It’s completely natural to feel overwhelmed when considering adoption. Whether you’re exploring adoption as a birth parent, prospective adoptive parent, or simply seeking to understand your options in Oregon, taking the time to clarify your path is a wise and caring step. You don’t have to navigate this alone—and you have the ability to make thoughtful, informed decisions. Schedule an appointment now, and we’d love to walk you through your options.
What to Know About Adoption in Oregon
Before diving into specific agencies and programs, it’s helpful to understand some foundational details about how adoption works in Oregon. This knowledge can give you greater confidence as you explore options.
Types of Adoption in Oregon
In Oregon, there are several paths to adoption—and each has its own nuances. Knowing them helps you choose the best fit. According to the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), these types include:
- Adoption of children in foster care (when a child in state custody cannot reunify with birth parents and adoption becomes the planned permanency path).
- Private/adoption agency placements (infants or children placed via licensed private adoption agencies).
- Independent/non-departmental adoptions (such as step-child, relative, or friend adoptions) where the child is not in foster care under ODHS.
Licensing & Oversight
In Oregon, adoption agencies (often called “Adoption Agencies (AA)” under the licensing code) must be licensed to perform certain tasks such as home studies, identifying children for adoption, securing consents and monitoring placements. This means when you’re looking at “adoption agencies near me,” you’ll want to confirm they’re licensed, experienced, and clear about their services.
What You’ll Want to Ask
When evaluating an adoption agency in Oregon, here are key questions to guide you:
- Are they licensed by ODHS (or other relevant body) to provide home-studies, placement and supervision services?
- What types of adoptions do they specialize in (infant, foster care, open vs closed)?
- What level of support is offered to birth parents, adoptive parents, and the child over time?
- What expenses or financial supports are available (especially if you are a birth parent considering placing your child)?
- What is their philosophy around openness, matching, and post-adoption support?
Time to Pause
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Your journey—whether you’re considering placing a child for adoption or adopting a child—reflects deep respect for life, dignity, and hope. It takes courage to explore adoption thoughtfully. You are not defined by the challenges you may be facing, and you have the right to choose what aligns with your values, your family and your future.
Every child, every family, every story has value. It’s perfectly okay to pause and consider your feelings, your hopes, and your concerns. And it’s okay to ask questions, to take your time, and to lean on trusted support.
Adoption Agencies in Oregon: What Options Are Available?
In Oregon, you have multiple categories and pathways through which adoption agencies operate. Here are three key “buckets” to understand:
- Private licensed adoption agencies
These are agencies that offer adoption services to birth parents and prospective adoptive parents, often for infants or children placed privately.
For example:
- Choice Adoptions serves birth parents and adoptive families in Oregon and offers “local infant program,” “national infant program,” foster-child adoption, home-studies and post-placement services.
- Many agencies listed by the Coalition of Oregon Adoption Agencies (COAA) under the umbrella of Oregon Adoptions serve this sector.
These agencies often offer support to birth parents including pregnancy-related expense assistance (in some cases), help choosing adoptive families, and post-adoption contact plans.
- Foster-care adoption through state/county and contract agencies
If a child is in foster care under ODHS and cannot safely return to their birth family, adoption may be arranged through the state’s system. ODHS oversees adoptions of children in foster care and also authorizes “contracted adoption agencies” to complete placement reports for independent adoptions.
Agencies such as Boys & Girls Aid are examples of historically rooted child-welfare agencies in Oregon offering foster-care adoption, infant adoption and related services.
- Independent adoptions (non-departmental)
These involve scenarios like relative adoptions, stepparent adoptions, or private adoptions where the child is not in state custody. ODHS has a category for “non-departmental adoptions.”
In such cases, the role of an adoption agency (or attorney) may focus specifically on home study/report and legal placement rather than state-foster care processes.
What to Ask Yourself: Choosing the Right Path
Taking a moment to ask yourself some thoughtful questions can make a big difference.
If you are a birth parent considering placing a child for adoption
- What kind of adoption plan do I prefer: open, partially open, or closed? (Many agencies help you explore what the adoptive family relationship looks like.) You have the right to choose which kind of adoption plan you prefer: open, partially-open, or closed.
