Adoption Services

Adoption and Maternity Services

The Adoption and Maternity Program has united thousands of families over many decades, as a licensed adoption agency and a respected pioneer in issues such as open adoption. The program continues to operate after the hurricane.

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Why Open Adoption?

We place infants in adoptive homes, counsel birthparents and adoptive parents and reach out to both groups with a variety of helping services that range from crisis counseling for pregnant women to home studies for adoptive couples.

Adoption and Maternity is a full service agency. The program also places children in state custody with permanent families. We work with Wendy's Wonderful Kids, a national initiative that finds adoptive parents for youngsters in foster care.

Whom We Serve
In 2002-2003, we served more than 1,523 persons — birthparents, adoptive parents and their extended families. Services can continue for a minimum of five years after a child is placed for adoption. About 86 percent of expectant mothers who contact us choose to parent their child. Of these, approximately 50 percent have a gross annual household income below $10,000, 59 percent are unemployed, 53 percent reside in a female household with no husband, and 16 percent are ages 10-17.

History
In 1915, a Magazine Street home was donated to Volunteers of America to help indigent women and children. No one was turned away. In 1942, because of increased demand, the property became a maternity home, providing proper medical care, residential care and counseling.

Eventually, Volunteers of America operated two other maternity homes — on St. Charles Avenue and in Mandeville. We became a licensed adoption agency in 1948. As times changed, there was no need for maternity homes, yet we continue to serve birthparents and adoptive couples with services that help them make decisions that are right for their individual situations.