Frequently asked questions

Resource Center

Client Reviews

Adriana B.

ACFB was not our first adoptive agency we have explored, but it was the right place for us. They genuinely care about everyone involved in the adoption process, including the birth mothers. They were honest, helpful and supportive. We will forever be grateful, that thanks to ACFB our family is complete.

Amy W.

It was a pleasure to work with Maggie and the rest of the staff at Adoption Center for Family Building. They were great at answering our questions and providing guidance at each step. We were happy with the support we received and the kindness they showed us and the Birth Parents.

Ben V.

Barbara is a very pleasant person to work with, she made us feel comfortable every step of the way. At times during our process we faced difficulties but with her guidance we were able to stay focused and achieve our goal.

Robin R.

Everyone in this organization is amazing. They offer unending support and guidance through what may easily be the most difficult and rewarding journey in life.

B. M.

My daughter was able to place her baby with a lovely couple this week. Thank you, Linda Fiore, for making this all so professional and comfortable as we made the decision that is right for every one. Thank you to Mary for guiding my daughter so lovingly. God's blessings for the adoptive parents who opened their arms to our whole family. Thank you to all who made this happen! God Bless you!

KC & Alex W.

The best part of working with ACFB is the education you receive before you make any decisions or invest in anything, they want to know your story - the trauma or sadness that you have been through before you start your adoption journey. ACFB creates a successful environment for adoptive parents to create successful families.

Adoption Center for Family Building is a small, non-profit, open adoption agency licensed in llinois and Indiana. Our goal is to empower birth and adoptive families to make sound choices for themselves. The majority of our placements occur when an expectant mother contacts this agency about making an adoption plan for her unborn baby. We also offer agency-assisted adoptions for families connecting with an expectant mother through their own networking. When needed, we provide home study services only for interstate and/or private adoptions.

For adoptive families in Illinois and Indiana, we offer home studies, placement and post placement services, adoption counseling, reports to the court, interstate services, agency-assisted adoptions, and training.

For birth parents in Illinois and Indiana we offer options counseling, adoption information, education and support, open and closed adoptions, choice of adoptive families, assistance with living expenses, transportation to doctors/clinics, hospital arrangements, post placement support and counseling, assistance applying for entitlement programs, and assistance finding medical care or housing.

Mostly newborns of many different races and ethnic backgrounds. The infants we place for adoption are Caucasian, Biracial, African American, Latino, Asian and Multiracial.

We have an active list of families waiting to adopt. We share the profiles of waiting families with expectant mothers (and birth fathers) who choose the adoptive family for their baby. When an expectant mother has chosen a family, we provide the family with all the relevant information that is available. The adoptive family may speak with the expectant mother, and a “match” meeting would be arranged by the counselor. When both sides agree to move forward, we consider them “matched”.
From 1996 through 2018, the average wait to adopt was just over one year. The average wait time in 2019 and 2020 was just under 16 months. The average wait time in 2021 and 2022 was just over 20 months. The average wait time in 2023 was 30 months.
Yes, we offer adoption counseling services to birth parents throughout Illinois and Indiana. Case management and counseling services are available to birth mothers before, during and following an adoptive placement. The counselor presents the expectant mother with waiting adoptive families that meet her requirements. All services are tailored to the client’s needs. The counselor may help the expectant mother find a doctor or clinic, apply for community and government entitlement programs, and deal with issues of grief and loss. We are also able help her with living expenses during the pregnancy and for a few weeks following the placement. Our counselors meet with expectant mothers in their home, at the hospital or in other convenient locations.
In 2020, the agency was involved in the placement of 31 infants. In 2021, the agency was involved in the placement of 19 newborns. In 2022, the agency was involved in the placement of 18 newborns. In 2023, the agency was involved in the placement of 15 newborns.
In 2023, 89% of the birth mothers resided in either Illinois or Indiana. Adoption Center for Family Building offers free, confidential services to expectant mothers in Illinois and Indiana. If an expectant mother resides in another state, we work with her through the pregnancy, but the placement must be facilitated by an agency and/or attorney in her home state.
The minimum age to adopt a child through this agency is 25 years old. Adopting parents must be emotionally and financially stable, and able to meet all home study criteria. Adoption Center for Family Building has fewer restrictions than traditional adoption agencies. We work with married couples and singles, ranging in age from 25 to 50. Our clients represent many different ethnic and religious groups, including Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical Christian and Jewish. Many of the couples we work with already have at least one other child.
Yes, every year we place a few babies for adoption with families who are not residents of Illinois or Indiana. Families residing outside of Illinois and Indiana must be ready to adopt, as demonstrated by a valid home study completed in their own state.

Yes. When a birth mother does not reside in Illinois or Indiana, We assist her in finding an adoptive family for her baby and ensure that she receives competent counseling services and legal representation.

