Adoption Services

Birthparent Services

To talk to a Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau social worker about our Birthparent Services, please call 1-800-592-4357.   We can answer your questions on the phone or arrange a meeting with you in a convenient place.

• Exploring Your Options
• General Information about Adoption
• Understanding Adoption from the Standpoint of Birthparents
• Open Adoption
• New York Birthfather Rights and Responsibilities
• Myths and Misconceptions about Adoption

If you are facing an unintended pregnancy, you may feel confused, uncertain, overwhelmed and have many unanswered questions.  We are here to help you think through all of your options, including adoption.
Our services are completely confidential. You can count on the help of an adoption professional who is caring and supportive; someone who will be there for you as you make the best possible plan for yourself and your baby--whether that includes adoption or another option.

Our social workers have experience counseling women in many different circumstances:  women who felt they were too young to be a parent; women who needed financial assistance to parent; women who already had children but felt unable to raise another child; and women overwhelmed by the medical attention that their special needs child would require.
We are here to help you through a difficult time. Please don't hesitate to call us.

Exploring Your Options

Choosing the right option that is best for you and your baby will require good decision making.  Here are options that you should consider:

• Parenting your baby
• Placing your baby for adoption
• Placing your baby in foster care/preventive services

To help explore these choices:

• Make a list of the pros and cons for each choice.
• List all of the important people in your life.  Write down what they think you should do and why you should do it. Evaluate their reasons in terms of your own hopes, dreams and desires.
• Ask yourself the following questions:

What is your responsibility to yourself?  What is your responsibility to your baby?  What are your goals and ambitions? Who can offer your baby what you want?

The Parenting Option

Think about raising a child instead of “having a baby.”  What will your plan be with respect to:  Living Arrangements, Financial Support, Dating, Day Care, Education, Employment, Health Insurance, Male Role Models, Family Court Appearances, Paternity Proceedings, Family Court Appearances for Child Support and for Visitation/Custody Proceedings.

The Adoption Option

Think about placing your baby for adoption.  Ask yourself the following:

How realistic is your parenting plan today?
Five years from now? Ten years from now?
How important are your parents' thoughts and feelings? What would happen if you went against them?
How independent can you be? Can you rely on regular child support for the next eighteen years?
What is the difference between your dreams and your reality? Between your feelings and your actual situation?
Can you give your child all of the things you want him or her to have?

 

Think of all the reasons to keep or place your baby.   For which are you willing to make sacrifices or changes in your life?

The Foster Care Option

There are two types of foster care available to you:

Short Term:  After being carefully screened, a Cradle Care mother will provide your infant with loving care for up to two weeks to allow you time to make your decision and, with the help of your Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau worker, prepare a plan for your baby.

Long term:  If you want to parent your baby but cannot take him/her home right now, this can be arranged through your local county.  Family Court will review your case to determine if the circumstances warrant placement of your child.  For more detailed information about foster care, please call 1-800-592-4357.

General Information about Adoption

Maybe you know in your heart that you cannot parent of your baby.  There are not enough time, money, or help.  Maybe you already have children and one more baby would add too much stress on you and your family.

The good news about your situation is that there are many families all over the country that would love to parent a baby.  They are waiting for a person like you - a person who wants to give a baby life, and share that baby with adoptive parents who can give the baby a permanent loving home.

You are doing the right thing by researching all of your options.  If you feel that you can’t parent, no matter what the reason, adoption may be the right choice for you! Please read the answers to the questions asked below.

How can I be helped financially?
There is no cost to you for adoption.  You do not need an attorney – Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau will handle all the legal and financial details for you.   However, you do have the right to legal representation if you so choose at no cost to you.

Can I get assistance with medical and living expenses while I am making an adoption plan?
Assistance with medical and living expenses is available at Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau.

What services does Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau offer?

