Thank you so much for considering adoption and/or fostering as an option for your family!
Licensing Requirements for Foster or Adoption
To be approved as an adoptive parent in TN, you:
- Can be married, single or divorced;
- May or may not have other children;
- Can own or rent where you live;
- May be employed or not employed, but must be able to meet your own financial needs;
- Must be at least 18 years old; and
- Must be a resident of the State of Tennessee.
TN Foster Parents can:
- Be single or married;
- May or may not have other children;
- Can own or rent where you live;
- May be employed or not employed, but must be able to meet your own financial needs;
- Must be in sufficient good health;
- Must be 21 years of age; and
- Must be a resident of the State of Tennessee.
Should you decide to become a foster/adoptive parent through the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, you will need to complete a parent preparation process called “PATH” – “Parents as Tender Healers.” PATH is a 30-hour education and self-assessment process. It explores communication styles. It helps families to understand the feelings of grief and the loss that children can experience. It helps identify family strengths and in what situations you can most successfully parent.
It is necessary to have a homestudy from a licensed child placing agency, if you are going to foster or adopt. The exact process will be outlined by the agency you choose. In general, the homestudy process is a combination of education for you about the realities of foster/adoption and information about yourself and your family which you will share. The final written home study will include a description of your family, verifications, medical and financial statements and references. You will also be asked to identify and describe the type of child you feel that you can successfully parent.
State of Tennessee’s toll free number for more information: 1-877-DCS-Kids (1-877-327-5437).
View the PATH training schedule for parents.
Does it Cost to Foster or Adopt?
It is free to foster.
The legal fees at the very end of the process are the only fees that you will pay if you work with your local DCS office to complete the adoption process and if the child is waiting in TN.
If you work with your local DCS office to complete the adoption process and the child is waiting in foster care in another state, it may be possible for the child’s state to purchase the services of your DCS office. Or, there may be fees. If you work with a nonprofit or private agency instead of DCS, the nonprofit or private agency may charge additional fees.
However, when families adopt children who are in foster care and eligible for subsidy, the families may be eligible for reimbursement of limited nonrecurring adoption-related costs, such as attorney’s fees and court fees, through the child’s state and/or federal options. Adopting does not have to be expensive! In fact, many families choose low-cost options every year. Please call us if you have questions.
Parent Support Groups
The Resource Parent Support Group in Chattanooga meets every 4th Tuesday of the month. The address is 503 N. Market Street, Chattanooga, TN 37405. Call (423) 267-4992.
Visit the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption website to learn more.
Agency Contact and Orientation Information
Orientations:
Please talk to individual agencies and offices to learn when their next orientation is.
Agencies:
You can work with the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Find a DCS office near you.
Or, you can work with a private agency. To find a private agency, please see the list below. View agency fees.
ABS LINCS Tenn./FHC CHATTANOOGA
Chattanooga Resource Center
7155 Lee Hwy., Suite 300
Chattanooga, TN 37421
Phone: (423) 499-6206
Fax: (423) 894-7838
Nashville Resource Center
301 S Perimeter Park Drive, Suite 202
Nashville, TN 37211
Phone: (615) 324-7980
Fax: (615) 324-7989
Adoption Place, Inc.
Adoption Place, Inc.
Antioch, TN 37013
Phone: (615) 365-7020
AGAPE
4555 Trousdale Drive
Nashville, TN 37204
Phone: (615) 781-3000
Judy Rister, Director of Social Services
jrister@agapenashville.org
Agape Child & Family Services
111 Racine Street
Memphis, TN 38111
Phone: (901) 323-3600, ext. 123
David Jordan, Executive Director
david.jordan@agapemeanslove.org
America World Adoption Association
256 Seaboard Lane, G101
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: (615) 778-0087
Fax: (615) 778-0084
Rachael.duckworth@awaa.org
Appalachian Family Outreach, Inc.
2600 State Line Road
P.O. Box 285
Elizabethton, TN 37644-0285
Phone: (423) 542-4245
Fax: (423) 542-4369
rosel@cch-tn.org
Associated Catholic Charities of
the Diocese of Memphis, TN
(St. Peter Maternity and Adoption Services)
1325 Jefferson Street
Memphis, TN 38127-7799
Phone: (901) 722-4711
Fax: (901) 722-4791
Bethany Christian Services
of East Tennessee
www.bethany.org
318 Erin Drive, Suite 10
Knoxville, TN 37919
Phone: (865) 588-5283
Fax: (865) 588-3647
Bethany Christian Services
of Greater Chattanooga
www.bethany.org
400 S. Germantown Road
Chattanooga, TN 37411-5025
Phone: (423) 622-7360
Fax: (423) 622-9085
Bethany Christian Services
of Middle Tennessee
220 Athens Way, Suite 405
Nashville, TN 37228
Phone: (615) 242-0909
Fax: (615) 242-9440
Bethany Christian Services
of West Tennessee, Inc.
1044 Brookfield Road, Suite 102
Memphis, TN 38119-3608
bcsmemphis@bethany.org
Diane Brower, Director
Phone: 901-818-9996
Fax: 901-761-9350
Catholic Charities of East Tennessee
119 Dameron Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37917
Phone: (865) 524-9896
Fax: (865) 971-3575
Catholic Charitiesof
Middle Tennessee, Inc.