The Center obtains family social and medical history from both birth parents, whenever possible. Pre-natal records are typically requested from the physician or clinic. The baby’s medical records are usually available at discharge from the hospital. The Adoption Center requires HIV testing on either the birth mother or baby prior to placement.

A home study is a written report that gives a current snapshot of the life of a prospective adoptive family. It is conducted by a social worker who meets with the applicants several times and gathers relevant information. The home study process typically takes 10-14 weeks to complete and includes interviews with an ACFB counselor, reference checks, background clearances, medical reports, and a home assessment, as well as education and counseling designed to prepare the family for adoption.
A home study is required for every agency, interstate, and international adoption, and it is prepared to help the courts determine if a stable environment exists for a family to receive an adoptive placement. A home study must be completed in the adoptive parents’ home state. For international adoptions, home study requirements must be met for the child’s country of origin, the placing agency, and the United States government.
Yes, the home study must be completed by Adoption Center for Family Building or another licensed adoption agency, for families who reside outside of Illinois or Indiana.
Adoption Center for Family Building supports open adoption, but does not dictate the degree of openness in any adoption. Those decisions are made by birth parents and adopting parents.
The baby typically goes home from the hospital with the adopting parents on the second or third day after birth. Final surrenders in Illinois are taken no sooner than 72 hours after birth. Although it is common practice, adoptive parents are not required to take the baby home prior to final surrenders. In Indiana, consents for adoption are typically signed when the birth mother is ready to be discharged from the hospital.
When a birth father is identified in an adoption, a counselor contacts him to inform him of the pending placement. We also attempt to meet with him to obtain medical and social history, and have him sign the necessary paperwork. Counseling is available to birth fathers who choose to be involved the adoptive placement. In Illinois, a father may sign an unborn surrender prior to the birth. If a birth father does not sign, the attorney for the adopting parents arranges to have him served papers by a sheriff or process server. If the biological father is not identified, the attorney is required to publish notice on an unnamed father following the birth. The Putative Father Registry is also consulted for any registration by a birth father. Following these steps, the father’s rights are terminated in adoption court. In Indiana, a putative father may be served with a pre-birth notice and he may waive his rights to any further notice. Once served, he has thirty days to file a paternity action in court. An unnamed father has 30 days (after the birth of the baby) to file with the Indiana Putative Father Registry. There is also a requirement in Indiana to publish on an unnamed father.

You will go to court with your adoption attorney and receive an interim order giving you temporary legal custody. The adoption will be finalized three to six months after the placement (depending on the state in which you file the adoption). Adoption Center for Family Building will provide post-placement services prior to finalization. We will meet with you at least once in your home, and most Illinois families are expected to participate in a total of two meetings during a three-month period. Indiana families usually have 1-2 post placement visits.

Adoption Center for Family Building staff follows state regulations with respect to sharing identifying information of adoptive parents with birth parents. It is your choice whether to disclose last names and other identifying information. Last year, most of our clients chose to participate in an open adoption. If the adoption is not fully disclosed, Adoption Center for Family Building is able to act as the intermediary for the exchange of information, letters and pictures.
You will meet with Linda, our Executive Director, or Jaime, our Program Manager, to discuss your options and you will learn about the process so that you are able to determine the right path for yourself. The initial consultation typically takes between two and three hours and the fee is $375. If you decide to proceed with an adoption following this consultation, you will submit an application to begin the home study and start down the path to adopting a child.
Agency fees vary depending on services rendered. We can simply provide you with a home study or a full range of services. If you join our full program, we provide everything from home study through placement and post placement. In 2023, the average cost to adopt through this agency was $31,120. This amount included all agency fees, agency expenses, and birth parent expenses. This agency offers a reduced placement fee to families whose annual income is under $100,000. The fee for an agency-assisted adoption is $10,700, plus expenses. The agency also offers African American adoptive families a reduced (subsidized) placement fee. All services to birth parents are free of charge.
The application fee is $500. The Illinois domestic home study fee is $3,000. The fee for an Indiana domestic home study is $2,100. Post placement sessions are billed at $500 per visit. The fee for an international home study for Illinois residents is $4,000.
  • If you would like to schedule an initial consultation or attend a free information session, please call our office between the hours of 9:00am and 4:00pm, Monday through Friday.
  • If you need home study services only, please download our agency application and mail it to our Illinois address along with the $500 application fee.
  • If you have already connected with a birth mother in Illinois or Indiana, please call us to discuss our Designated/Identified Adoption Program. There is a different fee schedule for this program which offers counseling and placement services for birth parents in Illinois and Indiana.
  • To reach our office, please call us at: (847) 674-3231 (Illinois) or (219) 795-9900 (Indiana) or send us an email: [email protected]. Birth parents may call our Expectant Mother Helpline 365/days at (855) 988-2574. On-call counselors are available evenings and weekends.