What Adoption STAR does

Adoption STAR, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit child placement agency headquartered in Amherst, New York, with additional offices in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Pompano Beach, Florida. Founded in 2000 by an individual working in the adoption field since 1988, the organization is a New York State Authorized, Florida and Ohio licensed, and COA Hague Accredited agency serving pregnant individuals, birth families, prospective adoptive families, and older children in U.S. foster care. Its service portfolio comprises the Traditional Agency Adoption Program, the Agency-Assisted Private Adoption Program (offered at half the cost of traditional adoption), the A-OK (Adopt An Older Kid) Program for children in foster care, the Shining Star Program for children with cognitive and physical disabilities, and Step-Parent and Kinship Adoption. The agency's product is essentially the human-intensive process of social work, counseling, education, home studies, matching, and post-placement supervision, supported by a 24/7 counselor line, a waiting families online portal, and the Family STAR post-adoption department for lifelong support.

The business model combines placement fees paid by adoptive families with tax-deductible donations and ancillary services (home studies, step-parent/kinship work). Birth parent services — including counseling, medical bill assistance, and pregnancy-related living expenses — are provided at no cost and subsidized by adoptive family fees and donations. A Family Tree donation program generates contribution revenue at price points from $150 (Bronze Leaf) to $5,000 (Tree Root). The organization holds the HRC All Children-All Families Innovator Seal, the highest tier of recognition for serving LGBTQIA+ youth and families.

Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: 24/7 phone intake (1-866-691-3300), website inquiry forms, free information packets, pride parade participation, beer tasting fundraisers, online adoption information sessions, birth parent panels, and active social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest) plus a podcast, e-books, and blog. The customer base is composed of two primary personas — expectant and birth parents and prospective adoptive families — with a long tail of individual cases rather than enterprise anchor clients. There is no public revenue, headcount trend, or fundraising disclosure; the organization is independently operated with no parent company or institutional investors.

Name

Adoption STAR

Legal name

Adoption STAR, Inc.

Website

https://adoptionstar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Adoption STAR is a 501(c)(3), multi-state licensed (NY, OH, FL) non-profit adoption agency offering infant, older-child, kinship, and international home study services, plus 24/7 free counseling to expectant and birth parents nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adoption Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

Keywords

• Adoption placement services
• Home study services
• Post-adoption support
• Birth parent counseling
• Older child adoption

Headquarters

HQ city

Amherst

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Adoptive Family Placement Fees: Adoption STAR charges placement fees to adoptive families for adoption services including home studies, education, matching, and post-placement support. The agency offers multiple programs including Traditional Agency Adoption and Agency Assisted Private Adoption with different fee structures.
2. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Adoption STAR relies on tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations. Donors can contribute to general operations or earmark donations for specific programs including international humanitarian aid projects. The agency offers a Family Tree sponsorship program with engraved leaves, acorns, stones, and roots at various price points.
3. Free Services for Birth Parents: All services to birth parents and expectant parents are provided at no cost, including counseling, support, referrals, legal services, and assistance with medical bills and pregnancy-related living expenses. This creates a service-based value exchange where birth parent services are subsidized by adoptive family fees and donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Adoption STAR is a non-profit, licensed child placement agency providing comprehensive adoption services including Traditional Agency Adoption, Agency-Assisted Private Adoption, the A-OK Program (Adopt An Older Kid) for older children in foster care, Shining Star Program for children with disabilities, and Step-Parent/Kinship Adoption. The agency also delivers home studies, open adoption facilitation, and lifelong post-adoption support through its Family STAR department, serving expectant parents, birth families, and prospective adoptive families across New York, Ohio, and Florida.

