FINANCIAL GRANTS/LOANS FOR ADOPTION
Shaohannah's Hope, the foundation established by award-winning Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman to care for orphans, recently handed out its 1,000th grant to help families finish their adoptions. Shaohannah's Hope receives approximately 150 applications a month, with current funding capacity to award 30-40 adoption assistance grants with an average amount of $3,000. This group also partnered with FamilyLife and Focus on the Family last year to create www.voiceoftheorphan.org and launched www.howtoadopt.org to help families learn more about reaching out to help children in need of families.
Brittany's HOPE
Phone: 1-800-BETHANY
Help in adopting internationally, older children and siblings.
Oxford Adoption
4309 Crayton Road
Naples FL 34103
Phone: 239-430-6240
Email: info@oxfordadoption.com
Website: www.oxfordadoption.com
Provides no-interest loans to people who want to adopt.
Life International
PO Box 40
202 N. Ford Street
Gridley, IL 61744
Website: www.lifeintl.org/adGrantLoans.html
Matching grants and interest-free loans
A Child Waits
1136 Barker Road
Pittsfield MA 01201
Phone: 866-999-2445
Email: enelson@achildwaits.org
Website: www.achildwaits.org
Low-interest loans
ABBA Fund
PO Box 78800
Charlotte NC 28271-7042
Phone: 888-775-3422
Email: kevin@abbafund.org OR julie@abbafund.org
Website: www.abbafund.org
National Council for Adoption
Phone: 888-628-7700
Website: www.adoptioncouncil.org
Find out more about Michigan's tax break to help with the cost of adoptions and see the form:
Website: www.michigan.gov/documents/taxes/MI-8839_219652_7.pdf
POST-ADOPTION SERVICES
Orchards Children's Services
30215 Southfield
Southfield MI 48076
Phone: 248-558-0440
Email: atalley@orchards.org
Website: www.orchards.org
AND
18100 Meyers
Detroit MI 48235
Phone: 313-340-0497
AND
42140 Van Dyke Ste. 206
Sterling Heights MI 48314
Phone: 586-997-0629
A new service from Orchard's Children's Services called PASS (Post-Adoption Support Services) that encourages networking among adoptive families, service providers, and other interested parties. Open to all families with children under 18 who have adopted from the state's welfare system. Offers crisis intervention, hosts monthly family activities, bi-monthly networking meetings, and quarterly task force meetings.
IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING TRANSRACIAL ADOPTION
Adoptive Families
Website: www.adoptivefamilies.com/transracial-adoption.php
A national adoption magazine that provides information and additional resource links on transracial and various other types of adoption.
The Child Welfare Information Gateway
Website: www.childwelfare.gov/adoption
Offers information on transracial and transcultural adoptions.
Pact, an Adoption Alliance
Website: www.pactadopt.org
A resource for families who have adopted or are considering adopting a child of color.
The North American Council on Adoptable Children
Website: www. nacac.org
An organization that provides information on adoption (primarily foster care) and adoption subsidies.
IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION
Find out about international adoption at:
Website: www.foreignborn.com/visas_imm/immigrant_visas/adoption/2international_adoption.htm
TIPS FOR ADOPTION SEARCHES
The cost of a search in Michigan is $250 plus a $20 application fee, which is a statutory fee created by the 1995 Michigan law that opened up new avenues to search adoption records.
Know which county handled your adoption: Even if the agency is closed, the records still exist. The family court system in each county will have a record of adoption.
Here are ways to contact some agencies that handled adoptions and local court divisions:
Michigan Central Adoption Agency
Website: http://www.mare.org/Search/CAR.html
Probate Courts
Website: http://www.courts.michigan.gov/scao/services/dirs/trialdir.htm
List of Closed Adoption Agencies
Website: http://www.michigan.gov/dhs/0,1607,7-124-5452_7116_7125-15585--,00.html
American Adoption Congress
Website: http://www.americanadoption-congress.org
National Council for Adoption
Website: http://www.adoptioncouncil.org
Michigan Department of Human Services Adoption Resources Page
Website: http://www.michigan.gov/dhs/0,1607,7-124-5452_7116--,00.html
Confidential Intermediary Program in Michigan
Website: http://michigansearching.com/CI.htm
Oakland County Family Court/Adoptions
Phone: 248-858-0589
Macomb County Family Court Division
Phone: 586-469-5243
Macomb County Catholic Social Services
Phone: 596-416-2300
Wayne County Family Court Division
Phone: 313-833-1880
Wayne County Catholic Social Services
Phone: 313-883-7671
St. Francis/Catholic Social Services of Oakland County
Phone: 248-552-0750 ext. 222
Lutheran Adoption Service
Phone: 248-423-2770 ext. 1119
Website: www.lssm.org
Jewish Family Service
Phone: 248-592-2345
Monthly Gathering of Adoption Agencies in Lansing and the Soundex Reunion Registry
Website: http://www.isrr.net/
Michigan Searching Online
Website: www.michigansearching.com AND http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MichiganSearching/
Adoption Identity Movement in Michigan
Website: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/8073/aim.html
SOME HELPFUL WEBSITES:
Michigan Federation for Children and Families
Phone: 517-485-8552
Website: www.michfed.org
National Child Welfare Resources Center for Adoption at the Spaulding for Children Center in Southfield
Phone: 248-443-7080
Website: www.spaulding.org
Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange
Phone: 800-589-6273 OR 517-783-6273
Website: www. mare.org
MARE runs the Heart Gallery, a photo and database of many of Michigan's state wards. It can be found at www.miheart.org/2008
Lutheran Child and Family Services
Phone: 248-968-0100
Website: www.lcfsmi.org
Judson Center
Phone: 800-443-9959
Website: www.judsoncenter.org
Ennis Center
Website: www.enniscenter.org
Wayne County: 313-342-2699
Genesse/Oakland counties: 810-233-4031
National Adoption Center
Website: www.adopt.org
National Foster Parent Association
Website: www.nfpainc.org
Project 1:27
3651 S. Colorado Boulevard
Englewood CO 80113
Phone: 303-256-1225
Website: www.project127.com
A model for churches and state partnering together to get kids out of foster care and into adoptive homes.
St. Vincent dePaul
Van Elslander Family Center
3000 Gratiot Avenue
Detroit MI 48207
Phone: 313-393-3040
Adoption Associates provides adoption placement and information.
American Adoption Congress
Website: www.americanadoptioncongress.org
For step-by-step suggestions on how to conduct a search for birth parents.
If you're not sure if you want to look for your birth parents:
Website: www.holtintl.org/adoptees/mcginnis.shtml
To locate records, groups and other resources in your state:
Website: www.childwelfare.gov/adoption
Does anyone else feel like I do?
Website: www.forums.adoption.com/search-reunion
To discuss relevant topics with others in your situation.
