Creating Forever Families
We believe every child deserves a family. AGAPE provides adoption services for newborn infants who are placed for adoption, as well as older children in foster care who become adoptable because they are unable to return to their birth family.
Since our founding in 1966, more than 1,100+ children have been adopted into their forever family through AGAPE.
"God sets the lonely in families."
Psalm 68:6
Learn more about AGAPE’s adoption services:
Infant Adoption
AGAPE works with parents who cannot have children of their own to prepare them for the adoption path. AGAPE provides an infant adoption training class in a small group setting for families pursuing adoption.
Independent/Private Adoption
Tennessee State Law requires that anyone who adopts a child must have an approved adoptive home study.
When birth mothers and adoptive parents work together in privately arranged adoptions, the adoptive home study must be presented to the court so that the adoptive couple can be named as guardian of the child when surrenders of parental rights are completed.
Inter-state Adoptions
Adoptive couples may work with an agency in another state to facilitate an adoptive placement. An adoptive home study is completed in the state of residence and then approved by the Interstate Compact for Placement of Children. The ICPC is federally mandated to approve all placements of children across state lines. In these situations, adoptive couples may contract with AGAPE to provide the home study service and to provide the six months of post-placement supervision required to finalize the adoption.
Post-Placement Supervision
Post-placement supervision is required by law for all adoptions. It involves regular home visits to assist the adoptive couple with adjustment and to document the child’s growth and development. Reports are provided to the adoption court as well as to any other agencies that may be involved, including Interstate Compact For Placement of Children in the state where the child was born and the state where the adoptive couple resides.
AGAPE is authorized through its Child Placing License to provide adoptive home studies and post-placement supervision. Its caseworkers are trained to facilitate Interstate Compact approval. Fees are based on the services provided. <Contact us>
Maternity Care
AGAPE offers free maternity care services to women facing an unplanned or crisis pregnancy.
Adoption Through Foster Care
Every child deserves a “forever family.” There are more than 400 children in foster care in Tennessee who need a permanent family and a home in which to grow and be nurtured. These children have an immediate need for the safety and stability that an adoptive family can provide.
In most cases, children who are in foster care and become adoptable are adopted by their foster parents. These children have built bonds with their foster families and the churches and communities they are a part of. This creates an ideal opportunity for their temporary bond to become permanent through adoption.
Post-Adoption Support Group
AGAPE facilitates a free post-adoption support group for individuals and couples who have adopted at any point in the past. This is an opportunity for families to process and work through the unique joys and challenges of bringing a child into their home as their own. Through the group, families are equipped with resources and supports to help them through difficult seasons and to prepare them for potential future challenges. It is a place for families to encourage and pour into each other with the unique knowledge that comes from adoption.
The group meets on the second and fourth Tuesday each month from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. The group is facilitated by AGAPE Counseling clinicians with childcare provided by AGAPE’s Social Services staff members and approved volunteers.