Are you facing an unplanned pregnancy?
Are you facing an unplanned pregnancy?
Considering adoption?
If you’re considering adoption, you’re in the right place. We help many expectant parents like you every year.
Explore waiting families
Dale and Julie
We can't wait to hear the pitter patter of little feet in our home again!!! We feel that it is important for you to know why we are adopting. After trying for several years to start a family, we found out that we would not be able to have biological children. We knew exactly what we would do and we were excited about it! We would adopt!!! We love being parents and we can’t wait to cuddle another baby again!! We feel so blessed to have been able to adopt our two amazing children as infants - Jaxon (10) and Britta (7). We admire the strength that our children's birth mothers had when they lovingly and selflessly placed their children in our arms. We know it was the hardest decision they have ever made and we are forever grateful to them. We communicate with Jaxon and Britta's birth families in many different ways (phone calls, texts, blogs, letters, and visits) based on what works best for them. We are very open about adoption with our children and remind them often how loved they are by their birth families. Julie created "My Adoption Story" photo books with the story of their births and pictures of their birth family that they regularly read together. We've included a bunch of pictures so that you can get to know us better. Please feel free to ask us anything!
Read MoreDerek and Callae
Hello, We are very grateful and honored that you are considering bringing our story into your story through adoption. We want you to know that we recognize the magnitude of your decision and we do not take that for granted. We are eager to grow our family. For many years, God has been showing us that adoption is a part of his plan for us. We hope that this page will give you a glimpse into our lives and our character so that you can see how your child will be welcomed and loved deeply. It is our pledge to raise your child in a home filled with love, joy, and care. Laughter and playfulness will be integral to our home as we shoot hoops at the park, bake muffins together, and explore our state. Amidst the ups and downs of life, we commit to an unconditional love to each other and to each of our children that will not be altered by life circumstances. If you choose for your child to join our family, we look forward to getting to know you throughout the years. With care, Derek and Callae
Read MoreJosh and Michele
We are Josh and Michele and we want to thank you for taking the time to learn more about us. We would like to start by expressing our respect, admiration, and thanks for your courage right now. We can't imagine the feelings you have or will experience in your decision to plan an adoption for your child. We are excited that you would consider us as loving parents and we pray that this book will give you a glimpse of who we are and who we hope to be as parents.
Read MoreMichael and Faith
Hello! Thank you for considering adoption- it's a brave choice. We wish you a journey full of comfort, hope and encouragement. We recognize that whatever situation you are in, you have difficult choices ahead of you. No matter what you decide, we hope you feel loved and supported. Our goal for this profile is that you get a sense of who we are and the type of family we would provide for your child. Thank you for taking the time to look at us as potential adoptive parents. The journey that has lead us to adoption has been a difficult one. We have had two babies, each died within hours of being born. We didn't know it at the time, but in-depth testing revealed a genetic disorder, meaning the same thing could happen if we tried again. We decided we didn't want to take the chance and opted to pursue adoption instead. We adopted a baby in 2019 and it has been an amazing experience. Our son is 4 now and we are excited to add another baby to our family. We can't wait to see what God has for us in the future. -Mike & Faith
Read MoreDaniel and Alisha
Dear Expecting Parent(s), We have so much respect for the brave and loving choice you are making by considering adoption for your child. We would be honored to be considered as a family for your child. It is our hope with this letter to show what life with our family would be like for your baby. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to introduce our family to you. About Us Alisha was invited to Dan’s church (by a family member) one beautiful Sunday morning in November 2010. Alisha was seated in a pew near Dan, where we struck up a conversation very easily after the service. The next week, we went on a spontaneous lunch date and never looked back. We found out we had a lot in common and knew from that day forward that we were meant for each other. As our relationship progressed, we became soul mates and best friends. God blessed us with marriage two years later in the church where we met. One of the great things about us as a couple is that we have a lot in common and share the same values. But we also respect our differences and interests. Dan’s interests are bicycling, landscaping, woodworking, model trains and coin collecting. Alisha’s interests are crafts, cooking, gardening, boating and fishing. We both enjoy church activities, picnics, farm festivals, daytrips, vacations, community activities, and sporting events (Steelers, Penguins, Pirates). We also enjoy traveling together, as well as going out to share special times with friends and family. Dan graduated from college with a degree in Accounting and works as an Accountant at a manufacturing company. Alisha graduated from college with a degree in nursing and