children who are legally free for adoption.
International Christian Adoptions
- Address: 41745 Rider Way, #2, Temecula, CA 92590
- Phone: (951) 695-3336
- Fax: (951) 308-1753
- Toll-Free: (888) 507-9360
International Christian Adoptions (ICA) is a non-profit, faith-based adoption agency that works with couples who want to adopt internationally.
Kinship Center
- Address: 124 River Road, Salinas, CA 93908
- Phone: (831) 455-4706
- Fax: (831) 495-4789
The Kinship Center is a non-profit organization that helps children and families in need.
The agency has been in operation since 1979 and has helped over 11,000 children through its various programs.
In addition to providing adoption services, Kinship Center also offers counseling services for prospective parents, including pre-adoption counseling, post-placement visits, and support groups.
The agency currently has over 1,000 families on its waiting lists to adopt.
Kern Bridges Youth Homes Adoption Agency (KBYH)
- Address: 1321 Stine Road, Bakersfield, CA 93309
- Phone: (661) 396-2301
- Fax: (661) 396-2349
Kern Bridges Youth Homes Adoption Agency (KBYH) is a private, non-profit organization that provides services to children and families in Kern County.
They provide information about adoption, parenting, domestic violence, and family law. The agency’s goal is to help families form strong bonds while they are in the foster care system or other out-of-home placements.
KBYH offers different services including case management, counseling for parents and children, and advocacy support during court proceedings regarding child custody cases.
In addition, they also offer residential treatment programs for delinquent youths who have been referred by juvenile court judges.
Lilliput Children’s Services
- Address: 1610 Arden Way, Suite 273, Sacramento, CA 95815
- Phone: (916) 923-5444
- Fax: (916) 923-2365
- Toll-Free: (800) 325-5359
Lilliput Children’s Services is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children and families in need. Lilliput Children’s Services provides adoption services, foster care, family preservation services, and foster family recruitment.
Lilliput Children’s Services helps children find permanent homes through adoption or reunification with their birth families.
They also help children who cannot return home be adopted by relatives, other members of the child’s extended family, or by other families with whom they have formed bonds while in protective custody.
McKinley Children’s Center
- Address: 762 West Cypress Street, San Dimas, CA 91773
- Phone: (909) 599-1227
- Toll-Free: (877) 917-1211
McKinley Children’s Center is a non-profit child welfare agency that provides adoption and foster care services to children and families in San Diego County.
Nightlight Christian Adoptions
- Address: 4430 E Miraloma Drive Suite B, Anaheim Hills, CA 92807
- Phone: 714-693-5437, 888-933-2237 (birth mother 24/7 line)
If you’re looking to adopt a child in California, Nightlight Christian Adoptions might be the right agency for you.
This non-profit adoption agency is based in San Jose and has been helping families adopt children.
Nightlight Christian Adoptions is accredited by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) and a member of the Association of Christian Adoption Agencies (ACAA).
Olive Crest Adoption Services
- Address: 2130 East Fourth Street, Suite 200, Santa Ana, CA 92705
- Phone: (714) 543-5437
- Fax: (714) 543-5463
- Toll-Free: (800) 550-2445
Olive Crest Adoption Services is a private, non-profit agency that has been providing adoption services to California families since 1955.
Olive Crest is one of the adoption agencies in California that is licensed by the State of California and is accredited by the Council on Accreditation.
Optimist Community Services
- Address: 7330 North Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90041
- Phone: (323) 341-5561
- Fax: (323) 257-6418
- Toll-Free: (800) 454-5561
Services Offered by OCS: Adoption and referrals, family counseling and therapy, parenting classes, support groups for parents who have lost a child to adoption or foster care adoption failures, etc. court-mandated therapy services for those seeking to adopt children with special needs including medical issues such as Down syndrome or autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
They also provide counseling services for adoptive parents who are struggling with the challenges of raising an adopted child who has experienced trauma during their early life which could include abuse or neglect etc.
Partners for Adoption
- Address: 7330 North Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90041
- Phone: (323) 341-5561
- Fax: (323) 257-6418
- Toll-Free: (800) 454-5561
Partners for Adoption is a private nonprofit adoption agency that has been in operation for over 30 years.
Partners are based in Los Angeles and help families adopt children from foster care, as well as assist birth parents to find loving families for their children.
They specialize in placing children with special needs (such as older kids and sibling groups) as well as international adoptions.
PACT, an Adoption Alliance
- Address: 4179 Piedmont Avenue, Suite 330, Oakland, CA 94611
- Phone: (510) 243-9460
- Fax: (510) 243-9970
- Toll-Free: (800) 750-7950
PACT is one of the non-profit adoption agencies in California that has been helping families for over 50 years.
As a member of the National Council for Adoption and accredited by The Joint Commission, PACT offers services to children and their birth families in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties.
Sierra Adoption Services
Sierra Adoption Services is a small, independent, but reputable adoption agency based in Grass Valley, CA.
They are members of both the National Council for Adoption (NCFA) and the Christian Alliance for Orphans.
Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services
- Address: 3200 Motor Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90034
- Phone: (310) 836-1223
- Fax: (310) 836-3863
- Toll-Free: (888) 228-4782
Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services is one of the reputable adoption agencies in California.
It is a non-profit organization that provides care for children and their families in the Bay Area.
They work to provide a safe, nurturing environment where children can grow and thrive while encouraging them to develop their skills and interests.
The Family Network, Inc.
- Address: 820 Bay Avenue, Suite 206, Capitola, CA 95010
- Phone: (831) 462-8954
- Fax: (831) 462-8958
The Family Network is a non-profit organization that provides mental health services for individuals, couples, and families in the community.
They offer counseling and support groups, as well as educational programs.
They also provide free parenting classes to help parents learn how to raise their children healthily.
True to Life Children’s Services
- Address: 1800 North Gravenstein Highway, PO Box 2079, Sebastopol, CA 95473
- Phone: (707) 823-7300
- Fax: (707) 823-3410
TLC is one of the most popular adoption agencies in California. Save for the fact that we have ranked our list alphabetically, this adoption agency would have been higher on this list.
This is a non-profit organization that provides services to children and families who are experiencing difficult circumstances.
They provide a wide range of services, including family-centered counseling, foster care case management, behavioral health services, and transitional living programs.
Westside Children’s Center
- Address: 12120 Wagner Street, Culver City, CA 90230
- Phone: (310) 390-0551
- Fax: (310) 397-2213
Westside Children’s Center is a private, non-profit agency that provides adoption and foster care services to children, birth parents, and adoptive parents in Los Angeles County. The agency has been helping children in foster care find permanent homes.
They are one of the adoption agencies that can help you through every step of the process: from choosing an adoption professional to selecting appropriate adoption documents; from reviewing your home study results with their staff members to attending court hearings with you; from helping your child understand why he or she is being adopted by you—to helping him or she adjust after the adoption takes place.
Wrapping It Up
Now that you have read our list of adoption agencies in California, we hope that you are ready to begin your search.
The most important thing to remember is that there are many adoption agencies in California, so don’t be discouraged if the first few places you contact aren’t able to help you right away.
Just keep looking until you find an agency or adoption lawyer who can offer assistance with your adoption process.