"We sincerely thank Children at Heart for

bringing our son into our lives. Our domestic adoption from beginning to end took 2.5 months. Although quick, it was a very stressful period, and Janice and Erica were there every step of the way, going above and beyond their call of duty. 

They are truly concerned about the well being

of the baby, birth mom, and adoptive parents. 

You won't find any 2 people more committed

and passionate about what they do. We have our

family because of them and are forever grateful."

- Lisa and Emanuele, adoptive parents

Beginning in 1995, Children at Heart had facilitated solely international adoptions, but due to an increased number of calls received at our NC office by local birthmothers seeking adoption services, the Spring of 2011 became the time we started our Domestic Adoption Program and we ended our International Program in 2016.  The goal of the domestic program is to provide adoption services to birthmothers in North Carolina.   We are open to working with birthmothers in NY, as we are an approved agency in that state - however all of our placements have happened in NC thus far.  The program aims to support women both before and after the birth of their babies.  Children at Heart has established a monthly birthmother support group meeting, which hosts women who have already placed a child(ren) for adoption, are pregnant and considering adoption, or are currently in the adoption process.  At this time, we are seeking more families to be available to birthmothers thru our agency, specifically those who are open to any race child, as well as open adoption. 

It is important to keep in mind that when a birthmother delivers a baby in NC, and then signs a Relinquishment form to place the child for adoption, there is a seven day waiting period in which the birthmother can change her mind and revoke that Relinquishment.  While it can be emotionally painful if a birthmother changes her mind at any point of an adoption plan, we must respect her decision, and know that we have done all we can to help her, and her child, during such a difficult time.  Adoptive families should think of this seven day waiting period as a time that they are fostering the baby while the birthmother makes her final decision about the adoption.  Once the seven day waiting period is up, that is the point when the adoptive family can begin the legal adoption process. 

"Erica & Janice, I just wanted to say thank you

for all your help in adopting Zachary!  Helen and

I have just been having an awesome time being parents.  We have waited a long time for this

moment and it finally came true!   There is not a

day that goes by that I do not cherish having

Zachary as my son!   Again thank you for all

your hard work and effort!!!  Children at Heart

has really made a difference in our lives.

Keep up the hard work!!!"

- Tracy, adoptive father

We cannot give you a timeline for how long it will take a birthmother to choose you.  Each family has different preferences for what they can accept in a child/birthmother, so not all families are available to all birthmothers.  Additionally, each birthmother has different preferences for what she is looking for in a family.  This makes it even more difficult to estimate how long it will take for a birthmother to choose your family. 

We feel that educating yourself before adopting is extremely important, and that should begin now, before you start the adoption process.  We highly recommend reading the article by Marie Dolfi entitled, “Relinquishment Trauma: The Forgotten Trauma,” as it reviews the potential trauma that an adoptee may face when being separated from their biological parent(s).  We consider this to be required reading prior to starting the adoption process.  The article can be found here: https://mariedolfi.com/adoption-resource/relinquishment-trauma-the-forgotten-trauma/

During the home study process, we require an additional 5 hours of education thru Heart of the Matter Seminars, which will be done online, by each adoptive parent.  Our social workers have reviewed both the article by Marie and the Heart of the Matter education, and they will be ready to discuss any questions you might have when you meet. 

We strongly support open adoptions and believe there can be benefits to the adoptee, as well as to the birth family  – we are only accepting families into our program who are comfortable with and are seeking an open adoption with their child’s birth family.  Families must be comfortable discussing their child’s adoption openly from the time of placement – so if you are adopting a newborn, adoption stories can be shared at bedtime now and again, right from the start.  Anniversaries of when you met their adoptive mother, when you heard about your little one for the first time, the day of their placement with you, etc., should be honored – these do not need to be celebrations, they can just be a quiet moment, with a smile and hug, allowing your child time to ask questions.  Families should not have to sit down and tell their child that he/she was adopted when they reach a certain age – it should be something that has always been known and openly discussed.  “There is extensive research on that when adopted persons can talk to their adoptive parents about their adoption experience with genuine openness and no shame the stronger the parent-child relationships and adopted person’s risk for mental health issues decreases.”  – Marie Dolfi 

The first step to apply to our Domestic Adoption Program would be to email our agency at CAHAdoptions@aol.com and request an information packet.  It is imperative that you read over the information in it's entirety before moving forward.  Once you have gone over the paperwork completely, feel free to call or email with any questions you might have.  The next step would be to complete and mail in our Adoptive Family Application and the Domestic Adoption Agreement.  Once your initial application is approved, you will move on to complete your home study, for which we will send you a packet of paperwork to complete (the application process is not completed until we receive all of the home study paperwork and required fees from you).  When your home study paperwork is approved, a social worker will conduct home visits and interviews, and write up your home study report.  Meanwhile, you will put together a photo album with pictures of yourselves, your home, and your family and friends, providing information about your hobbies and interests.  We use the photo album, along with your redacted home study, as your profile to show birthmothers who are ready to choose a family. 

"Children at Heart helped us to complete our

family.  Janice, Erica and the entire staff are wonderful people to work with.  They worked diligently to guide us through the process,

answered all of our questions and discussed thoroughly any concerns we had.  CAH were

honest and caring in their approach and worked above and beyond the call of duty to facilitate our adoption in a very short time frame.  It was the

most amazing and positive experience and we

think they would agree that we "grew together"

in the process.  CAH helped to collaborate a plan between our family and our birthmother that we

all felt comfortable with.  At the same time, they

were present and guided both parties in the

process. We are so grateful for CAH and the

life-changing experience we embarked upon.  

We would recommend CAH without reservation

to any families considering adoption." 

- Megan and Garrett, adoptive parents

__________________________________

This program is open to married couples, as well as single men and women, living in any State in the US.  Anyone who is interested may apply!

For more information on our domestic adoption program, including fees, please email us at CAHadoptions@aol.com to request our information packet.