• Assistance with medical and living expenses
• Referrals for housing and coordination of medical services
• Interim care for the child, if desired
• Development of an adoption plan Hospital visitation and coordination of services with hospital staff
• Birthparent support groups
• Post-adoption counseling
• Counseling services for designated (private) or attorney-facilitated (designated) adoptions
• Pregnancy counseling for you and your extended family before and after birth

Understanding Adoption from the Standpoint of Birthparents

Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau is a licensed non-profit adoption agency committed to the sacredness of human life. The Adoption Program provides a closely–supervised, professional and supportive environment for birthmothers who choose life-affirming plans for their babies.  We provide our comprehensive services in a compassionate and non-judgmental manner to people in New York and New Jersey of all backgrounds.

Choice of Adoptive Parent(s)
You will be presented with profiles (autobiographies, photos, and letters) of potential adoptive parent(s) and will be able to select the one(s) with whom you would like to place your baby.  All adoptive parent(s) have been thoroughly investigated by professional social workers and every effort is made to present you with adoptive parent(s) who most closely match your own needs, as well as your hopes and desires for your baby.

Opportunity for Openness
Depending on your own wishes, and with counseling from a professional adoption social worker, you may choose from a wide range of adoption plans, from totally confidential with little or no personal contact or exchange of material to fully identified with ongoing post-placement contacts.  Your social worker will assist you in exploring the many types of plans available to you and will provide counseling and support throughout the process.

Direct Placement/Cradle Care
A priority of this program is placing your baby with his/her adoptive parent(s) directly from the hospital and every effort is made to accomplish this.  Should such a direct placement not be possible or if you wish additional time to consider your decision, the baby can be placed in a fully licensed agency “Cradle Care” home and the adoptive parent(s) will receive him/her at a more suitable time.  This decision will be made with the advice and recommendation of your social worker.

Medical and Shelter Assistance
If you have no private insurance and/or  do not qualify for Medicaid, all medical expenses related to your pregnancy and the birth of your baby will be passed on to the adoptive parent(s).  Should you need a place to live during your pregnancy, housing assistance may be arranged and, if so, the cost passed on to the adoptive parent(s).

Agency Photo/Letter Policy
Following placement, the adoptive parent(s) must send letters and photos at one month and six months post-placement as well as annually up to and including your child’s third birthday.  In addition, you may choose to have letters and photos sent, via the agency, for a specific period of time.  You can also choose to send letters, photos, and gifts via the agency to your child.  Your social worker will present you with a detailed explanation of this policy.

Additional Counseling
You can seek outside counseling (either with someone you have selected or someone referred by your social worker).  This can consist of a reasonable amount of sessions at any time up to approximately two months after the birth of your baby.  The cost will be passed on to the adoptive parent(s).

Post-Placement Support
Your social worker will be available to support and advise you after the birth of your baby.  You can also take advantage of birthmother support groups, which meet periodically and are available at no cost to you.

Legal Representation
Should you choose to have legal representation, the agency will provide you with an approved list of adoption attorneys so that you can select one, at no cost.

Relinquishment
Your social worker will review all legal papers with you and this will be part of the ongoing counseling process.  Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau does not take relinquishments in hospitals; our policy is to allow birth parents time to recover from the birth and have additional counseling if requested before signing relinquishment papers.

Open Adoption

What is open adoption?
In open adoption, the birth parent looks at profiles of families who have applied to adopt through Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau, and completed the home study process.  She (or they if the birth father is involved) meets and chooses the adoptive family and together they work toward the adoption of the baby.  Birth parents and adoptive parents may plan to have a relationship in the future.  They may decide to communicate directly with each other through letters, pictures, phone calls and visits. Identifying information may be shared. Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau's role in these new relationships is active and supportive, focused on the benefit that openness can have for the child.

Open adoption is not co-parenting.  
Birth parents relinquish legal and basic child rearing rights to the adoptive parents but the child has the opportunity to develop a relationship with the birth family.  All of this may sound somewhat scary to birth parents who have never thought about being a part of their child's life after the adoption.

