San Francisco Adoption

San Francisco 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 considering adoption in San Francisco? The Lifetime Adoption coordinators are available to provide the information you need and to answer all of your adoption questions. Birth parents need support and resources, and Lifetime can help with those needs. Other families have dreams of growing their family through adoption, and Lifetime can help make that happen.

Lifetime Adoption has over three decades of experience connecting birth families with adoptive families and is a nationwide leader in domestic, open adoption. Our adoption coordinators are always ready to help you on your journey. Lifetime offers podcasts, webinars, and provides articles, referrals, counseling, and one-on-one support.

Help for Pregnant Women in San Francisco

If you are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, you may feel afraid, confused, and sometimes alone. The reality of a pregnancy can be hard to deal with if you are not ready or able to be a parent. You may want to consider adoption. Lifetime Adoption can help.

You probably do not know a lot about the modern, open adoption process. At Lifetime the adoption coordinators are here to offer you support and guidance. You can give us a call or text 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and a caring adoption coordinator will be on the other end.

There are situations where the best thing you can do for your baby is find a loving home with adoptive parents who are emotionally and financially ready for a new baby. At Lifetime Adoption, your adoption coordinator can help you create an adoption plan. You make all the decisions, such as looking through profiles and deciding who you would like to parent your baby and how much contact you want with the family once the adoption process is complete. You will even decide how things go at the hospital.

Unexpected expenses often come along with an unexpected pregnancy. These extra expenses may be hard to cover for some women. Your Lifetime Adoption coordinator can help you get the resources you need. The state of California allows pregnant women who choose adoption to receive assistance with rent, maternity clothing, food, medical costs, transportation to doctor’s appointments, and other pregnancy-related expenses. Your adoption coordinator will make sure all of your needs are met!

If you are a parent who is struggling to raise a toddler or young child and are considering adoption reach out to Lifetime Adoption. We have families that are very interested in adopting sibling sets, toddlers, and special needs children. There are parents for every child.

Choosing adoption can be hard, and making that first call to a San Francisco adoption agency can be difficult. When you reach out to Lifetime, you can count on reaching a caring adoption coordinator. She will answer all of your questions, provide you with information, will be honest and without judgment.

Call or text Lifetime Adoption anytime.

Adoption Agencies in San Francisco

At Lifetime Adoption, we have adoptive parents available nationwide. We can help you place your child for adoption. An adoption coordinator will support you and explain what to expect throughout the adoption process.

At Lifetime Adoption, we will make sure you have:

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

Adoption Counseling in San Francisco

Adoption is not an easy choice. It is important to take advantage of the professional and peer counseling that your adoption coordinator can provide. A professional counselor will work with you to help you through the decision-making process and will help you deal with all the emotions that may come up during your adoption journey.

Peer counseling is another popular resource at Lifetime Adoption. Connecting with another birth mother who has experienced the adoption process can be very useful. You may be unsure how to tell your family or the baby’s father. You may be unsure if adoption is the right choice for you. She can share her story with you and give you advice based on her experiences.

Maternity Hospitals in San Francisco

How do you want things to go at the hospital? Some women have anxiety at the thought of delivering their baby. Your adoption coordinator helps you create a hospital plan that you are comfortable with. She will find out what is important to you and ask you a lot of questions such as:

When you deliver, who do you want in the room?
Who would you like to cut the cord?
Do you want the adoptive parents to come to the hospital when you go into labor?
Would you like to hold your baby first after the birth or the adoptive parents?
Would you like to leave the hospital before or after your baby is?

The hospital plan is put in place to make sure you are comfortable at the hospital. Your adoption coordinator will communicate with the hospital staff and the adoptive parents to make sure everyone knows what your wishes are.

In the San Francisco area, the hospitals with labor and delivery services are:

No matter which hospital you choose to deliver at, your coordinator will work with them to make sure they understand and follow your hospital plan. Should something unexpected happen, don’t worry! Our adoption coordinators have worked with birth mothers who have given birth at home and some who were traveling out of state when they went into labor. They are ready to be there for you, whatever your circumstances are.

