Every child deserves a home in which to grow and prosper as a child. Adults also need the connections that a family brings. Please let us help you on your adoption and/or foster journey.
Licensing Requirements for Foster or Adoption
Minimum Requirements include
- Completion of required agency forms.
- Medical information completed by a physician.
- You can be single or married. If married, couples must be legally married for at least 2 years.
- Verification of marriages and divorces, if applicable.
- Currently reside in the state of Mississippi.
- Applicants must be between the ages of 21 and 65 years.
- Child Abuse Registry checks for all adults in the home.
- Police record clearance for all adults in the home.
- References for employment and character.
- Sanitation and water inspection, if not on approved system.
- Home visits and interviews with all household members.
- Active telephone service in the home.
- Smoke alarm and no less than a 4 pound ABC-type fire extinguisher.
- Minimum income that proves applicant is self-supporting and could financially meet the needs of an additional family member.
- Transportation available at all times.
- Participate in at least fifteen hours of pre-service training for a child with special needs.
- Child must have his/her own bed, and no adult or child of the other sex may sleep in the same room with him/her.
- Life insurance coverage for family, child and/or a plan for the child in the event of disability or death of parent.
Does it Cost to Foster or Adopt?
There are fees involved for homestudies completed by some private agencies. But, many families use low-cost or almost no-cost adoption and foster options every year.
Parent Support Groups
Parent Support Groups are a network of foster and adoptive parents lead by Partners in Permanency’s post adoption program. Information about a support group in your area can be located by calling 800-748-3005 and asking for Dorothy.
Library materials can be obtained by emailing the Harden House Adoption Program at hardenad@comcast.net or contacting the office at 888-893-7318. Materials will be mailed with return mailing instructions.
Agency Contact and Orientation Information
Agape Child and Family Services
111 Racine
Memphis, TN 38111
(901) 323-3600
Contact: Michael McDonald
michael.mcdonald@agapemeanslove.org
Description of Adoption Services: Maternity counseling, traditional infant adoption. Foster care through the state of TN and private placements of special needs adoptions.
Bethany Christian Services
www.bethany.org
2618 Southerland
Jackson, MS 39216
(601) 366-4282
Contact: Karen Stewart
Kstewart@bethany.org
Description of Adoption Services: Birthparent counseling during pregnancy, Domestic adoptions (infant), International adoptions, Interim care for newborns (foster care).
Catholic Charities, Inc.
www.catholiccharities.org
530 George St.
Jackson, MS 39202
(601) 960-8649
Contact: Betti Watters
angela.griffin@catholiccharitiesjackson.org
Description of Adoption Services: Pre and post-placement services for adoptive families, services to birth parents, and counseling available throughout the life of an adopted child.
Catholic Social & Community Services, Inc.
1790 Popps Ferry Road
Biloxi, MS 39532
(228) 702-2167
Contact: Jennifer Williams
jwilliams@biloxidiocese.org
Description of Adoption Services: Homestudy and post-placement reports; Domestic adoptions; Information seminars about international adoptions; Pre and post-adoption support services.
Catholic Charities Therapeutic Foster Care
www.catholiccharitiesjackson.org
748 North President St.
Jackson, MS 39202
(601) 948-4493
Description of Foster Care Services: Therapeutic Foster Care services in Hinds, Rankin and Madison counties.
Harden House Adoption Program
1800 N. Gloster St., Suite A
Tupelo, MS 38804
(662) 680-9191
Contact: Pat Sartain
hardenad@comcast.net
Description of Adoption Services: Harden House Adoption Program recruits and trains families to provide a permanent placement for children who are in the foster care system. Pre and post adoption services to families including crisis intervention, buddy family network, respite, support groups for parents and teens, adoption family retreat, and on-going adoptive parent and professional training.
MS Adoption/Foster Parent Assn.
P.O. Box 4055
Brandon, MS 39047
(601) 992-4669
Contact: Dianne Gore
Gprincessdia@aol.com
Description of Adoption and Foster Care Services: Provide support to adoptive and foster families. Resources for parents who seek help and information before and after adoption finalization. Family preservation and family reunification services to assist with maintaining children in their biological or extended family.
MS Children’s Home Services
www.mchscares.org
1900 North West St.
Jackson, MS 39202
(601) 352-7784
Contact: Jerri Strickland
jstrickland@mchscares.org
Description of Adoption Services: Infant adoption, special needs and Russian adoptions. Provide homestudies for families who are networking to adopt domestically or internationally. Provide post placement visits. Worker on-call 24 hours at toll free number: 1-800-388-6247
MS Department Of Human Services
www.mdhs.state.ms.us
P.O. Box 352
Jackson, MS 39205
(601) 359-4407
Contact: Edna Mclendon
emclendon@mdhs.state.ms.us
Description of Adoption Services: Adoption Assistance; Adoption training sessions, free home studies if adopting special needs children in MS; Pre and Post adoption placement services. Contractual agreements for placement of children with private agencies. Placement of abandoned and “safe” babies in foster/adopt homes. Assist in payment for attorneys’ fees for children six and older and/or children under six with diagnosed special needs; Sponsor adoption picnics and celebrations for recruitment purposes; Quarterly placement committee meetings for placement of special needs children; Searches for adopted children that were in the custody of the state. The MS Adoption Resource Exchange provides the following services: Media coverage for children in state custody, such as Wednesday’s Child; Free incoming calls on hotline and online application.
MS Families For Kids
www.msfamiliesforkids.org
620 North State St., Suite 304
Jackson, MS 39202
(601) 360-0591
Contact: Keisha Elmore
lwestmffk@aol.com
Description of Adoption Services: Older special needs; International adoptions. Limited infant adoptions. Specializing in sibling group placement. Children three years and up represent the largest number of children we work with.
MS Stepping Stones
P.O. Box 4799
Jackson, MS 39296
(601) 353-5544
Contact: Mildred Williams
Mildred_Williams@enablinglives.com
Description of Foster Care Services: Specialized Foster Care.
New Beginnings
www.nbi.cc
P.O. Box 7055
Tupelo, MS 38804
(662) 842-6752
Contact: Tom or Debbie Velie
tomvelie@bellsouth.net
Description of Adoption Services: Domestic infant and older child adoptions; International homestudies and referrals; Maternity care program.
Information on Children
There are 3,269 children in foster care in Mississippi; 857 of these children are waiting for adoptive families.