Birth parents who are presently involved in open adoptions wonder why more people don't consider it. It is reassuring to know that the child is safe and well and to have ongoing communication with the adoptive family.  
Most birth parents and adoptive families are agreeing to get-togethers planned in advance as they would plan to meet with other extended family members.  The relationships are like those of in-laws, who may not be directly related to all members of the family but who are nonetheless part of the ongoing life of the family, particularly the life of the child.

The most extensive study to date of open adoptions has followed 720 people including adoptive families, birth parents and children to the age of twelve. Openness in Adoption, Exploring Family Connections by Harold D. Grotevant and Ruth G. McRoy, published in 1998, found that “parents in fully disclosed adoptions demonstrate higher degrees of empathy about adoption, talk about it more openly with their child, and are less fearful that the birth mother might try to reclaim her child than are parents in confidential adoptions.”

And what does the future hold for children in open adoption?  
In the past, critics of open adoptions have maintained that such relationships will damage self-esteem and cause confusion. The Grotevant/McRoy study found no significant differences in self-esteem and socio-emotional adjustment among children involved in varied degrees of openness, including traditional, closed adoptions. The research revealed that children who are included in contact with birth parents have the highest levels of understanding of adoption.

New York Birthfather Rights and Responsibilities

For birth fathers choosing to be actively involved in counseling and adoptive planning for their child, we offer a full range of services and encourage their active participation.

In some cases the birth father is not involved. Your social worker will discuss with you the birthfather's knowledge of your pregnancy and his awareness of your plan of adoption. The agency attorney will also review the legal rights and responsibilities of the birthfather, and you and your social worker will discuss a plan to involve him or to continue with your adoptive plan without him.

Criteria for Determining Extent of Rights

• Was birthfather identified in a sworn written statement and/or on the birth certificate; did the father request to be identified on the birth certificate?
• Did the birthfather file a paternity/custody petition, express his intention to file a paternity petition, register with the Putative Fathers' Registry?
• Did the birthfather hold himself out and publicly acknowledge himself as the father?
• Did the birthfather personally request custody of child or otherwise inquire about the child?
• Did the birthfather contact the birth mother in any way (telephone, letters, etc.) to publicly acknowledge paternity, visit child or communicate with child?
• Did the birthfather live with the birth mother for a continuous period of six months prior to the execution of the surrender?
• Did the birthfather pay, or offer to pay, for the birth-related and pregnancy expenses incurred by the birth mother, including the medical, hospital and nursing expenses?
• Did the birthfather contribute to support of the child?
• Was any offer or contribution of support refused by the birthmother?
• Has the birthfather taken any steps to form a legal or emotional bond to the child?
• Was the birthfather prevented in any from contacting the birthmother or from demonstrating interest in or concern for the child?

Steps Fathers Can Take to Oppose Adoption Plan

• File Paternity and Custody Petitions in Family Court prior to adoptive placement.
• Immediately begin to contribute to pregnancy/birth-related expenses.
• Become an active participant in the pregnancy by accompanying birth mother to MD appointments, parenting classes, etc.
• Acknowledge publicly that you are the father of the child.
• Demonstrate viable plan for care of the baby, including employment, housing, medical care, day care.

 

Myths and Misconceptions about Adoption

Myth:    Placing your baby for adoption means you do not love your baby.
Truth:    Placing your baby for adoption really means that you love your baby enough to make sure he/she has the most secure future and the most fulfilling life possible, even if it means that you cannot provide it yourself.

Myth:    No one can love your baby the way you can
Truth:    Adoptive parents bond with their baby just as biological parents do.  Their love and attachment grow as the child grows and the family unit becomes stronger and stronger over the years.   This is because good parenting comes from consistent nurturing and seeing to it that the child’s needs are met—24 hours a day, 7 days a week—and from making a commitment to the child that lasts a lifetime.

Myth:    You will not have any say in the adoption process.
Truth:    The days of not involving birth parents in the process of finding a home for their baby are long over.  Today most adoption agencies encourage the birth parents to choose their adoptive family and even to meet them, all under the guidance of professional social workers.

