Overview Exploring Adoption Success Stories Medically Fragile Independent

Adopting a Child Domestically

INFANT ADOPTION

People interested in adopting through Gladney’s Domestic Infant Adoption program must meet the following adoption criteria:
• Openness to the diverse backgrounds of children available
• Live in the United States
• One person must be a U.S. citizen

To learn more about adopting from Gladney’s Domestic Infant Adoption Program, please attend our free Domestic Infant Webinar.

The Process

Once you are ready to start your domestic adoption journey, request Gladney’s free information packet. After completing the brief pre-application form included in the adoption packet, the process will include:

Returning the pre-application form and family photo back to Gladney
Attending a group orientation
After the orientation, you will complete your adoption paperwork:
- Gladney Application
- Adoption Home Study

While each adoption’s time frame differs, every story ends with a “happily ever after” when you meet your child for the first time.

Some Common Questions

Why do Expectant Parents plan adoption?

Each relationship between adoptive parents and birth parents after placement is unique and nuanced. In most cases today, there is some degree of openness. Current research makes it clear that Adoptees do better when they better understand where they came from and why they were placed for adoption. Birth parents are better able to process their grief when they maintain some degree of connection with their birth child and his or her family.

Expectant parents plan adoption for a myriad of reasons. We encourage you to seek out birth parent stories to hear for yourself!

Here is Xena’s story:

What is open adoption, and why would I consider this for my family?

Each relationship between adoptive parents and birth parents after placement is unique and nuanced. In most cases today, there is some degree of openness. Current research makes it clear that Adoptees do better when they better understand where they came from and why they were placed for adoption. Birth parents are better able to process their grief when they maintain some degree of connection with their birth child and his or her family.

Most of Gladney’s post-adoption relationships today involve regular exchanges of photos and updates between birth parents and adoptive parents and a yearly visit.

How are adoptive parents and birth parents matched?

Families create a profile book as well as an online profile that shares information about their family with expectant parents. Most of the time, expectant parents work with their caseworker to determine what they are looking for in the child’s adoptive family. Our team pulls a cultivated selection of profile books of families that could be a great match. We determine which families to send by selecting longest waiting families that have potential to be an excellent match.

Additionally, expectant parents have the freedom to peruse profile of all of the families who opt in online. More and more families are matched this way each year.

Can I select the sex of the child I adopt? Can I adopt a child of my same race? I don’t think that I’m equipped to care for a child with special needs. Can you work with me if I’m not open to drug exposure during pregnancy?

Gladney requires that families be open to a child of either sex. We do, however, work with families to determine which children they are well equipped to parent. We will work with families open to a variety of factors in an expectant parents’ backgrounds.

While the infants in this program are typically healthy with no or limited identified present medical needs, we frequently place children who have some substance exposure in utero. Additionally, we place children whose birth parents have a variety of diagnoses in their mental and physical health backgrounds.

Would I be more likely to take placement if I were open to a toddler rather than or in addition to an infant?

Because this is a voluntary adoption program, most of the time, a birth family makes a plan for a child during pregnancy or shortly after birth. While we do place toddlers occasionally, it is not as common for a family to choose adoption for a child that they are parenting.

How much does a Domestic Infant adoption cost?

All families pay an all-inclusive fee of $59,500. You can learn about what services are included under this fee here.

What are the chances of a child being removed after they come home with me?

It is very rare. The team at Gladney does all that we can to ensure that our adoptions are legally secure as quickly as possible. We work hard to ensure that families understand the degree of legal risk to a potential match and they have the option to decide whether or not they are comfortable with the level of anticipated legal risk.

I see that Gladney is based in Texas, but we live in a different state and have been told by other agencies that they can’t work with families in my state. Can you?

Yes. We are able to work with families anywhere within the US.

What is the home study like?

The home study is a series of conversations and other assessments. We discuss each individual’s background, why the family hopes to adopt, the dynamic of their family and other factors that help determine if a family is ready for the challenge of the adoption process and for parenting a child that is not from their genetics. While a home study will include a walk thru of the physical space of the home for safety, it is more of an assessment of the people and relationships, rather than of the physical space.

What if the expectant mom changes her mind after we’re matched?

This can happen, as an expectant parent will not sign anything legally binding until after the child is born. We will walk with families through this grief. When families are ready to resume the adoption journey, they maintain their place in our queue and the match fee rolls forward to the next match. Families do not lose any funds if a match falls through.

How long will the whole process take?

It could take anywhere from a few months to about three years. On average our families need three months to get through paperwork and the home study process. Then, they wait an average of about 24 months to be matched.

How many adoptions do you do each year?