More Helpful Resources for Pregnant Women in San Francisco

Are you in San Francisco and dealing with an unexpected pregnancy? This can be overwhelming if you feel this is not the right time in your life to parent. Help is available at Lifetime Adoption. An adoption coordinator can connect you with information and resources to help you make the right decisions about your pregnancy. Be sure you are considering all of your options from a place of stability and not from a place of panic.

If there is domestic violence in your life or you are homeless, it is crucial you find safe housing. Here are some resources for women’s shelters in San Francisco and the surrounding area:

Catholic Charities- ST. Joseph’s Family Center

Missionaries of Charity- Queen of Peace Shelter (For Pregnant Women): 55 Sadowa St., San Francisco, CA 94112, (415) 586-3449

Hunger is a struggle many people are dealing with these days, and if you are pregnant or the mother of young children, it can be very scary. The WIC program is an amazing resource for you. WIC stands for Women, Infants, and Children and can provide an EBT card to purchase healthy food such as vegetables, cheese, fruit, eggs, whole grains, and milk. They can also offer referrals to local services. Learn more by visiting their website:

WIC – in San Francisco

Many struggle with addiction, and if you do, it is important to find professional help. You will need to find a treatment center that offers help for your specific addiction. If you have an addiction to prescription drugs or opiates, treatment is essential because it can be dangerous to abruptly stop using drugs. This can be dangerous for you and your baby. A professional rehabilitation treatment center will be able to offer medications (like methadone and suboxone) along with counseling. The medications can help you slowly wean off opiates in a manner safe for you and your baby. The counseling will help you understand and overcome your addiction. Here are a few resources in San Francisco:

BAART Program

Fort Help Mission

Westside Community Services

Any additional resources you may need assistance finding, a Lifetime Adoption coordinator can help. She will assist you with any issues or concerns you have and provide confidential help. We can help with pregnancy verification, prenatal care, rent, transportation, maternity clothes, and more. Call or text today.

How to Start the Adoption Process

So your next question probably is, “How do I get this adoption process started?” It’s easy! Just call or text Lifetime Adoption or go online and fill out the contact form. An adoption coordinator will explain all the steps for your adoption plan. She will find out what you need and make sure you have all of the adoption resources and services you need. If you have any concerns or questions, she is there to answer them for you. An adoption coordinator will be available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Your adoption coordinator will give you access to the online profiles of our adoptive families. You will find letters to read and even video messages to watch. You will be able to learn about any families you want. You get to decide what you are looking for in adoptive parents, and you get to choose the parents you feel are a good fit for you and your baby.

To view adoptive family profiles online, just click here. Whether you want a family that lives in California or somewhere else in the U.S., you can choose. Once you have picked a family, your adoption coordinator will set up a phone conference for you to all get to know each other. You can then begin building a relationship you are comfortable with. Your adoption coordinator will guide you through this process.

If you are in need of community resources in the San Francisco area, your adoption coordinator will help you connect with any services you need. For example, if you need to connect with a doctor for prenatal care and perhaps transportation to get there, your adoption coordinator can help you with those needs.

Give us a call or text today to get started.

Get In Touch

Other Paths to Adoption in San Francisco

Foster care is another path for parents who may not know if they are ready to parent or not. This is a choice you can make, but sometimes, this choice is made for you. When a baby is born with exposure to substances, the San Francisco Human Services Agency may decide to place the baby in the foster care program. When this happens, unfortunately, the birth parents may not be able to choose where their baby is placed or how much, if any, contact they can have. If you should find yourself in this situation, you can call Lifetime Adoption and make an adoption plan from the hospital. You can then choose the parents you would like to adopt your child, and you can work with them to create an agreement regarding contact after the adoption is final.