works at a hospital as an Intensive Care Nurse. After being married for about a year, we decided we wanted to start a family. Unfortunately, after trying on our own for quite some time and multiple fertility treatments, having children on our own was not successful. After much thought and consideration, we were called to the adoption process and found our way to Bethany Christian Services. Our Home and Neighborhood We live in a family friendly neighborhood close to parks, fitness activities, schools, church, and stores. We have family and friends living nearby who are excited to welcome a new member into our lives. Our church community is like a family. We have strong ties in our church community, which is about a ten minute drive from our home. We live in a single family home with a deck overlooking a nice sized back yard where there is plenty of space for a child to play. Our nursery is completely setup with a crib, changing table, and dresser, with a beautiful view of the back yard. We have a spacious kitchen, where we really enjoy cooking as a family. Our Values Our family values include setting a good example for children through our daily actions, including God in our daily lives through prayer, and attending church on Sundays. We intend on providing a child with a good education, team sports and activities, a safe neighborhood, holiday family get-togethers, fun child friendly events (zoo and science center), vacations and, when the child is older, continuing education towards a career path. Our Promise Thank you again for taking the time to learn about our family and for considering us as a family for your baby. We plan to be very open with your child about how he or she came to be part of our family and that this was made possible because of your courageous and selfless decision. Know that we are for open adoption and for you being updated on the child’s milestones and that your child will grow up with lots of love and support from us as parents and our extended family. Should your heart steer you in our direction for an adoptive family, may you find comfort in knowing that your baby will live with laughter and love. With heartfelt blessings, Dan and Alisha
Read MoreJarrett and Christine
Thank you for including us in your journey and for considering our family to adopt your child. We hope you can appreciate through our story our love for each other and our family and how devoted we are to being parents. After numerous fertility treatments, God has blessed us with two miracle children. But we feel we have more love to give and our family is not yet complete. We know you want the very best for your child and if you choose us, we promise to love your child with every piece of our heart and to always do what is best for him or her. We are excited to meet you and get to know you, if that's what you desire. We are committed to a relationship that works for everyone and ensuring your child continues to know you and your love for them.
Read MoreJeffrey and Donna
Read MoreRobert and Jana
Hello, As we write this letter we are excited to share our hearts and our family with another child. It seems as though adoption has been a constant part of our lives through childhood friends being adopted and walking through the process with several close friends and my (Jana) brother and sister-in-law. Robert and I have been married for 14 years and have had the privilege of traveling all over the world. Robert is an active duty Marine and I am a graphic designer and photographer. We have two sons, Jack and Bennett. We love to travel and have adventures. We are an active family and love to be outside, have fun and laugh...A LOT! Our home is a house of joy. There's lots of play time and there's always a little superhero running around protecting us. We hope this book will show you the love our family has, the love we give each other and the love we hope to give to our future child and you. Robert & Jana
Read MoreTyler and Lauren
It is not easy to compress all of the experiences in our lives and the love we have to give in one short summary, but here is a bit of relevant information about ourselves: we both work in a high school, Tyler as an English teacher and coach and Lauren as a school counselor and leader of cultural exchange trips overseas (previously a world language teacher). We both come from mid-sized, worldly, active, and loving families who are very much personal, positive parts of our daily lives. We have two intelligent, kind, beautiful, energetic, and humorous daughters, and they bring light and life to our lives each and every day: Quinn, our thirteen-year-old, is with us for shared parenting time (our daughter from Tyler’s previous marriage); and Brielle, our five year-old, was welcomed into our family through adoption. As for Lauren’s life journey leading to this letter, she has known since her teenage years that she is medically unable to bear children. Because of that, we have always known that adoption was in our future, and we have embraced that reality. Our goal has been to create a family that has the similarly beautiful energy, love, and sibling relationships that both of us experienced while growing up. We are very fortunate to have a positive relationship with Brielle’s birth family as well, and that only adds to the love that encompasses our family and our children. Overall, we consider ourselves kind, down-to-earth, active, generous, religious, open-minded, and humorous (we think?) individuals. We love to travel, love to learn, and love to experience and immerse ourselves in other cultures. Above all, we love to watch our daughters grow, and we love to nurture and help others. We certainly are incredibly excited to do the same with another beloved child in our lives.
