Adoption Agency in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles Adoption, Home Studies and More

Adoption Services for
Birth Parents and Adoptive Families

Please choose where you’d like to begin:

Information about placing
a child for adoption
or
Information about adopting a child

Are you in the Los Angeles area and are considering adoption? Lifetime Adoption is available to answer all of your adoption questions and provide the information you need. Many adoptive families have achieved their dreams of growing their family through Lifetime, and we work closely to make sure birth parents have the support and resources they need.

With over three decades of experience connecting adoptive families and birth families, Lifetime is a nationwide leader in open, domestic adoption. Our caring adoption coordinators are ready to assist and advise you. Lifetime offer webinars, podcasts and provides articles, counseling, referrals, and one-on-one support.

Help for Pregnant Women in Los Angeles

The City of Angels is known for Disneyland, the Hollywood Sign, and movie studios. If you are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, you may feel like a character in a drama made by one of those studios. The reality can be hard to deal with if you are not ready or able to be a parent. If you are considering adoption, Lifetime Adoption can help you create an adoption plan.

You may not know a lot about the adoption process. The adoption coordinators at Lifetime are here to offer you guidance and support. Just give us a call or text. Our adoption coordinators are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your child is find a loving home with adoptive parents who are financially and emotionally ready for a new baby. At Lifetime Adoption, we can help you create a customized adoption plan that lets you make the decisions. You look through profiles and decide who you would like to parent your baby. You also decide how much contact you want with the family once the adoption process is complete. You can even choose how things go at the hospital.

Along with an unexpected pregnancy, you may have unexpected expenses that can be hard for some women to cover. At Lifetime we can help you get the resources you need. According to the state of California, pregnant women who choose adoption can receive help with maternity clothing, rent, food, transportation to doctor’s appointments, and other pregnancy-related expenses. Your coordinator will work with you to make sure all of your needs are met!

Some parents may be struggling to raise a toddler or young child and are considering adoption. At Lifetime Adoption, we have families that are interested in adopting toddlers, sibling sets, and special needs children.

Adoption can be difficult, and making that first call to a Los Angeles adoption agency can be hard. You can count on reaching a caring adoption coordinator at Lifetime. She will answer all of your questions and provide you with information with honesty and without judgment.

Call or text Lifetime Adoption anytime.

Adoption Agencies in Los Angeles, CA

Lifetime Adoption is an agency with adoptive parents available nationwide. We are able to help you place your child for adoption. You will have an adoption coordinator who will support you and explain what you can expect throughout the adoption process.

At Lifetime Adoption, we make sure you have:

Peer and Professional Counseling
A wide range of adoptive parent profiles to choose from. All our families have completed home studies, including background
Help with pregnancy-related expenses
24-hour support and help available
Additional support after you have given birth
Maternity clothes, labor bag, and toiletries if you need them.
And much more!

Adoption Counseling in Los Angeles

Adoption is a tough decision and an emotionally difficult one. Professional and peer counseling are important resources that your coordinator can provide. A professional counselor can help you work through the decision-making process and can help you deal with the emotions that come up during the adoption journey.

Another popular resource at Lifetime is peer counseling. Talking with another birth mother who has gone through the adoption process can be very helpful. You can ask her all your questions, and she can share what adoption was like for her. While her story may not be exactly the same as yours, a peer counselor will understand the emotions you are having. She can share with you how she let her family know of her adoption plans, how she discussed adoption with the birth father, and many other words of advice.

Maternity Hospitals in Los Angeles

Many women have some anxiety at the thought of delivering their baby and how things will go at the hospital. The best way to ease those nerves is to be prepared. Your adoption coordinator will work with you to create a hospital plan that you are comfortable with. She will ask a lot of questions to find out what is important to you and how you would like your hospital stay to go. Some of those questions are:

At the time of birth, who do you want in the room?
Who would you like to cut the cord?
Will you want the adoptive parents to be at the hospital?
Who would you like to hold your baby first after the birth?
Would you like to go home before or after your baby is released from the hospital?

The goal of the hospital plan is to make sure you have as little stress as possible and are comfortable at the hospital. In addition, she will communicate with the hospital and the adoptive parents to make sure everyone knows what your wishes are and what is expected of them.

In the Los Angeles area, the hospitals with labor and delivery services are:

Whichever hospital you choose to deliver, we will work with them to make sure they understand your hospital plan. If something unexpected happens, don’t worry. We have worked with birth mothers who have given birth at home and even some who were traveling out of state when they went into labor.

How to Start the Adoption Process

Now you might be wondering, “How do I get this adoption process started?” Just call or text Lifetime Adoption or go online and fill out the contact form. You will find an adoption coordinator who will explain all the steps to your adoption plan. She will make sure you have all of the adoption services and resources you need. She will also talk with you about any concerns or questions you might have. An adoption coordinator will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Your coordinator will show you how to access the online profiles of our adoptive families. You can learn as much about the families as possible. You will find letters to read or video messages to watch. You will decide what you are looking for in adoptive parents, and you will choose the parents you feel is a good fit for you and your child.

To view adoptive family profiles online, just click here. You may want a family that lives in California or somewhere else in the U.S. Once you have chosen a family, your adoption coordinator will set up a phone conference with you and them. Then, you can begin building a relationship with them. Your coordinator will guide you all through this process.

You may be in need of community resources in the Los Angeles area, so your adoption coordinator will help you connect with any resources you need. For example, you may need to connect with a doctor for prenatal care and need transportation to get there, your adoption coordinator can help you with that.