- What level of involvement with the adoptive family and child feels right for me both now and in the future?
- What kind of support do I need (emotional, pregnancy-related expenses, post-adoption counseling)? Many agencies assist with pregnancy-related costs and provide post-adoption counseling.
- What assurances do I need about the safety and well-being of the child, and how will the agency support those safeguards?
- How comfortable am I in asking questions, taking time, and making choices that are meaningful to me?
If you are a prospective adoptive parent
- Am I open to adopting an infant, older child, sibling group, or child with special needs?
- What types of adoption (private/infant, foster-care, international) am I willing and able to explore?
- Do I understand the home-study process, background checks, training requirements, and timeframes involved? ODHS notes that the timeline for foster care adoption varies.
- What level of openness (contact with birth family) am I comfortable with?
- What support do I have in place—for the child, for me, for family adjustment, post-placement follow-up?
If you’re exploring adoption for the sake of knowledge or future planning
- Who are the licensed adoption agencies in my region of Oregon? (Here’s a helpful list.)
- What are the differences in costs, timelines, and supports among agencies?
- What does “informed consent,” “placement report,” and “home study” mean in Oregon legal context?
- Where can I access resources and support after adoption? (For example, the Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center provides free confidential services statewide.)
A Step-by-Step Walk-Through: What to Expect When Working with an Adoption Agency in Oregon
Here’s a general timeline and set of steps you might expect when working with an adoption agency process in Oregon. Keep in mind: each journey is unique.
Step 1: Initial Contact and Information
- You reach out to the agency (whether as a birth parent or adoptive parent) to learn about options and ask questions.
- The agency explains their process, fees (if applicable), support services, and your rights.
- You assess whether the agency’s philosophy aligns with your values (especially around openness, matching, support).
Step 2: Choosing the Type of Placement & Planning
- If you are a birth parent: you may work with the agency to choose the adoptive family (in many cases), decide on openness, and finalize your plan—before birth or shortly after.
- If you are an adoptive parent: you’ll participate in an information session, training/pre-orientation, and choose what type of adoption you hope to pursue (infant, foster-care, special-needs, etc.).
- The agency provides education, counseling, and helps clarify what you are comfortable with (e.g., level of openness, contact, cost, timeline).
Step 3: Home Study / Evaluation
- For adoptive parents: the agency (or licensed evaluator) conducts a home study—a thorough evaluation of your home, your background, references, and your readiness to adopt. ODHS outlines this as part of the review process.
- For birth parents (in private adoption settings): the agency may also provide pregnancy-and-adoption counseling and preparation for placement.
- Documentation, background checks, interviews, training, and sometimes support groups are involved.
Step 4: Matching, Placement & Legal Procedures
- The agency assists in matching (if you’re an adoptive parent) and/or in arranging placement (if you’re a birth parent).
- Legal steps begin: consent, relinquishment (in some cases), court filings, placement reports. ODHS clarifies that for private and independent placements, agencies complete placement reports.
- Depending on whether the adoption is through foster care, private agency, or independent, the timeline and legal oversight will differ.
Step 5: Post-Placement and Finalization
- Once a child is placed in the adoptive home, there is often a post-placement supervision period (agency monitors the transition, supports the family) until the adoption is finalized in court. Licensing rules mention monitoring until final adoption.
- After finalization, ongoing support may be available: counseling, support groups, post-adoption services. For example, the Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center offers free confidential services statewide.
Step 6: Ongoing Relationship & Reflection
- Adoption is a lifelong journey. The nature of your relationship with your child (if you’re the placement parent or the adoptive parent) may evolve.
- Being part of an adoption‐competent community, understanding trauma, identity, culture, and connection to birth family may matter.
- Reflection, self‐care, and connection with supportive networks help families thrive.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: How much does adoption cost in Oregon?
A: Costs vary significantly depending on type of adoption (infant private, foster care, relative, etc.). What’s most important is that as a birth parent, you are aware of what the agency covers—e.g., pregnancy-related expenses, counseling, and legal support. For families adopting from foster care, state assistance may be available.
