Getting Started

Once your home study is approved, you can adopt in the United States or overseas. Family & Children’s Agency places infants born in Connecticut and New York through our Domestic program. Some families interested in adopting domestically enroll in FCA’s Domestic program, while others enroll with an agency outside of Connecticut or New York to complete a domestic adoption. In “Parent Initiated” adoptions, the adoptive parents locate a potential birth mother and infant through advertising and networking. We have an international placement program for children from Korea. Family & Children’s Agency can prepare home studies for adoption through other agencies.

Selections are not made from a chronological waiting list. The expecting parents, not Family & Children’s Agency, select the family to adopt their baby by reviewing profiles of waiting families. Using our experience and expertise, we assist you in preparing an appropriate profile to be presented to expecting parents that best represents your family.

Our commitment to inclusivity means we are proud to work with families of all kinds and faith backgrounds, including those who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community, married and unmarried couples, and single applicants. Foreign countries may have other limitations and your FCA adoption social worker will work with you to find a good fit for your family.

FCA does not have a requirement - the adoptive parents and the birth parents decide mutually on the amount of contact they want to have. 

A closed adoption is one that has no direct contact or exchange of information between the birth parents and the adoptive family. An open adoption is one where the names and identifying information of birth parents and adoptive families are disclosed to the other and there is direct contact between the two parties that generally continues after the birth and placement. Most adoptions are semi-open or agency-facilitated, meaning all correspondence goes through the placing agency involved in the adoption. 

There is no “right” adoption plan that meets the needs of all birth parents and adoptive families. The goal of Family & Children’s Agency is to create the plan that works best for all parties involved in each adoption. We encourage both birth parents and adoptive parents to be active participants in the process. Family & Children’s works to support birth parents and adoptive parents as they navigate their post-adoption relationship over the years.

Family & Children's Agency is committed to supporting families throughout the entire process. For families who complete a home study with FCA, our Waiting Families Support Group meets monthly and is organized by two of our adoption professionals. Join with other waiting parents to get support, education, and build your adoption community.

Once you adopt through FCA, you become part of our family as well and we will provide ongoing support. Annually, we have a seasonal party for all adoptive families. We also assist in organizing regular "Nights Out" for parents and parents-to-be, play groups, and an annual birth parent panel presentation.