Gladney Completed 72 Domestic Infant Adoptions in 2025.

Are you able to work with single parents?

Yes

Other Considerations:

Why was my pre-application denied? We’re a really good family and are really excited to adopt.

We are able to have biological children but feel called to provide a home for a child in need. Is this program for us?

Unfortunately, the Domestic Infant Program at Gladney receives a very high volume of applications from families who are hoping to adopt and we are unable to move forward with every well-qualified family that applies. Thankfully, there is no shortage of loving, caring homes for infants in the U.S. We select families that match what we see in expectant parent preferences. We strive to maintain diversity in the program. We are rarely able to work with families who have more than one child in the home.

For families who are truly motivated to meet a need, we encourage you to explore foster care, or foster to adopt, and/or to explore adopting a waiting child or children in our New Beginnings or International Programs.

If you have additional questions, please call or email Gladney’s Adoption Advisor, 817-922-6000.

Financial Info

The Gladney Center for Adoption is excited to announce a new all-inclusive fee schedule and scholarship program dedicated to ensuring the cost of adoption is not a barrier to your dream of becoming parents. As a non-profit agency, we work hard to keep the process of adoption as affordable as possible while ensuring you receive premier service.

Adoption Fee Comparison

Services

Other Adoption Providers

Based on Market Research

All-inclusive Fee including the following:

Pay for specific services, if offered

My Gladney Personal adoption portal to assist with paperwork, communication & education

Not offered

Free Adoption Orientation

$500

Professional Financial consultation with Gladney’s CFO

Not offered

Home study & home study updates

$1,500 – $3,000

Financial Assistance through Gladney’s Scolarship program

Not offered

Professional & compassionate caseworkers, one for you & a separate caseworker for your expectant mother

$3,000 – $5,000 for each party

Digital copies of your profile books

$500

Marketing & communications services managed by Gladney to help connect you with women who are experiencing unplanned pregnancies

$12,000

Paid expectant parent expenses (includes medical & dental care, counseling, housing, nutrition, connection to legal services) with a no risk guarantee of unexpected adoption expenses

$5,000 – $70,000

Match Services to help you prepare for meeting the parents of your new baby

$4,000 – $6,000

Arrangement of Post Adoption agreement between you & your child’s birth parents

Not offered

Lifelong post adoption services & records maintenance

Not offered

Free Gladney University parent & child welfare education programs for life

Not offered

Total Adoption Cost

$59,500

$35,000 – $100,000+*

As a non-profit agency, we work hard to keep the process of adoption as affordable as possible while ensuring you receive premier service.

Gladney is so grateful for the generosity of our donors because they help offset the cost of the adoption process by their philanthropic efforts.

Gladney fees are paid in installments. No additional fees are paid for more than one match.

Gladney understands the financial aspect of adoption can seem overwhelming and confusing. That’s why we created this all-inclusive fee structure. This is a different approach than other adoption professionals take. For example, we do not have a yearlong contract; rather, we offer a commitment to see the adoption through. Gladney’s fee covers everything during your adoption. This means your fee is not dependent on expectant mother expenses or any other variable beyond your control. We wanted to take the “financial risk” out of adoption and make it as transparent and straightforward as possible. 

The all-inclusive fee of $59,500 is payable in four payments as listed above. Many families are excited to know there are many financial aid options provided by Gladney and other partners. In fact, financial aid can significantly lower the cost of adoption.
Check out our Paying For Adoption Infographic for more financial options.

Our Post-Adoption Services

At the core of Gladney’s commitment to families is a philosophy: Family for Life.

Every adoption is a lifelong journey. Family for Life is about ensuring that our families are cared for and supported through every step of that journey. Our comprehensive and professional services extend far beyond the post-adoption services required by law or offered by most other agencies. Most of these services are provided to our clients at no cost.

Our Services

For Gladney birth parents, we offer:

Counseling services
Progress updates on your child’s development
Birth parent support groups
A mutual-consent voluntary registry

For Gladney adopted persons, we offer:

Counseling services and campus visits
Permanent maintenance of vital adoption records
Sharing of information between adoptive parties, if requested
A mutual-consent voluntary registry
Free access to Gladney University live and recorded trainings

For Gladney adoptive parents, we offer:

Pre- and post-adoption education
Access to parent support groups nationwide
On campus, phone and in-home counseling services and support
Permanent maintenance of vital adoption records
Sharing of information between adoptive parties, if requested
Free access to Gladney University live and recorded trainings

Explore domestic infant adoption by watching our Domestic Infant Webinar. It's designed to help you see if Gladney's Domestic Infant Program is a good fit for you and your family.

Watch Our Domestic Infant Webinar