30 White Bridge Rd.
Nashville, TN 37205
Phone: (615) 352-3087
Fax: (615) 352-8591
dthomas1@cctenn.org
Center for Family Development
100 East Side Square
Shelbyville, TN 37160
Phone: (931) 684-4676
Toll Free: 1-888-462-2999
Fax: (931) 684-5140
Child and Family Tennessee
www.child-family.org
901 East Summit Hill Drive
Knoxville, TN 37915
Phone: (865) 524-7483
Fax: (865) 524-4790
lmink@child-family.org
Children’s Hope International
www.ChildrensHopeInt.org
229 Ward Circle, Suite C-22
Brentwood, TN 37027
Phone: (615) 309-8109
Fax: (615) 309-8483
brenda.barker@childrenshope.net
Free Will Baptist Family Ministries, Inc.
www.fwbfm.com
90 Stanley Lane
Greeneville, TN 37641
Phone: (423) 639-9449
Fax: (423) 639-5073
Frontier Health/Traces
www.frontierhealth.org
2001 Stonebrook Place
Kingsport, TN 37660
Phone: (423) 224-1067
Fax: (423) 224-1095
Greater Chattanooga Christian Services
744 McCallie Ave., Suite 329
Chattanooga, TN 37403
Phone: (423) 756-0281
Fax: (423) 265-7326
Harmony Adoptions of Tennessee, Inc.
131 Cherokee Heights Dr.
Maryville, TN 37801
Phone: (865) 982-5225
Fax: (865) 982-5950
pfrye@harmony.cc
Heaven Sent Children
307 N. Walnut St.
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Phone: (615) 898-0803
Fax: (615) 898-1990
Holston Home
www.holstonhome.org
P.O. Box 188, 404 Holston Drive
Greeneville, TN 37744
Phone: (423) 638-4171
Fax: (423) 638-7171
info@holstonhome.org
International Assistance and Adoption Project
www.iaapadoption.com
1210-G Taft Highway
Signal Mountain, TN 37377
Phone: (423) 886-6986
Fax: (423) 886-7680
Jewish Family Services
6560 Poplar Avenue
Memphis, TN 38138
Penny Glatstein, Director of Adoption Services
Phone: (901) 767-8511
Fax: (901) 763-2348
jfsadopt@aol.com
Jewish Family Services of Nashville
and Middle Tennessee, Inc.
www.JFSNashville.org
Adoption Connections
801 Percy Warner Boulevard, Suite 103
Nashville, TN 37205
Phone: (615) 356-4234
Fax: (615) 353-2652
Life Choices, Inc.
5575 Raleigh LaGrange
Memphis, TN 38134
Sue Parker, Executive Director
Phone: (901) 388-1172
Fax: (901) 388-1225
suepark@bellsouth.net
Mercy Ministries of America
15328 Old Hickory Blvd.
P.O. Box 111060
Nashville, TN 37222-1060
Phone: (615) 831-6987
Fax: (615) 315-9749
Miriam’s Promise
522 Russell Street
Nashville, TN 37206-4114
Phone: (615) 292-3500
Fax: (615) 292-0368
Omni-Visions, Inc.
301 South Perimeter Park Drive
Suite 210
Nashville, TN 37211-4128
Phone: (615) 726-3603
Fax: (515) 726-0393
The Partnership for Families Children
and Adults Chattanooga, Inc.
1800 McCallie Ave.
Chattanooga, TN 37403
Phone: (423) 697-7130
Fax: (423) 687-3812
Porter-Leath Children’s Center
868 N. Manassas St.
Memphis, TN 38107-2516
Phone: (901) 577-2500
Fax: (901) 577-2506
Pamela Coleman Sessions, Executive Vice President
psessions@porter-leath.org
Residential Services, Inc.
3055 Lebanon Pike
Building III, Suite 1400
Nashville, TN 37214-2229
Phone: (615) 367-4333
Fax: (615) 360-3894
Small World Adoption Programs
13345 Lebanon Road
Mt. Juliet, Tennessee 37122
Phone: (615) 754-6540
Fax: (615) 754-6546
Smoky Mountain Children’s Home
P.O. Box 4391
449 McCarn Circle
Sevierville, TN 37864
Phone: (865) 453-4644
Fax: (865) 453-8812
superintendent@smch.cc
Tennessee Baptist Children’s Home
www.tbch4kids.org
Administrative Offices
P.O. Box 2206
Brentwood, TN 37024
Phone: (615) 376-3140
Toll Free: 1-800-624-8591
Fax: (615) 371-1866
office@tbch4kids.org
Tennessee Children’s Home - East
3834 Copper Ridge Road
PO Box 7347
Knoxville, TN 37931
Phone: (865) 584-0841
Fax: (865) 588-6560
tommydoty@comcast.net
Information on Children
Children enter foster care because their birth families cannot care for them safely.
There are 9,017 children in foster care in Tennessee; 1,717 of these children are waiting for adoptive families.