Domestic Infant Adoption


Every Life a Promise…at Bethany Christian Services, this includes every life. 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.

Who We Are
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.

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 Arkansas is part of a network of Bethany branches across the country. Arkansas’ first office was established as a licensed foster family/adoption agency in late 1985. The branch office is located in Little Rock with a satellite office in Fayetteville. We are a not-for-profit agency licensed by the State of Arkansas to provide the full range of domestic adoption services.

Domestic Infant Adoption
How Much Does It Cost?
Bethany Christian Services of Arkansas 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 charge reasonable fees on a sliding scale based on a family’s annual 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?
It is difficult to estimate 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?

  • Contact Us to request an information packet and preliminary application
  • Submit preliminary application materials
  • You will be invited to a to a free orientation meeting
  • If approved, complete formal application materials
  • If you are accepted into the Domestic Infant Adoption Program you will need a home study assessment with a Bethany Adoption Specialist and education and preparation classes.
  • If your home study assessment is approved, your waiting family profile will be presented to expectant parents making an adoption plan.
    After an adoptive placement occurs there will be post-placement supervision (minimum of two home visits) and you will finalization the adoption in court.