Product overview

Adoption STAR is a non-profit adoption agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of adoption services. The core offerings include Traditional Agency Adoption, Agency-Assisted Private Adoption, A-OK Program (Adopt An Older Kid), Shining Star Program for children with disabilities, and Step Parent/Kinship Adoption. These programs are supported by Home Studies services, Open Adoption Services, and Post Adoption Support through the Family STAR department. The agency operates in New York, Florida, and Ohio, serving expectant parents, birth families, adoptive families, and children nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• A-OK Program (Adopt An Older Kid): A special program of Adoption STAR for adopting older children and sibling groups from U.S. foster care.
• Shining Star Program
• Family Tree
• Traditional Agency Adoption Program
• Agency Assisted Private Adoption Program
• Family STAR

Products and services

• Traditional Agency Adoption Program Infant adoption program involving direct or indirect placement where Adoption STAR identifies expectant parents through its own outreach and provides 24/7 availability, free counseling, support, and referral services.
• Agency-Assisted Private Adoption Program Creative adoption program combining benefits of traditional agency and private adoption, allowing adoptive parents to adopt privately with full agency support and training at reduced fees.
• A-OK Program (Adopt An Older Kid) Comprehensive program identifying families for children waiting in U.S. foster care, working with agencies and counties responsible for children, focusing on legally freed children ages toddlers to 21.
• Shining Star Program Specialized program for placement of children not in custody of foster care who have been diagnosed with cognitive and physical disabilities prior to placement, primarily newborns.
• Step Parent and Kinship Adoption Program enabling step-parents or relatives to formally adopt children, including home studies and support through the adoption process.
• Home Studies Comprehensive adoption home study services including educational classes and social worker visits, conducted for domestic, international, and kinship adoption in New York, Florida, and Ohio.
• Post Adoption Support / Family STAR Lifelong support services for adoptees and their birth and adoptive families including support groups, counseling, educational workshops, and social networks.
• Open Adoption Services Open adoption program allowing birth families and adoptive families to maintain ongoing contact after placement through various levels of openness.
• The Family Tree Donation Program Donation program allowing supporters to sponsor leaves, acorns, stones or roots on a physical Family Tree tribute with engravings at the Amherst, NY headquarters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of children placed in permanent families since 2000
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Agencies and Counties Responsible for Children in Foster CarecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdoption STAR works with agencies and counties throughout the United States responsible for children in foster care. These partnerships enable the A-OK Program to identify legally freed children waiting for adoptive families and create matches between waiting children and certified families.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bethany Christian Services: One of the largest U.S. faith-based adoption and family services agencies, offering domestic and international adoption, foster care, and pregnancy services across many states — directly comparable to Adoption STAR's licensed, multi-state placement model.
• Holt International Children's Services: Specializes in international adoption and post-adoption services, including the older-child and special-needs programs that mirror Adoption STAR's Shining Star and A-OK offerings.
• Children's Home Society of California: California-focused non-profit offering domestic adoption, foster care, and home study services with strong post-adoption support — comparable in program mix and non-profit structure.
• Gladney Center for Adoption: Long-standing Texas-based adoption agency providing domestic infant adoption, older-child programs, home studies, and post-adoption support — a close functional peer across Adoption STAR's full program stack.
• American Adoptions: One of the largest U.S. domestic infant adoption agencies, operating nationally with a structured fee model and marketing-heavy approach — a direct competitor for prospective adoptive families.
• Nightlight Christian Adoptions: National agency offering domestic, international, and embryo adoption plus home study and post-adoption services — closely comparable in program breadth and multi-jurisdictional licensing.
• Lifelong Adoptions: Domestic infant adoption agency with a waiting-family profile gallery model similar to Adoption STAR's portal, competing for the same adoptive-family prospects.
• Adoptions From The Heart: Non-profit, multi-state domestic adoption agency offering infant adoption, home studies, and birth-parent services — a near-twin of Adoption STAR's service model and free birth-parent positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Children's Aid Society: Large New York-based child welfare organization with broader foster care, family support, and adoption-adjacent services — overlapping with Adoption STAR's NY footprint and A-OK foster-care partnerships.

Emerging players

• Pact Family Services: Non-profit focused on adoption of children of color and trans-racial adoption, with placement and post-adoption services — overlapping with Adoption STAR's trans-racial and A-OK older-child programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/adoptionstar
• Facebookfacebook.com/Adoptstar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adoption-s.t.a.r.
• Instagraminstagram.com/adoptionstar
• Pinterestpinterest.com/adoptionstar/pins

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Adoption STAR