Adoption Services

Types of Adoption Services

Catholic Charities offers several types of Adoption Services:

Adoption Services Informational Meetings: Prospective adoptive parents will learn about: the adoption process in Wisconsin, agency infant, independent, and international adoption. Space is limited.

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Agency domestic infant

Program where adoptive parents and birth parents meet through Catholic Charities. This program is for couples who wish to adopt an infant, age 0-12 months, from the United States. These couples can have no more than one child, either biological or adopted. Click here to view some of the adoptive families. For information about all of the families currently in the agency domestic infant program, please contact our staff.

Independent

This is the same as agency domestic infant, except adoptive parents meet birth parents on their own and then contact an agency for the home study. There is no waiting period. There is no policy for independent adoption limiting the number of children that the adoptive parents have prior to adoption. Adoptive parents connect with birthparents in a variety of ways, including online adoptive parent profile Web sites, family members, friends, or word of mouth. For information about all of the families currently in the Independent program, please contact our staff.

Stepparent

Stepparent adoption is a formal way to legalize the special bond a stepparent shares with their child. We are committed to helping custodial and petitioning stepparents, through stepparent adoption, to best accomplish their goal of assuring a child’s permanency within their home.

We provide the required screening service: background clearances, medical assessment, review of financial status, verification of employment and reference checks. This service also includes a face to face meeting where social history is shared and educational and support elements are discussed to best assist children and families throughout and after the adoption process is completed. The agency is responsible for finishing and providing a court report to the presiding judge and attorneys involved in the case. For more information, please contact our staff. To download our Stepparent Application CLICK HERE

International

Catholic Charities offers Home Study and post placement services to couples interested in International Adoption. Couple must complete the required home study investigation process on behalf of a licensed child placement agency in order to accomplish their goal of adopting a child or children internationally.

Many International Adoption Agencies that work with specific countries are located outside of Wisconsin, therefore having a local agency such as Catholic Charities complete the Home Study and post placement services may be more cost effective for the adoptive family. For more information, please contact our staff.

Out of State Adoptions

In addition, Catholic Charities is able to assist adoptive families who are adopting a child or children born in the US, but outside of Wisconsin, and who are in need of local home study and post-placement services.

All 50 States, including Wisconsin participate in the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC). ICPC provides for the safe placement of children as well as to ensure that laws in both the sending and receiving state are followed. ICPC must provide approval prior to the placement of the child into a different state.

Catholic Charities is knowledgeable about the complexities involved in out of state adoptions and is ready to provide assistance and guidance throughout the process. For more information, please contact our staff.

Our Adoption Services Staff

For additional information about our Adoption Services or our Pregnancy/Birth Parent Services, contact Tara DeGrave or Chelsea Baucom-Young.

Phone

  • (920) 272-8234
  • Toll-free: 1-877-500-3580, ext. 8234

E-mail