As Psalm 68:5-6 (ESV) reminds us, “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.” The causes of adoption and care for vulnerable children sit close to the Lord’s heart.
Adoption almost always begins with loss and grief. Yet, adoption can work toward the rebuilding of a family unit as God designed, where each child flourishes in a safe and nurturing environment, where they know they belong. Each year in the United States, around 25,000 children are adopted through private domestic adoption, 46,000 from foster care, and 1,000 internationally.
Adoption achieves legal permanency and represents a significant milestone in family stability. However, the court date is often just the beginning of the journey. While some children adjust quickly to their new families, for others, particularly older children and those with special needs, the road to healing is just starting.
Kristi Dreesen, a mother from Missouri who adopted six children, said she experienced the absence of a strong church community and felt alone. She then moved back to her home community and said, “[the church there] welcomed the boys with open arms and provided unconditional love.” She did, however, experience very little support from state agencies and social services in her rural community and wished that at times she could access more respite care options and counseling in dealing with behavioral issues that occurred during her children’s adolescence.
Kristi’s story underscores a deeper truth: the need for adoption in the first place shows how sin and systemic failures have fractured the original design for families to stay together. Although adoption beautifully reflects hope and new beginnings, it is not always easy for the families who say “yes” to opening their homes and hearts. These families sometimes encounter significant challenges during and after the adoption process.
First, adoption, particularly intercountry and private domestic adoption, can be very expensive, sometimes costing $50,000 or more, which places a significant burden on low- to middle-income families. Many families are unaware of the grants, loans, and employer support that may be available. Adopting through the foster care system is another more affordable path: most, if not all, fees are covered by the state, and many families also qualify for a monthly subsidy and college tuition support.
Second, adoptive families may be unaware of the many counseling resources, support groups, and online communities that can help them feel less alone in the process. Many families of children who have experienced trauma need continuous access to resources, such as support groups, training, therapy, and community, after the adoption, in order to adjust to new family rhythms. Churches, though well-intentioned, may not know how to communicate about adoption and how to best meet families on the frontlines.
Third, sometimes unauthorized actors can take advantage of families during the adoption process. Baby brokers are unlicensed intermediaries in private domestic adoptions who can advertise online and target both expectant parents and prospective adoptive families. They raise the cost of adoption by passing on additional fees to adoptive parents. The exact number of baby brokers is unknown, but the Federal Trade Commission issued 31 warnings to for-profit businesses disguised as adoption agencies in 2024.
Although most adoptions are handled ethically, negative cases of fraud and criminal activity usually make news headlines and can deter families from embarking on the journey of adoption. Strengthening transparency and governance in the adoption system is essential. Domestically, the ADOPT Act, introduced in the House and Senate in November 2025, would prevent baby brokers from advertising online and increase transparency by ensuring that adoption occurs through licensed and accredited agencies. Internationally, the Hague Convention governs the accreditation of intercountry adoption agencies.
All levels of society, from federal institutions to local community organizations, have a role to play in increasing adoption awareness and supporting adoptive families. When the public and civic institutions consider adoptive families and adoptees in policy making and programming, it can help normalize adoption as a path to family formation. Adoption is often viewed as an unconventional path to parenting, but when adoptive families see adoption represented in everything from the media to daily conversation and strategic decision-making, it can encourage them to share their stories more openly.
At the federal level, the U.S. government should continue to work toward adoption openness with other countries through diplomatic relations and open dialogue on adoption ethics. Since children should ideally remain in their country and culture of origin, intercountry adoption should mainly be pursued when in-country options have been exhausted or prove unfeasible. At the same time, in cases of humanitarian crises or situations where intercountry adoption is essential to a child’s health and well-being (e.g. significant medical complexities), we need government to protect the opportunity for adoption, instead of closing the door altogether (which we are seeing through indefinite adoption suspensions in other countries). Government could also increase the refundability of the adoption tax credit and pass favorable legislation like the ADOPT Act to protect adoptive families from predatory businesses and expensive middleman fees.
Organizations and businesses can also play a role in supporting adoptive families through paid leave, reimbursement for adoption-related expenses, and outlets for connection, like employee resource groups. Universities, hospitals, and licensing boards can offer training in adoption competence, so that more people are aware of the unique challenges and dynamics inherent in the adoption experience. Institutional support can help families feel a greater sense of belonging in community settings.
Where policy and institutional changes cannot reach, such as human-to-human connections, the social sector can step in. God is primarily relational, and that quality needs to radiate through our interactions with everyone involved in adoption, from biological and adoptive families to adoptees. Churches and nonprofit organizations have their own vital role in providing hands-on support to families on the frontlines. One example of an organization making a difference is Help One Child, a Bay Area organization that offers adoptive and foster families free access to therapist-run, trauma-informed support groups and has provided respite in the form of free child care nights and a summer camp for adopted children and their siblings.
While not everyone in the church is called to adopt, everyone should be involved in some way. For example, churches can raise and offer a love fund to offset expenses incurred during the adoption process. Foster care turnover is estimated at around 50% year-over-year, but when churches offer wraparound support through logistical and prayer support through organizations like Foster the City and Promise686, it can increase to over 90%. Wraparound support can also help post-adoption in preventing families from feeling isolated when dealing with the effects of childhood trauma and potentially navigating new family dynamics and special needs.
Adoption can genuinely change lives, and true redemption is possible when healthy attachment forms between adoptees and adoptive parents, healing past brokenness. Though individual experiences vary, the data shows great results of flourishing in response to the love of adoptive families, with the majority of adult adoptees reporting thriving in all aspects of life (education, career, and family) and satisfaction with their overall adoption experience.
When adoption happens as God intended, it can be truly transformational. Zuly Clark is a mother who adopted a baby through a church connection in July 2024. Her church, along with other grants, helped to cover almost $40,000 in adoption costs and bathed the family in prayer during the emotional process. “We were given clothes, formula, and diapers, and people even came over to set up the house for my son’s arrival. There’s not much more I could have asked for,” she expressed. They also supported by arranging a post-adoption shower and paid for a subscription to connection kits that would help their son communicate with his birth mother in age-appropriate ways. This thoughtfulness has helped so much in easing their transition into a family of three. Zuly said, “Our church was phenomenal in that when they heard we had a need, we didn’t even have to ask. When they baptized our son, our pastor started crying because he had walked with us through this for three years.”
This testimony shows the power of hands-on support and love that continues from the consideration of adoption to after the child’s arrival home.
By increasing awareness and involving adoptive families in more conversations nationally and in local communities, we can envision a world where children thrive surrounded by not only a committed family like the Clarks, but also the broader support of church, government, and civil society.
Leah Sutterlin is an adult adoptee living in Cupertino, California. She is a co-author of the book “It’s Okay to Talk About Adoption” and works for the National Council For Adoption and the Christian Alliance for Orphans.
Graphic by Center for Public Justice