Give us a call or text today to get started.

Get In Touch

Other Paths to Adoption in Los Angeles

Another option for parents that may not know if they want to parent or not is foster care. This can be a choice, but sometimes, when a baby is born with exposure to substances, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services may decide to place the baby in the foster care program. Unfortunately, when this happens, the birth parents will not be able to choose where their baby is placed or what contact they can have. If you find yourself in this situation, you can contact Lifetime Adoption and create an adoption plan from the hospital. Then you can choose parents to adopt your child and can agree upon contact after the adoption is final.

Another option is kinship or relative adoption. This type of adoption involves a family member, who is usually blood-related to the child, that can apply to adopt your baby. There can be challenges to this choice. It can be a great solution; however, sometimes the adopting relative may not realize this is permanent, and they are responsible for this child until they reach adulthood. There can also be some boundary issues that will need to be worked through.

Which type of adoption is best for you and your baby is entirely up to you. Your adoption coordinator will explain all of these adoption options.

Adopting in Los Angeles

Choosing to adopt is a life-changing decision. If you are in the Los Angeles area and are planning on adopting, the coordinators at Lifetime Adoption are here to help you. Helping to make your adoption dreams come true is what they do. Your adoption coordinator is here to answer all of your questions and will explain the whole adoption process. Learn what to expect during your adoption journey and all about open domestic adoption.

If you are in the Los Angeles area and are interested in adopting a newborn or child up to the age of six, contact us at 714-558-1602 to ask any questions. Making sure children are placed in families that are the right fit for everyone in the adoption triad is a priority for our Lifetime Adoption coordinators. Visit the Lifetime Adoption website for a free online adoption application. You will find plenty of adoption information and resources there as well.

Lifetime Adoption is dedicated to providing you with all the resources, education, referrals, and support you need to make adoption dreams come true.

Begin the Adoption Process

This is a lot of information, but don’t worry. You will not have to navigate the adoption process on your own. Getting started is easy! All you have to do is fill out our online application. Applying is free, and you are not obligated to continue if you change your mind.

Once pre-approved, a Lifetime adoption coordinator will be in touch with you. You will get the answers to all your questions, and we will get to know you. Your adoption coordinator will find out what your adoption expectations are and will explain the process. She will also create the best individualized plan to create a successful adoption for you.

Adoption Attorneys in Los Angeles

A Los Angeles adoption attorney will be a vital part of your adoption process. As you can imagine, adoption laws can be complex. It is very important that all of the paperwork is completed correctly, filed with the courts, and all the laws are followed. Your coordinator will be happy to refer a Los Angeles adoption attorney to you.

Home Study Services in Los Angeles

Whether you choose domestic adoption or foster adoption, a home study is required. Lifetime Adoption will refer a Home Study Services provider to you in Los Angeles.

Part of the home study includes background checks, employment information, financial verification, education hours, and a home visit. Your Lifetime coordinator will explain the whole process and help you to complete the home study in a timely manner.

How does the home study process work in the Los Angeles area? You will need to provide fingerprints for your background check and will need to gather the following documents.

Medical Statement from your medical professional attesting to your physical and mental well-being.
Financial and Employment Statements such as paystubs, profit and loss statements, and tax returns.
Three written references from friends, family, or coworkers attesting to the couple being suitable adoptive parents
Verification of marital status

Next, you will then set up a time for a home visit with your home study social worker. This visit is meant to ensure you have a safe and adequate home to raise a child in. She will also want your views on parenting, marriage, and family. Everyone in your home will be interviewed and then all of this information will be compiled into a report to be sent to the judge.

Finalization of Adoption at Court

Once you have a completed your home study, have matched with your birth mother, and your baby has been delivered, you are on your way to finalization of your adoption.

California requires that the finalization of adoption will be no less than six months from when you take the baby into your home. Your home study social worker will have one interview with you in your home and then three meetings within the six-month period.

Your adoption attorney will have filed all necessary paperwork at the courthouse and have a hearing date set. In the Los Angeles area, that will be at the district courthouse in your county:

At this point, a judge will review your home study at a hearing where all documents and home study reports are viewed, and once approved, the judge will then issue the final decree of adoption. Time to celebrate. Your adoption will be final.

Other Paths to Adoption

Los Angeles International Adoption Agencies

One of the most important adoption decisions you will make is what path to take. International adoption is one path. Hoping to help a child from another country that is in need leads some families to consider this path.

When considering international adoption, which country you want to adopt from is a vital decision. Many factors, including the political climate, need to be examined. In addition, each country has its own laws, requirements, and bureaucracy.

Be sure to work with an agency that specializes in international adoption. Also, make sure they have proven adoption success in the country you are interested in. Some of the more popular countries are in the nations of China, Africa, and Eastern European countries. Here are some agencies that specialize in international adoption:

Adopt International

Holt International

Foster Care Adoption

The foster care system is another avenue to adopt. You will need to reach out to the Los Angeles Department of Child and Family Services and complete the Resource Family Approval (RFA) process. It is important to let them know you are interested in becoming foster adoption.

To qualify as a foster parent, you must live in Los Angeles and be at least 18 years of age. You must complete the LA Resource Family Application and complete 20 hours of training.

To view waiting children in the foster care system in Los Angeles and in other states, visit AdoptUSKids. This is a nationwide project that shows the children waiting and available for adoption. To adopt a child or children, families must complete a home study.