Q: Can I choose an open adoption in Oregon?
A: Yes. Many agencies allow birth parents and adoptive parents to choose open, partially‐open, or closed plans (depending on circumstances). You have the right to choose which kind of adoption plan you prefer: open, partially-open, or closed.
Q: How long will adoption take?
A: There’s no fixed timeline. Especially in foster care adoptions, ODHS states that it depends on child’s needs, family readiness, training, home study, and other factors.
Q: Are single people eligible to adopt in Oregon?
A: Yes. According to ODHS, adoptive parents may be single, married or have a domestic partner.
Q: What support exists after adoption?
A: Post-adoption support is very important. In Oregon, for children adopted from foster care, support such as financial and medical resources are available. Also, organizations like Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center might be a good resource for post-adoption support.
How to Choose an Adoption Agency in Oregon
Here’s a practical checklist you can follow as you evaluate agencies, so you feel confident and empowered.
Checklist:
✅ Confirm the agency is licensed in Oregon (check ODHS listings).
✅ Ask about the types of adoption they handle (infant, foster care, international, home‐study only, etc.).
✅ Ask about support: what services are offered to adoptive parents?
✅ Ask about openness: what is their philosophy around open adoption, contact, matching, post‐adoption relationships?
✅ Ask about cost, what is included, what is not included (for adoptive parents), and is there financial assistance available (for birth parents)?
✅ Ask about timelines: how long typically from application to placement, and what factors cause delay.
✅ Ask for clarity on legal process: home study, background checks, relinquishment, placement reports, finalization.
✅ Ask about post-placement support: monitoring, counseling, sibling and identity supports for the child, support groups for adoptive parents or birth parents.
✅ Ask for references/testimonials.
✅ Reflect on your own comfort: Does the staff treat you with dignity, clarity, honesty? Do you feel safe asking questions and receiving full information?
✅ Take time: You don’t have to choose immediately. It’s okay to pause, compare, and ask multiple agencies.
Key Considerations for Birth Parents & Adoptive Parents
For Birth Parents
- Remember: Placing a child for adoption is a deeply personal decision, and you deserve kindness, support and full information.
- You have the right to choose the adoption plan, and to ask for what you need and want.
- Choose an agency that respects your autonomy, offers pregnancy-related support (if applicable), and shows you clear information about costs, rights, and future involvement.
- Consider if you wish to have ongoing contact with your child and the adoptive family, and ensure the agency supports and documents this clearly.
- As a birth parent, you are empowered: Asking questions is not a sign of weakness; it’s a strength.
For Prospective Adoptive Parents
- Adoption is a lifelong commitment. Be ready for joys and challenges; adopted children may carry trauma, loss, and/or identity questions.
- Educate yourself on openness, cultural identity, sibling groups, and the meaning of “forever family” beyond initial placement.
- Choose an agency that provides robust training, support, and a philosophy you align with.
- Ensure you’re financially and emotionally prepared: Adoption involves costs, but more importantly it involves a readiness to love, adjust, learn and grow together as a family.
- Stay flexible: The “ideal child” or “ideal timeline” may not align with reality; openness to the process often brings the greatest peace.
Final Thoughts: Moving Forward with Hope & Clarity
Your care, your questions, and your desire for clarity all matter. Whether you’re exploring infant adoption, educating yourself on foster care adoption, or looking to place a child with their forever family, you’re taking a meaningful step.
You are not alone. There are agencies, support services, advocates, and communities in Oregon ready to walk alongside you. You have the strength to ask, to wait, and to choose what feels right.
Take the time to reflect. Talk with someone you trust. Explore the resources such as other articles on this website. Follow your own pace. Your story, and every life touched by adoption, has dignity, value and hope.
When you’re ready for the next step, whether that’s reaching out to an agency, scheduling a consultation, or simply asking more questions, we’re here to help you explore what’s next and find the right support for you.
You deserve clarity. You deserve compassion. You deserve to feel confident in your path.