Read MoreMichael and Dana
Hello Friend, Thank you for taking the time to learn more about us. We can only imagine that this may be one of the greatest challenges you have faced and we respect your courage in exploring adoption for your baby. We believe that this story has a happy ending. Our story is pretty simple. Dana and her brother were both adopted into a loving family and she has always believed that adoption would be part of growing her family. Michael loves being a dad and definitely wants to pour his life and love into more little ones. We have one little boy, Jack, who is so excited to be a big brother. We would love to talk with you about your story and explore together the level of openness you would want with our family. If you'd like to learn more about us, our values, and passions we've done our best in the following pages to give you a glimpse into our life. We have been praying and preparing for this time and sincerely hope we have the opportunity to get to know you and explore the next chapter of this story together. - Michael & Dana
Read MoreMike and Emily
Hello! Nice to ‘meet’ you. Thank you so much for taking the time to read our profile and get to know us. We are so honored that you are choosing to learn about our family as you consider adoption as an option for your child. We know that this process can be daunting, and while we can’t begin to understand what you are going through, we are inspired and impressed with your strength and courage and with the abounding love you already have for your child. We want you to know that we are here for you and will walk alongside you for as long as you’ll have us, whether your decision is to parent or make an adoption plan. As parents to three kids ourselves, we understand the responsibility to protect and prioritize our children, just like you are doing now as you consider your path forward. We are a hopeful adoptive family because we know that we can provide a home where a child can feel loved, safe, and happy, but also find meaning in living for Jesus and in loving and serving others from all walks of life. We want to extend a place within our family through open adoption, not only to your child, but also to you as an essential part of your child’s life. We believe that we can best protect and prioritize an adopted child by maintaining a link to birth family and culture as much as possible while raising them. We are open to adopting a child (or twins) of any race or ethnicity up to four years old. Please know that as you continue your journey, we are praying for you and asking God to give you strength, peace, and comfort. We sincerely hope that our love for you and the new life you created will shine through in this book. With great love and appreciation, Mike + Emily
Read MoreBrian and Cherish
We are absolutely honored and humbled that you are including our family in your decision making process. We understand that this decision is one of the biggest ones that you will ever make, and we want to let you know about our family, the love, and the encouragement that your child will receive when they become part of our family. We are Brian and Cherish, and our twin daughters Lindsey and Chelsea, who are in high school. Cherish also has an adult son, Tyler, who lives about 45 minutes away from us with his young family. Brian owns a marketing company and Cherish is a substitute teacher; she is enrolled in a Graduate program to earn her Masters Degree in Elementary Education. Volunteerism is important to us. Cherish has served on the board of the local Twins Club, Brian has served as a mentor at the local high school in their Small Business Incubator program, and runs the Trailmates program that Lindsey and Chelsea are in. Additionally, five years ago, we founded our own nonprofit, the Basket Brigade of Suburban Chicago where we pack and deliver complete Thanksgiving meals to local area families-in-need.
Read MoreFAQs about adoption
Can I choose the family for my child?
Yes! You can review our online profiles of families who would like to adopt a child and learn all about their personalities and interests. If you decide to place your child for adoption, you’ll be able to meet with the adoptive families you like best.
Are there different kinds of adoption?
You will provide input into the type of relationship you desire between yourself, your child, and the adoptive parents. You can guide the level of communication and contact you have with your child and their adoptive family.
How can I find out my rights as a parent?
You always have the right to explore your options in a safe environment. And you have the right to have all your questions answered honestly and completely. You have these rights, no matter where you are in your pregnancy.
If I’m using drugs, can Bethany still help me?
Yes. Our counselors will help you consider the best options for you and your baby.
My child is already born. Can I still make an adoption plan
In many cases, you can still place your child for adoption after he or she is born.
Finding peace through open adoption
“Bethany made my adoption journey the best choice for me and those I care for. Three different families have become one because of the love and respect that we share—and I’ve found my place as a birth mom in each one of them.”
- Tamara
"When I was pregnant and pursuing an adoption plan, people told me I needed to ask forgiveness for “abandoning my child.” They wanted me to feel ashamed, but Bethany helped take the sting out of their words by reassuring me I had no reason to feel shame. Now my vision is to keep telling this story so other birth moms know they’re not alone.”
- Gloria
“Ten years ago, I was pregnant for the first time, and I was in jail. Making an adoption plan for my son didn’t mean I loved him any less; I just didn’t want my child to end up in the system. My life circumstances wouldn’t mean a life sentence for him.”
- Tamara
"When I found out I was pregnant with twins at age 18, I didn’t know where to turn. I thought, ‘How am I going to become the mom I want to be?’ Bethany helped provide care for my boys while I found a stable job. Today, my boys are thriving in my home.”
- Brijon
“Today, I am substance-free. I’m married with two biological children and two stepchildren. And I still have thoughts and emotions to process about that difficult time in my life, including my decision to make an adoption plan. That’s an experience most people just don’t understand."
- Gloria
Have questions?
Do you want to make an adoption plan or learn about your other options? Fill out a contact form or speak to a Bethany counselor at 1.800.BETHANY