St. Joseph Adoption & Foster Care Resources

Have you been thinking about beginning the Missouri adoption process? If you’re considering placing your baby for adoption in St. Joseph, MO, or if you’re hoping to adopt a child as a St. Joseph resident, you’ll need access to local resources and professionals.

No one should have to face this life-changing experience alone. Make sure you work with experienced and reputable professionals for your St. Joseph adoption process. We’ve made it easier than ever to find those professionals, by compiling a list of the top providers in the St. Joe area.

Below, we’ve listed both national and local professionals that serve the state of Missouri. We’ve included the local offices of these professionals, where applicable.

Domestic Adoption Agencies in St. Joseph

If you’re considering a domestic infant adoption in St. Joseph, you’ll need to work with an appropriately licensed, experienced professional. Whether you need to place a child for adoption in St. Joseph or you hope to adopt a child, St. Joseph adoption agencies provide you with all the services you’ll need — throughout the process and beyond.

Most domestic adoption agencies in St. Joseph offer services like:

• Free medical care, legal counsel, and free adoption- and pregnancy-related services for prospective birth parents
• Financial assistance for prospective birth parents who need help supporting themselves and any children they may be raising during the adoption process
• Counseling and support for both the expectant parents and adoptive parents
• Matching services and help getting to know one another
• Screening services, to ensure the safety of children as well as the expectant and adoptive families
• And more

For these reasons and more, it’s recommended that pregnant women and hopeful adoptive parents work with a licensed adoption agency in St. Joseph throughout their adoption journeys.

Here are some of the best adoption agencies in St. Joseph, MO, and the surrounding area:

• American Adoptions

1125 Grand Blvd., Suite 1301

Kansas City, MO 64106

• Adoption Beyond

16236 Metcalf Ave.

Overland Park, KS 66085

• Zoe’s House

4350 W. 107th St.

Overland Park, KS 66207

International Adoption Agencies in St. Joseph

Adopting a child from another country is a more complex and lengthy process than other types of adoption in St. Joseph, Missouri. However, there are still a few agencies who can help you if your heart is set on this family-building option.

Contact a Hague-licensed, experienced professional for more information. You can start with one of these agencies:

• Children’s Hope International

11780 Borman Drive

St. Louis, MO 63141

• Lutheran Children and Family Services

307 Locust St.

Columbia, MO 65201

• Holt International

St. Joseph Foster Care Professionals

Thinking about becoming a foster parent or about adopting a child through foster care in St. Joseph, MO? In order to complete a foster care adoption in St. Joseph or to become a temporary foster parent to children in need of a safe, stable and loving environment, you’ll need to reach out to one of these local organizations for more information:

• Missouri Department of Social Services

Nearest Office:

St. Joseph State Office Building, Suite 127

525 Jules St.

St. Joseph, MO 64501

• Cornerstones of Care

520 Francis St., Suite 200A

St. Joseph, MO 64501

• FosterAdopt Connect

18600 E. 37th Terrace S.

Independence, MO 64057

Adoption Attorneys in St. Joseph

You’ll always need to work with an experienced adoption attorney in St. Joseph, whether you’re pregnant or you’re hoping to adopt in St. Joseph. Adoption attorneys not only walk you through the necessary legal aspects of your journey, from consent to finalization — they’re also there to make sure everything is completed safely, legally and ethically.

Most St. Joseph adoption agencies will be able to refer you to nearby reputable adoption lawyers in St. Joseph, but some people may need to locate this professional on their own. Here are some qualified local attorneys who can help guide you through the complex legal steps involved in St. Joseph adoptions:

• Michael J. Belfonte, P.C.

14801 E. 42nd St. S.

Independence, MO 64055

• Kevin Kenney, Attorney at Law

7301 Mission Road

Prairie Village, KS 66208

• Murphy, Taylor, Siemens & Elliot P.C.

3007 Frederick Ave.

St. Joseph, MO 64506

• Ritchie, Soper & Schutt LLC

718 N. Seventh St.

St. Joseph, MO 64501

St. Joseph Adoption Home Study Providers

Every hopeful adoptive family must complete the home study process before they can be approved to adopt. This is one of the most important pre-adoption steps, because it assesses the family’s physical, emotional, mental and financial readiness to welcome a child via adoption. It’s a vital way that professionals ensure children are placed with families who are safe and prepared.

You’ll need to work with a St. Joseph home study professional that is licensed in the type of adoption you wish to pursue, be it international, kinship, foster care or domestic infant adoption in St. Joseph. Your provider will also need to be licensed to conduct home studies in the state of Missouri.

Here are a couple of nearby professionals who are able to complete an adoption home study in St. Joseph:

• American Adoptions

1125 Grand Blvd., Suite 1301

Kansas City, MO 64106

• All Blessings International (MO)

5505 N. Farmer Branch Road

Ozark, MO 65721

Hospitals in St. Joseph

As a pregnant woman who is creating an adoption plan for her baby, you’ll be faced with plenty of choices. One of these choices will be deciding where and how you want to give birth and receive your prenatal medical care.

When you contact an adoption professional, they’ll help you to create a hospital plan that you feel comfortable with, and they’ll make sure that you receive all of your healthcare at no cost to you. They can also help if you don’t have medical insurance.

As you create your hospital plan, you’ll want to select your preferred hospital. There is one nearby hospital that offers labor and delivery services, so you might find this to be a convenient option if you live in the St. Joe area:

• Mosaic Medical Center

5325 Faraon St.

St. Joseph, MO 64506

St. Joseph Adoption Courts

In the months after receiving placement of a new child, adoptive parents will complete post-placement home study requirements and follow ups. Then, adoptive families in St. Joseph will have their finalization hearing scheduled, typically in the Buchanan County Courthouse.

This marks the last legal step in the St. Joseph adoption process, so it’s a very exciting time for everyone involved!

Places to Stop During Your St. Joseph Adoption

When a child is placed for adoption in St. Joseph, Missouri, the birth and adoptive families will typically spend a good amount of time there together. Out-of-state adoptive parents will stay there during their ICPC wait, the two families may take some time to get to know one another in St. Joseph before placement, and they may all return there together to share open adoption visits in the future.

While you’re in the St. Joe area, you might have fun exploring some of these local spots:

• Best Restaurants in St. Joe
• East Hills Mall
• Jesse James Home Museum
• Krug Park
• Missouri Theater

Have some questions or need some more information? Or are you ready to begin your St. Joseph infant adoption journey? Contact a qualified adoption professional to learn more.