Ready to adopt?
You're in the right place.
Contact us today Building Families simplifies the adoption journey. We guide adoptive parents through a variety of adoption situations. From matching you with expectant mothers looking to place their child for adoption to helping you navigate agency and DSS adoptions, we take the stress off of you and ensure you are supported and informed every step of the way.
We handle all types of adoption
Domestic Adoption
We work with adoptive parents at all stages of the process, from those who are just beginning and looking to match with an expectant mother to those who have already matched with an expectant mother independently to those who are adopting via S.C. Department of Social Services or another agency. We are here to ensure as smooth and seamless a process as possible.
Independent Matches
We work with prospective adoptive families who match with an expectant mother on their own. We ensure prospective adoptive parents are prepared for each stage of the adoption process and that they have the knowledge and resources needed to successfully build their family through adoption. We work with a variety of social workers across the state to ensure that expectant parents have the resources they need throughout the pregnancy, delivery, and post-birth.
Agency Adoption
If you are working with a local or national agency to adopt a child and either you or the expectant mother reside in South Carolina, do not hesitate to contact our firm and learn more about how we can help you through the legal aspects of your adoption process.
Stepparent & Relative Adoption
Stepparent adoptions, in which a biological parent of a child remarries and his or her spouse wishes to assume legal parenthood, and adoptions by close relatives often serve to make legal a relationship that already exists in the home. We can help you through this process and offer the guidance you need.
Interstate Adoption
We represent families in other states who are working with expectant mothers here in South Carolina as well as families in South Carolina who are working with expectant mothers in other states to ensure the adoptive families have complied with all of the terms of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) and to finalize their adoption.
Contested Adoption
Contested adoptions take many shapes and forms. Sometimes the issues are minor and sometimes they are more involved, leading to a long and emotionally draining legal battle. Contested adoptions can involve termination of parental rights, notice issues, the Indian Child Welfare Act, and more. We will discuss the legal issues present in your case and develop a strategy specific to your needs.
Foster Care Adoption
If you are seeking to adopt a child placed with you through the South Carolina foster care system, do not hesitate to call our firm and learn more about your options and how we can help you through the process of adopting a foster child.
Domesticating Foreign Adoption
If you adopted a child from a foreign country and need to domesticate your foreign adoption here in South Carolina, we can help complete this process for your family.
Matching Adoptive Parents with Expectant Mothers
During your first consultation, we will discuss your options for starting the family building process. You will be informed about matching options, including agencies with whom we work, independent placements, financial commitments involved with adoption, South Carolina laws regarding adoptions, and what to expect at each stage of the adoption process.
Let's begin your adoption journeyWhat do I do next to match with an expectant mother?
Contact Us
Email: info@buildingfamiliessc.com
Phone: 803-862-0207
Text (24/7): 803-609-5531
Complete a home study and a profile book
Await being chosen by an expectant mother
Communicate with the expectant mother and Building Families to prepare for delivery
Delivery and placement of the child with you
Work with Building Families to file the legal paperwork for your adoption*
Get a post-placement report from your home study provider
Meet with the Guardian ad litem appointed on your case
Attend court hearing to finalize your adoption
* If you live in a different state from where the baby was born, then Building Families will complete the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children process and you will wait in the state where the child was born until we have approval (usually two weeks)
Learn adoption language. It matters.
Placing a child for adoption v. giving a child up for adoption
- Expectant/birth mothers are not “giving up” their child for adoption. Using this language fails to recognize the empowering experience that adoption can be. Instead, adoption allows expectant mothers to control the future they see for their child by placing the child in a loving and caring home of their own choosing. These women choose not what is easiest for themselves but instead choose what is hard for them and what is best for their child.
What is an expectant mother v. a birth mother?
- Expectant mother refers to a woman who is pregnant and has made an adoption plan during her pregnancy. A birth mother refers to a woman who has given birth to a child and made the choice to place the child for adoption. The same terminology applies to the biological father before and after birth. It is important to use proper terminology to respect the rights of all parties involved in the adoption plan.
What is the adoption triad?
- The adoption triad is a term used for all individuals touched by an adoption. The triad refers to the interconnection between birth parents, adoptive parents, and adoptees. It acknowledges the important contribution that each of the three parties make to an adoption story.
What is the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) and when does it apply?
- Compliance with ICPC is required any time a child is moved across state lines for the purpose of adoption with a few exceptions, such as if it is a relative adoption. This means if the prospective adoptive parents and the birth mother live in different states, then ICPC applies. As part of the ICPC process, South Carolina requires adoptive parents to obtain a court order before they leave the state which approved placement of the child with them and allows them to leave the state with the child. Building Families obtains this court order for our clients and compiles and submits the documents needed for ICPC approval. The child must remain in the state in which they were born while the adoptive family awaits ICPC approval. Adoptive parents can expect to stay in the state in which the child is born for an average of two weeks before receiving ICPC approval and being able to return home with their child.