Domestic Infant Adoption


Every Life a Promise…at Bethany Christian Services, this includes even the littlest lives, and our goal in Domestic Infant Adoption is to find loving Christian families for infants whose biological parents have chosen adoption to provide them with a life full of hope and promise.

(Click on any of the following headings to learn more!)

Who We Are
What Bethany Offers
Domestic Infant Adoption Today
How Much Does It Cost?
How Long is the Wait?
What Steps Are Involved?
If You Just Need a Home Study


Who We Are
As one of the most well-established private adoption agencies in the United States, Bethany Christian Services has been bringing families together since 1944. Bethany Christian Services of Georgia is part of a network of Bethany branches across the country. Georgia’s first office was established in 1985; the state branches are now located in Atlanta and Columbus. We are a not-for-profit agency licensed by the State of Georgia to provide the full range of domestic adoption services.

Our mission: To manifest the love and compassion of Jesus Christ by protecting and enhancing the lives of children and families through quality social services.

We are members of the Georgia Association of Licensed Adoption Agencies (GALAA), the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) and the Council on Accreditation (COA).

What Bethany Offers

  • Christian Perspective – It’s not just part of our name, it’s who we are and drives our mission and services to clients.
  • Experience – In Georgia alone, Bethany Christian Services has completed over 500 domestic infant adoptions.
  • Stability – We have been in Georgia for over 20 years and have solid relationships with hospitals, attorneys, pregnancy services, counselors and other state and community agencies.
  • Integrity – We subscribe to the highest standards for ethical adoption practice, as established by the Council on Accreditation. We also undergo an annual audit by the Georgia Department of Human Resources and are active members of the Georgia Association of Licensed Adoption Agencies.
  • Ongoing Support – We do more than “match” prospective adoptive parents and expectant biological parents. We offer ongoing support throughout the adoption process through our education classes, our regular contacts with families, our quarterly support meetings for waiting families, and our post-adoption services.
  • Accessibility - Our staff are easily accessible and responsive to families’ needs.

Domestic Infant Adoption Today
Through Domestic Infant Adoption, families are, in most instances, able to bring their baby home directly from the hospital. Prospective adoptive families also typically get to develop a relationship with biological family members who have hand-picked them to be Mom and Dad, equipping them with social and medical history as well as stories and pictures that they can share with their child as he or she grows older and asks important questions about biological connections. We believe that, just as aspects of loss touch everyone involved in infertility, relinquishment, and adoption, openness provides a “bridge” that connects children, adoptive parents, and birth parents in amazingly redemptive and healing ways. Openness follows a continuum, from completely closed to fully open, depending on the desires of both the birth and adoptive families, but the primary goal is always to serve the best interests of the child.

How Much Does It Cost?
Bethany Christian Services of Georgia receives no state or federal funding for the Domestic Infant Adoption Program, therefore all services are paid through donations, grants from private foundations, and fees paid by prospective adoptive families. Thankfully, because of the generosity of our donors, we are able to keep our fees low, on a sliding scale based on a family’s adjusted gross income. Our fee schedule is available in our information packet, which you can request online by contacting us. Bethany’s website also provides a wealth of information on financial assistance available for adoption, including grants, loans, tax credits and employer benefits.

How Long is the Wait?
The average amount of time that a couple with an approved home study waits prior to adoptive placement averages less than a year from the date of home study approval, but varies greatly depending on how open the couple is to a relationship with a birth family, out of state travel, factors in a child’s social and/or medical history, racial or ethnic background, and special needs. The children placed for adoption through the Domestic Infant Adoption Program are typically newborn through four months old, but we also occasionally need a family for a child between one and three years of age. We have a great need for families to adopt African American infants, in which case the wait time can be as little as one month from the time of home study approval.

What Steps Are Involved?
To get started:
Contact Us to request an information packet and preliminary application.
Attend a free group orientation (register by calling Nicole Tabor, Family Intake Coordinator, 1.877.224.3458).
Submit preliminary application materials.
If approved, complete formal application materials.

If accepted into the Domestic Infant Adoption Program:
Education and preparation classes (these are different from the IMPACT classes required by the state of Georgia for families adopting children in state custody).
Home study assessment with a Bethany Adoption Specialist.
If home study assessment is approved, adoption planning and presentation of waiting family profile to expectant parents.
Adoptive placement.
Post-placement supervision (minimum of two home visits required by Georgia).
Adoption finalization in court.
Post-adoption services (as needed).

If You Just Need a Home Study
Couples sometimes meet an expectant mother who wants to make an adoption plan through their own networking and just need to have a home study done for the purposes of a private adoption through an attorney. Bethany Christian Services provides help in that area through our Independent / Identified Adoption Services.


We would love to talk with you in-depth about our domestic infant adoption services. Please contact Nicole Tabor, Family Intake Coordinator, 1.877.224.3458 or contact us online to learn more.