Myth:    You will not remember your baby.
Truth:    Nobody expects you to walk away from this experience without any memories of it.  In fact, you will remember your baby and all of the wonderful feelings you experienced during your pregnancy.  You will also remember how hard this decision was and how hurtful the loss was.  Finally, you will remember that you acted responsibly, maturely and lovingly to plan for his/her future.  And these are memories of which you can be justly proud.

Myth:    You will never know how your baby is doing.
Truth:    In many adoption programs you are given the opportunity to receive photographs and letters from the adoptive parents so that you can learn how your baby is doing for a period of time after the placement.

Myth:     You will never see your child again.
Truth:    Some adoptees and their birth parents do have reunions when the child reaches adulthood.  In fact, while not all adoptees do so, there are ways for them to search for their birth parents after they reach the age of 18.

Myth:    Your baby will never know he/she is adopted.
Truth:    Adoptive parents are counseled to be honest about the child’s adoption throughout his/her life.  Birth parents are encouraged to  provide their children with photographs and letters to see and read when he/she is old enough to understand, giving them an opportunity to express the love they felt for the baby that led them to make such a life-affirming plan.  

Domestic Adoption

Understanding Adoption from the Standpoint of Adoptive Parents

Couple Selection
The birthmother is given the opportunity to select an adoptive family by choosing among profiles (autobiographies, photos,
and letters) completed by the prospective adoptive parent(s) during the home study.

Opportunity for Openness
Depending on your own wishes, and with counseling and guidance from your social worker, you may choose from a wide range of adoption plans, ranging from limited exchange of photographs and letters to fully identified with ongoing post-placement contact.  Your social worker will assist you in exploring the many types of plans available to you and will provide counseling and support throughout the process.

Direct Placement/Cradle Care
A priority of this program is placing the baby with the adoptive parent(s) directly upon discharge from the hospital and every effort is made to accomplish this.  Should the birthparent(s) wish more time to be sure of their decision, or if your social worker assesses factors, which pose a higher level of risk to the placement, the baby can be placed in a fully licensed agency“Cradle Care” home until the relinquishment has become final and irrevocable.  

Medical and Shelter Assistance
If the birthmother has no insurance and/or is unable to qualify for Medicaid, all medical expenses related to the pregnancy and birth of the baby will be paid by the agency and passed on to the adopting couple.  Should the birthmother need a place to live during her pregnancy, housing assistance may be arranged and, if so, the cost passed on to the adoptive parent(s).

Agency Photo/Letter Policy
Following placement, the adoptive parent(s) must send letters and photos at one month and six months post-placement as well as annual up to and including the child’s third birthday.  In addition, a birthmother may choose to have letters and photos sent, via the agency, for a specific period of time.  The birthparent(s) may also choose to send letters, photos, and gifts via the agency to the child.  Your social worker will present you with a detailed explanation of this policy.

Counseling
Every birthmother is offered the opportunity to seek outside counseling.  This can consist of a reasonable amount of sessions at any time up to approximately two months after the birth of her baby.  The cost will be paid by the agency and passed on
to the adoptive parent(s).

Post-Placement Support
Your social worker will be available to support and advise you after placement.  She will visit your home monthly until finalization is accomplished.

Legal Representation
Should the birthmother choose to have legal representation, the agency will provide referrals to her and will remit payment, with costs ultimately being passed on to the adoptive parent(s).

Relinquishment
Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau does not take relinquishments in hospitals; our policy is to allow birth parents time to recover from the birth and to have additional counseling if requested before signing relinquishment papers.  Depending upon circumstances, relinquishments may be signed either in court (judicial) becoming final and irrevocable immediately upon signing or outside of court (extra judicial) becoming final and irrevocable thirty days after being signed.

