Augusta Adoption & Foster Care Resources

As a prospective adoptive or birth parent in Augusta, you likely have many questions about how to adopt or place a baby for adoption in Georgia. Fortunately, there are plenty of local adoption professionals available to assist you through the adoption process and answer any questions you might have about adoption in Augusta.

Visit our How to Adopt in Georgia page for additional resources and information about adoption in the Peach State.

Augusta Adoption Agencies and Adoption Professionals

To begin the adoption process, one of the first steps adoptive parents and birth mothers should take is to choose an adoption professional. This professional will work with you through every step of the adoption, and it is important to choose a professional that can meet all of your individual needs.

Some prospective birth parents and adoptive families prefer to work with a local or regional adoption agency. The following adoption professionals are located in the Augusta area and have experience completing local adoptions:

• An Open Door Adoption Agency
• Covenant Care Services

How to Become a Foster Parent in Augusta

To become a foster parent or to adopt from the foster care system in Georgia, you must meet certain age requirements and complete a licensing process that includes criminal records checks, home safety inspections, a medical screen and training. More information about foster care and foster-to-adopt placements in Georgia is available on our state adoption information page.

The following local agencies and resources can also provide additional information about becoming a foster parent in the Augusta area:

• NECCO
• Benchmark Family Services
• The United Methodist Children’s Home
• Richmond County DFCS
• Lutheran Services of Georgia

Home Study Providers in Augusta

For adoptive parents, the home study is one of the most important parts of every adoption and foster care process. The Georgia home study includes an interview process that gathers the following information:

• The adoptive parents’ motivation to adopt, their parenting practices, and their understanding of adoptive parenting
• A physical description and social history of each family member, as well as a summary of their health history, mental and emotional health
• The adoptive parents’ financial situation
• A description of the family’s home and neighborhood
• And more

For more information about what to expect during the home study process, visit our Georgia adoption information page.

It is important to choose the right professional to complete your adoption home study and ensure it complies with all state laws and requirements. To get started, contact a licensed home study provider in Georgia:

• Options 4 Adoption
  770-928-1871
  Options 4 Adoption is licensed in Georgia, Florida and Tennessee as a nonprofit home study agency. Services include home studies for domestic and international adoptions, post-placement supervision and home study report updates.

• The Adoption Authority, Inc.
  (800)747-5145
  The Adoption Authority, Inc. is a licensed child placement agency in Georgia and Florida that completes domestic and international home studies, home study updates and post-placement reports.

• A Adoption Advocates of Georgia
  770-778-2751
  A Adoption Advocates of Georgia is a nonprofit licensed child-placing agency serving all of Georgia that conducts home studies for international adoptions, domestic adoptions and post-placement requirements.

Visit 1800HomeStudy.com to learn more about Georgia home study providers.

Hospitals in Augusta

One of the most emotional parts of the adoption process, both for birth parents and adoptive families, is the time spent in the hospital when the baby is born. It is entirely up to the birth mother to decide how she would like her hospital stay to go.

If you are making an adoption plan for your baby, you will work with your adoption professional and your delivery hospital to ensure everything happens exactly as you want it to. When you are ready to begin creating your hospital plan, here are some Augusta area hospitals that may be able to assist you:

• Doctors Hospital of Augusta
  3651 Wheeler Rd.
  Augusta, GA 30909
  706-651-3232

• Georgia Regents Medical Center
  1120 15^th Street
  Augusta, GA 30912
  706-721-4959

• University Hospital
  1350 Walton Way
  Augusta, GA 30901
  706-774-2825

Adoption Laws and Qualifications

Many adoptive and birth parents in Augusta have questions about local adoption laws and regulations. These laws are determined by the state and are the same in Augusta as they are in Atlanta, Savannah, and anywhere else in the state.

The following provides an overview of the types of laws regulating Georgia adoptions. More detailed Georgia adoption information is available here.

Adoption Laws for Birth Parents

Some of the most important adoption laws for prospective birth parents are those regarding consent and relinquishment. According to Georgia law, consent can be executed by the baby’s living parents or guardian any time after birth. More information about consent and relinquishment, birth father rights and more is available on our state information page.

Laws for Adoptive Families

Hopeful adoptive parents often wonder what types of adoption professionals they can work with, what adoption expenses they can pay, and even whether they meet the eligibility requirements to adopt in Georgia. This information, along with other Georgia adoption laws and home study information, can be found here.

County Courts

At the end of the adoption process, every adoption must be legally finalized in court. If you are adopting in Augusta, Georgia, find information about finalizing your adoption in your county:

• Richmond County
• Burke County
• Columbia County
• Lincoln County
• McDuffie County

Things to do in Augusta

If you are adopting a child from the Augusta area, you may find yourself spending some time in the city, either visiting prospective birth parents or waiting for ICPC clearances. Here are some fun local attractions to visit if you are looking for ways to spend your time in Augusta:

• Augusta Museum of History
• Riverwalk
• Sacred Heart Cultural Center
• Phinizy Swamp Nature Park
• Morris Museum of Art