Kinship or relative adoption is also an option. In this case, adoption involves a family member. This is usually a blood-related relation to the child. They can apply to adopt your baby. There may be challenges with this choice. While it can be a great solution, there are sometimes issues such as the adopting relative may not realize that this is a permanent situation. They will be responsible for this child until the child reaches adulthood. At times there are also some boundary issues that will need to be resolved.

Whichever adoption path is right for you, and your baby is entirely your choice. Your Lifetime Adoption coordinator will go over all of these adoption options if you like.

Adopting in San Francisco

Do you see yourself strolling through Golden Gate Park or attending a Giants game with your child? Are you considering adoption in San Francisco? Choosing to adopt is a life-changing and exciting decision. The Lifetime Adoption coordinators are here to help you navigate the adoption process. They are here to help make your adoption dreams come true. Your adoption coordinator will answer all of your questions and explain the entire adoption process to you. You will learn what to expect during your adoption journey and all about modern, open adoption.

If you are interested in adopting a newborn or child up to the age of six in San Francisco, contact us at 510-465-3335 to ask any questions. To get started, all you need to do is visit the Lifetime Adoption website for a free online adoption application. You will find a wealth of adoption information and resources to read and watch as well.

Lifetime Adoption provides you with all the education, resources, referrals, and support you need to make your adoption dream come true.

Begin the Adoption Process

Don’t worry: while this is a lot of information, 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. It is free to apply, and filling out the application does not obligate you in any way.

Once you are pre-approved, a Lifetime adoption coordinator will contact you. She will find out what your adoption expectations are and will explain the entire adoption process.

Adoption Attorneys in San Francisco

A San Francisco adoption attorney will be an important part of your adoption process. Adoption laws can be complex, as you can imagine. All of the paperwork needs to be completed correctly, filed with the district courthouse, and all the adoption laws must be followed. Your Lifetime Adoption coordinator will be happy to refer a San Francisco adoption attorney to you.

Home Study Services in San Francisco

Whichever adoption choice you make, a home study will be required. Your Lifetime Adoption coordinator will refer a Home Study Services provider to you in the San Francisco area.

Your home study will include employment information, background checks, financial verification, education hours, and a home visit. This whole process will be explained to you by your Lifetime Adoption coordinator.

You will need to provide fingerprints for your background check and will need to gather the following documents.

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

Next, your home study social worker will set up a time for a home visit. The home visit is meant to make sure you have a safe and adequate home to raise a child in. She will also interview you about your views on marriage, parenting, and family. Everyone in your home will be talked with, and then all of this information will be put into a report.

Finalization of Adoption at Court

Once your home study is complete, you have matched with your birth mother, and your baby has been delivered, you are close to finalization of your adoption.

For the finalization of the adoption, California requires that there will be no less than six months from when you take the baby home to the final decree being issued. You will need four more post-placement meetings with your home study social worker—one interview with you in your home and then three additional meetings within the six-month period.

Your adoption attorney will have completed all the paperwork, filed the paperwork at the courthouse, and will have a hearing date set. In the San Francisco area, that will be:

The Superior Court of San Francisco

The judge will review your home study at a hearing and all documents, then once approved, the judge will issue the final decree of adoption. Now is the time to celebrate!

Other Paths to Adoption

San Francisco International Adoption Agencies

Which adoption path to take will be your first big adoption decision. One path is international adoption. Some families hope to help a child from another country that is in need due to poverty or upheaval in a country.

If you are considering international adoption, the country you want to adopt from is a key decision. There are many factors, such as the political climate, that need to be examined. Also, each country has its own requirements, laws, and bureaucracy.

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

Adopt International

Holt International

Foster Care Adoption

The foster care system one other path to adoption. You will need to reach out to the Foster-SF and let them know you are interested in adopting a foster child.

According to Foster-SF, to qualify as a foster parent, “You just need to have a big heart, love children, and have stable employment, housing, relationships, and health.”

To view waiting children in the foster care system in San Francisco and in other states, visit AdoptUSKids. This nationwide project shows children waiting and available for adoption.