Choosing an Adoption Agency: SEC the right choice for you

“If you adopt through an agency, you should always choose a reputable, licensed adoption agency."
St. Elizabeth | Coleman is a licensed adoption agency with both COA and Hague accreditation. Many of our counselors are licensed clinical social workers with years of experience. We have been serving our community with love, respect, and courage for over 100 years

“A good adoption agency has obligations to both expectant parents considering adoption and prospective adoptive parents. There can be competing interests…”
St. Elizabeth | Coleman has Pregnancy *& Adoption Counselors who strictly work with prospective birthparents. They are the birthparents’ advocate and support person during the adoption planning process and have their best interest at heart.

“Expectant adoptive couples and birthparents should be able to receive quality support services at any time – while they are considering adoption; up until placement; and even years after an adoption is finalized.”
St. Elizabeth |Coleman offers a continuum of services to all involved in the adoption. We pride ourselves on our lifetime commitment and support because Adoption is not a one-time event, but a lifelong process.

“Life changes may bring the need for additional support in processing the emotions connected to an adoption. Expectant birth parents should always be free from any coercion or pressure to place their child. They have the right to parent their children, the right to change their minds at any point within the time frame prescribed by state law.”
St. Elizabeth |Coleman is a pro-life agency. We support our pregnant clients in their parenting decision, no matter if they decide to parent themselves or choose a family to parent their child. We offer full adoption services as well as a Parent Support Group and baby supplies if a client chooses to parent themselves. We agree with this statement 100%: “Parents considering adoption need and deserve quality support services and counseling, no matter what decision they ultimately make about parenting or placement.”

“If the agency works in other countries [or offers Homestudy services], it needs to be Hague-accredited.”
St. Elizabeth | Coleman is a Hague-approved Homestudy agency. All adoptive families should be concerned with the ethics of placement, and should search for an agency that truly respects and tries to serve expectant birth parents. Adoptive parents must understand that they, too, benefit when expectant parents are well counseled, well treated, and well served. It’s better for birth parents, adopted children and adoptive families when expectant parents receive the respect and support they deserve.

“There is no set formula for choosing an agency through which to adopt; every adoptive family might have its own set of criteria. Prospective adoptive parents should look at what an agency has to offer in terms of quality of staff, and staff members’ degrees, training and years of experience.”
At St. Elizabeth | Coleman almost all counselors are licensed clinical social workers and are required to stay up-to date and enhance their work through the attendance of continuing education courses. In addition, almost all of our counselors have approximately 20 years of experience in working in the adoption field.