Catholic Charities of The Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend

Adoption is a loving, responsible plan made by birth parents for the legal transfer of their children to adoptive couples who want to provide a child with a loving, enduring family relationship. Catholic Charities is committed to finding the best possible adoptive families for infants whose birth parents have chosen adoption. Counseling is available for adoptees, birth mothers, and families. The agency offers a number of services to people planning to build their families through the adoption process. The philosophy of the agency’s Infant Adoption Program is one of openness, which allows birth parents to play a major role in the selection of the adoptive family and promotes ongoing contact with the adoptive family if all agree and participate as agreed. Prospective adoptive parents are screened, participate in adoption education training, and undergo a family assessment (home study) to become approved through Catholic Charities. Supervision continues for several months following placement until the adoption is legally finalized. In addition to offering adoption services to clients of the agency, Catholic Charities also assists stepparents, couples involved in private adoptions, and relative adoptions referred by the court. Catholic Charities offers services to everyone involved in the adoption process: adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents. Post-finalization services are provided to those seeking help in finding information or desiring a reunion between an adoptee and birth parents. All services are offered in compliance with current state law and regulations. In addition to providing this service to former clients of Catholic Charities, the agency has records from two community agencies that no longer provide adoption services. Catholic Charities does not receive funding from any source for its services. Therefore, we charge fees for our adoption services. A fee schedule will be provided upon request.