 

International Adoption

Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau, a Hague accredited Internaltional Adoption Agency, currently offers international adoptions through varied resources.  We have a partner relationship with Catholic Social Services in Asheville, North Carolina; American-International Children’s Alliance in Beverly, MA ; Family Tree Adoptions, Inc. Albany, NY, Cradle of Hope, Silver Springs, Md. and Children’s Home Society and Family Services, St. Paul, Mn.  These international agencies offer our prospective adoptive parents a variety of countries from which to select a placement.  These are licensed agencies in their respective states and authorized in the countries where they have international placements.  CGSHB provides pre-adoption Hague-required education; home study assessment; post placement visits, and reports to the placement agency.   In addition, we have provided home study and post placement supervision services for other Hague accredited agencies that have international programs but require a licensed, Hague accredited New York State agency as a partner agency.

Most recently, CGSHB began an international adoption placement program with orphanges in Taiwan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Portals/0/IAP with Taiwan.pdf. In conjunction with our placement partners, CGSHB oversees placements from Russia, the Philippines, Poland, India, Ethiopia, Columbia, and Costa Rica.

Current closed countries are: Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Guatemala.

Current countries where no new referrals for adoption are being made are: Nepal, and Kazakhstan. 

Please visit the US Department of State website for updates on the status of closings, travel alerts and other important information at http://adoption.state.gov.

To learn more about the children waiting to be adopted, please contact Kathleen Dooley-Polcha at (212) 371-1011, ext 2117, or E-Mail her at KDooley-Polcha@cgshb.org.

 International Kinship Adoption

International Kinship Adoption is a new and growing program the objective of which is assisting US citizen families in the legal adoptions of relatives from their country of origin.  The agency conducts home studies in accordance with New York State guidelines, assists with the completing of the I600A application for the Homeland Security Department, provides post placement supervision, and assists with re-adoption as required. Bi-lingual services are available.

What are the benefits of international kinship parenting?
Kinship parenting offers many benefits.  It helps family stay together.  It enables American relatives to offer foreign-born related children the freedoms and benefits of American life in a permanent, loving home.  It is a welcome alternative to the child being placed in a foreign orphanage.   It gives foreign-born children access to American healthcare and educational opportunities.

What are some of the services that we provide for international kinship parents?
We educate international kinship caregivers in the international kinship care process to ensure that they receive the support they need to provide stability and well-being for their adoptive families.  Accordingly we assist kinship caregivers by providing home studies of prospective adopted children.  In accordance with the requirements of each foreign country involved, we make the necessary post placement visits and submit the required reports.    In addition, in the post-adoption phase of our work, we collaborate with a wide network of referral partners to provide kinship caregivers and their families with the resources they need to make their families strong, nurturing, cohesive units, including hospitals, health clinics, schools, and community centers.  We also provide follow up referrals including assistance with healthcare; training in good kinship parenting; individual counseling for kinship children; day care; assistance with educational assessments; and other services as the need arises.

Financing Your Adoption

Resources You Can Count On To Help You Afford Adoption

• Federal Adoption Tax Credit and Income
• Federal Tax Credit for Adoption Expenses
• Federal Income Exclusion for Employer-Provided Assistance
• Employee Benefits Program
• State Adoption Subsidy Assistance
• Federal Family and Medical Leave Ac
• National Council for Adoption

Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau is a not-for-profit agency dedicated to providing high quality services to children, birth parents and adoptive parents.   The actual cost of providing services far exceeds revenue from fees.  Fees received from adoptive parents cover only a portion of the professional services provided by Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau.  Since we do not receive government funding, we rely on fundraising, donations and endowments to keep adoption fees affordable for our clients.

Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau's fee is separate from those required by the country of origin, which vary internationally. Travel costs plus specific immigration and documentation fees apply also when adopting outside of the United States.

Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau's service fee includes among other services:

• the assignment of a personal social worker
• home study and post-placement services
• educational workshops to help prepare for adoptive parenthood
• assistance from document preparation specialists
• birth parent expenses covered for domestic adoptions
• support for humanitarian aid program.

