"finding adoptive homes for children"

Hello, and thank you for your interest in adoption, and the many children in Georgia who are still searching for a permanent place to call home.

If you have a completed and approved Home Study, your first step is to please notify your caseworker of your interest in the child(ren) you have selected. They should fax a copy of your home study to the following:

My Turn Now Department
Fax # 404-657-3571

Please make sure that the worker identifies the child(ren) you are interested in on the cover page of the fax and indicates that you identified the child through the Wednesday’s Child program.

Should your caseworker need to contact My Turn Now, they may call 404-657-3479 or 1-800-603-1322, which is where they will also inquire about the status of your submission.

If you do not already have an approved Home Study, and you live in Georgia, your first step is to register for an upcoming IMPACT Orientation. Orientation class will provide basic information about the pre-service training classes for adoption as well as the evaluation process.

You should be prepared that it usually takes 4-6 months on average for the training and home study process to be completed. After your study is complete and approved, you will be able to begin your search for a specific child.

You can begin the process through one of two ways:
Through your local DFCS agency:  All inquiries from families living in Georgia and without a home study are automatically forwarded to the inquiring family’s resident county DFCS agency. Once received, the agency should contact the family to invite them to the next orientation meeting.  However, you may go ahead and contact your county DFCS agency directly, go to www.dfcs.dhr.georgia.gov  and click on county offices which will give you the county address and phone number. Ask to speak to the adoptive parent recruiter.  Make sure to let that person know you are interested in adoption because  some of the metro area county DFCS offices only train and study prospective foster families and they refer their prospective adoptive families to the private adoption agencies that the state has current contracts with- see below listing.

Or,
Through a private adoption agency under contract with the State (see list below): If you wish to work with a private agency for the placement of a child with special needs, you should contact any of the agencies listed below for further information. For a full listing of all private adoption agencies that specialize in other types of adoptions (infant, international) please go to www.ors.dhr.georgia.gov.

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Private Foster/Adoption Agencies Approved for Georgia

DFCS STATE ADOPTION UNIT: CONTRACT ADOPTION AGENCIES (7-1-05 thru 6-30-08)

The following is a list of private adoption agencies that the DFCS State Adoption Unit has entered into contracts with for the purpose of providing adoption services for children who meet the State’s definition of special needs.

1. ALL GOD’S CHILDREN
EMI LY BAILEY, DIRECTOR
1671 Meriweather Drive, Suite 101
Bogart, GA 30622
706-316-2421 FAX 706-316-2423
info@agcadoption.org
ebailey@agcadoption.org
www.agcadoption.org (web site)
Serving: All Metro Atlanta Counties and North Georgia

2.(a) BETHANY CHRISTIAN SERVICES
TRISH SMALL, DIRECTOR
SHARON BILLINGSLEA, ADOPTION SUPERVISOR
6645 Peachtree Dunwoody Road
Atlanta, GA 30328
770-455-7111 FAX. 7-455-7118
sbillingslea@bethany.org
www.bethany.org (web site)
Serving: All Metro Atlanta Counties

2.(b) BETHANY CHRISTIAN SERVICES
MARY BOSTON, ADOPTION SUPERVISOR
GAIL LEWIS, ADOPTION SPECIALIST
5210 Armour Rd., Suite 200-A
Columbus, GA 31904
706-576-5766 OR 706-576-5750 FAX# 706-576-5159
mboston@bethany.org
Serving: Columbus

3. FAMILIES FIRST
PEGGY BAIRD, ADOPTION DIRECTOR
YVONNE BURTON ADOPTION SUPERVISOR
1105 W. Peachtree Street.
P.O. BOX 7948
Atlanta, GA 30309
Peggy
Yvonne
Main Office FAX
yvonne@familiesfirst.org
peggy@familiesfirst.org
www.familiesfirst.org (web page)
Serving: All Metro Atlanta Counties

4. GEORGIA MENTOR
LORI CAMPBELL, PROGRAM MANAGER
JANE HUDSON, ADOPTION SUPERVISOR
2799 Lawrenceville Hwy. Suite 201
Decatur, GA 30033
Jane 770-496-5500 (ext 2201) FAX 770-496-0101
jane.hudson@thementornetwork.com
Serving: All Metro Atlanta Counties and Macon

5. THE GIVING TREE
YVETTE BOWDEN, DIRECTOR
JUANITA JOYNER, PROGRAM MANAGER
720 Church Street
Decatur, GA 30030
404-633-3383 FAX 4-633-3348
Juanita@thegivingtree.org
www.thegivingtree.org (web site)
Serving: Serving: All Metro Atlanta Counties

6.(a) LUTHERAN SERVICES OF GEORGIA
GARY JOHNSTONE, ADOPTION DIRECTOR(678-686-9616)
NOREEN HORRIGAN, ADOPTION SUPERVISOR
2987 Clairmont Rd. Suite 150
Atlanta, GA 30329
Noreen 404-591-7067
General 404-591-7014 Toll Free Adoption # 800-395-0129
Fax # 404-591-7435
gjohnstone@lsga.org
nhorrigan@lsga.org www.lsga.org (web site)
Serving: Serving: All Metro Atlanta Counties, Augusta and Rome

6.(b) HERITAGE ADOPTION SERVICES
SYBIL DUDLEY, PROGRAM SUPERVISOR
BETH LUKE, ADOPTION SUPERVISOR
6555 Abercorn Street, Suite 200
Savannah, GA 31405
912-355-9179
FAX 912-355-1499;
Sybil 912-355-0771 Ext. 22
Beth 912-355-9179 Ext. 26
sdudley@lsga.org bluke@lsga.org
Serving: Savannah and Southern Counties

Also, you may want to visit the Wednesday's Child website for Georgia at www.wednesdayschildga.com .

This website will offer you a great deal of information about adoption in Georgia, provide you with links to adoption resources, allow you to view online videos of the Wednesday's Child segments for children we are still recruiting a family for and allow you to view the Home for the Holiday special from Christmas day. You will also be able to register for email alerts or podcast updates so that every time the newest segment is updated, you will receive an alert that notifies you of the newest child(ren)'s segment available.

Wishing you success in your journey toward expanding your family through adoption! 

Andrea Shoemaker
Wednesday’s Child Coordinator- Georgia
404-579-4500
anshoemaker@dhr.state.ga.us
www.wednesdayshchildga.com