Our History and Philosophy

Adopt International is a §501c3 non-profit Hague accredited adoption agency licensed throughout California and Hawaii. In 2019, Adopt merged with Bay Area Adoption Services.

Our Founder and previous Executive Director, Lynne Silver (Lynne Jacobs), opened Adopt determined to create an agency and atmosphere of openness and education. Since our initial licensure by the State of California in 1983, we have helped create over 6000 families through domestic and international adoptions.

We currently provide both domestic and international adoption placement services. Our staff is trained and experienced with many types of adoption. We support families in making educated decisions and in choosing the best situation for them, while always centering the best interest of each and every child.

We assist birth families in making personalized plans for their adoption. We encourage open adoption whenever possible while understanding that open adoption experiences vary by family. Some families exchange pictures and letters and some have phone calls and visits with their child's first family members.

International adoption brings an amazing world of culture and ethics into the life of an adoptive family. Many families feel motivated to participate in programs that support children that will always remain in their home countries. This assistance may include support for education, food, clothing, and medical care. In addition, we believe the joy of being connected to another culture - that of your child's birthplace - is amazing, and an incredible way to enrich your family's future.

We are an agency that prides ourselves on conducting our Home Studies with respect and openness. Using the most current research, we are able to conduct home studies that include an educational component, teaching those issues that provide for the healthy adjustment of children and parents.

We facilitate domestic adoptions for families in California and Hawaii and place children born internationally with families all over the United States. In accordance with our philosophy of openness, we proudly work with traditional and non-traditional families alike.

Bay Area Adoption Services

Prior to 2020, Bay Area Adoption Services (BAAS) existed as a separate agency. In December 2019, Adopt International and BAAS completed a legal merger to bring their services under a single umbrella, operating under the Adopt International license.

BAAS was founded as a parent-led, non-profit, international adoption agency in 1984 with a commitment to connect children and families worldwide. In its 35 years of existence as an independent agency, BAAS welcomed children from over 50 countries, including China, Colombia, India, Russia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, and the Philippines to families in the United States.

Adopt International strives to uphold the principles upon which BAAS was founded - centering the needs and well-being of children and providing excellent support before, during, and after the adoption process with an emphasis on parent education.

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