 

The National Council for Adoption Financing Plan

The National Council for Adoption recognizes that adopting is not easy.  But they are offering a financing plan that could make it easier than you think.  NCFA’s Adoption Line of Credit is a reliable, renewable source of funds that offers:

• Unsecured liens of credit of up to $25,000
• Initial repayment terms ranging from 24 to 84 months, depending on amount borrowed
• Predictable, affordable monthly payments
• No annual fees
• No collateral necessary

 

Call 1-888-628-7700 or visit NCFA on the web at www.adoptioncouncil.org/financing.htm

Federal Adoption Tax Credits
Parents can make adopting from Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau more affordable through federal adoption tax credits, corporate employee benefits, state subsidies and Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau's special funds.
IRS Publication 968 Tax Benefits for Adoption for use in preparing 2006 returns contains essential information about adoption tax credits and income exclusions. This is a .pdf file and requires Adobe Reader for viewing.

Federal Adoption Tax Credit and Income Exclusion
On their federal income tax return, adoptive parents may be able to claim a tax credit for qualified adoption expenses and/or an income exclusion for employer-provided adoption assistance for qualified adoption expenses for both domestic and international adoption.
Following is a summary of currently available information. Parents should contact a tax professional to review the IRS guidelines in order to understand the impact of the new adoption tax credit and income exclusion provisions on their own situation.
A tax credit is typically more valuable than a tax deduction because qualified expenses are subtracted dollar for dollar against your tax liability. For example, is you owe $5,000 in federal taxes and have $3,000 in qualified adoption expenses, your tax bill is reduced to $2,000. If your tax bill is smaller than the credit, the unused portion of the credit may be carried forward for up to five years.
Qualified expenses include "reasonable and necessary" adoption fees, attorney fees, and some travel costs, including necessary transportation, meals, and lodging. The credit does not apply to expenses reimbursed by the government or private programs for which an income-tax deduction or credit already is allowed.

Federal Tax Credit for Adoption Expenses
For tax year 2010, the maximum credit for qualified expenses of a legal adoption is $13,170. In the case of a special needs adoption, the maximum credit is also $13,170 and is applied regardless of any qualified expenses.

Income Limits
The limits on the amount of income adoptive parents may earn in order to take advantage of this credit are as follows: the entire credit is available to families whose adjusted gross income is $152,390 or less. The amount of the credit is phased down for families with adjusted gross income over $152,390 and phased out at $192,390. If a family's adjusted gross income is more than $192,390, it cannot take advantage of the credit.

Differences in Types of Adoptions

• Adoption of children from the United States (without special needs): parents may take a $13,170 credit for qualified adoption expenses. The expenses may be taken in the year in which they are incurred or paid.
• Adoption of children from other countries: parents may take a $13,170 credit for qualified adoption expenses after the adoption is final.
• Adoption of special needs children: parents may take a flat $13,170 credit without documenting the expenses. To be deemed a special needs child by the IRS, the child must be born in the United States; a state must have determined that the child cannot or should not be returned to his parent's home and that the child probably will not be adopted unless some assistance is provided to the adoptive parents; and the adoption must be final.

Note: A child placed by Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau whom Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau considers to have special needs might not meet the IRS definition of special needs.

 

Federal Income Exclusion for Employer-provided Assistance
The exclusion allowed for employer-provided assistance is $13,170 per child. You can claim both an exclusion and a credit for the same adoption, but not for the same expenses

Employee Benefits Programs
Many companies offer some type of adoption benefits to their "regular" employees. These benefits, depending on your company, may include:

• Direct reimbursement of up to $13,170 upon placement
• Paid leave -- in addition to vacation time, sick leave, or personal days
• Unpaid leave --personal, medical, or child care
• Adoption seminars and classes, as well as counseling and support Even if your employer does not currently offer adoption benefits, ask about their availability. You may be able to convince your company to begin offering them.

Your employer may also have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). This benefit helps employees deal with unusual personal situations or problems.

State Adoption Subsidy Assistance
Infants diagnosed with specific medical conditions are eligible for State Adoption Subsidy Assistance. Under New York and New Jersey State laws, an application for subsidy can be submitted at the time of diagnosis. Application is generally made at the time of placement, although assistance can be accessed following finalization, if the family had not been aware of the presence or severity of the disability. Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau will help apply for this assistance whenever a child may be eligible.

Federal Family and Medical Leave Act
Unpaid leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act can be an option. This act allows individuals to take up to 12 weeks unpaid leave with certain benefits, without jeopardizing employment. This is not exclusive to an adoption benefit since it is available for anyone who works for a company with 50 or more employees. However, it can provide valuable time for a new mother or father.

Cost Guidelines
Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau Sliding Scale Fee for Professional Services

Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau is a fully licensed not-for-profit adoption agency.  Our first priority is to find permanent loving homes for infants and children. The cost of our professional services to adopting families is determined by a sliding scale.
 
Domestic: CGSHB's fee is $20,000 (plus legally allowable birthparent expenses), though we will look at a sliding scale based upon need.

International*: Kinship Fees range from $500 to $2,100 (post-placement visits are $300 each)
    Networking Agency Fees are $2,100 (post-placement visits are $300 each)
    Re-Adoption Fees are $500
    Home Study Update Fees are $500

2nd Placements:     Fees are 75% current basic agency fees for domestic or international when you have previously   adopted through our agency

*In addition, for international adoptions, families pay country-specific fees ranging from $16,500 to $28,000 directly to the networking agency handling the placement program.  There are also additional costs for airfare, food, lodging, translation, visas and visa medicals depending on the country.

Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau does not receive any government funding.  We rely on contributions from private foundations and individual donations to keep our fees affordable for our clients.

See our How You Can Afford Adoption section to learn about making adoption from Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau more affordable through federal adoption tax credits, corporate employee benefits, and state subsidies.

In accordance with Hague regulations, Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau (CGSHB) will inform all prospective adoptive parents at the outset that they have absolutely no obligation to make any donation to CGSHB at any time.  However, in the event that prospective adoptive parents wish to make a charitable donation to CGSHB, it would only be accepted after adoption finalization as occurred.

Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau can advise adoptive families on how they can afford fees and other related costs.  For more information, please call us at 212-371-1000 ext. 2136.

Search and Reunion

Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau follows all New York State guidelines regarding birthparent adoptee mutual consent searches.  Our agency will provide all non-identifying background and medical information to adoptive persons over the age of eighteen with appropriate documentation.

We offer assistance to birthparents, siblings, and adoptees over the age of eighteen in registering with the New York State Medical and Adoption Registry.

For clients who have received services in our Foster Care or Group Home Programs, all legally allowable information will be shared with the client on receipt of appropriate documentation.

How to Reach Us

Contact Information

For confidential assistance with pregnancy, maternity, adoption or related issues, please call 1-800-592-4357.  Clients wishing more information about the Maternity Services Program should contact the Program Administrative Assistant, Zulma Cosme at (212) 371-1000 ext. 2136.  Donors interested in contributing support to the program who may have questions about the program should contact Kathleen Dooley-Polcha, Director of Maternity Services at (212) 371-1000 ext. 2117 kdooley-polcha@cgshb.org or Mr. John J. Frein, Executive Director at (212) 371-1011, ext 2300 or email him at jfrein@cgshb.org. 

The Maternity Services Program of Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau has been providing free counseling and resources to mothers and mothers-to-be facing unintended pregnancies since 1925.   Whether it is pre and post natal care, training in good nutrition and good parenting, assistance with immunization and medical coverage or such practical essentials as baby formula, baby clothes, layettes and safe new cribs with mattresses and bumper guards, we provide everything necessary to help the women who come to us give their newborns a good strong healthy start in life.    Our mission is to strengthen families by serving children.  

Maternity Services Program Staff