What Adoptions From The Heart does

Adoptions From The Heart (AFTH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit private adoption agency founded in 1985 by adoptee Maxine Chalker and headquartered in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. The organization is licensed to place children across six states — Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Virginia, and Connecticut — operating through 11 physical office locations and a multi-channel direct-to-consumer reach (toll-free 1-800 number, SMS, website, telehealth). AFTH serves the three-sided 'adoption triad' market: expecting and birth parents considering adoption, prospective adoptive families (including LGBTQ and international home-study clients), and adoptees seeking identity, search, and reunion support, plus a secondary professional referral segment comprising attorneys, therapists, and social workers.

AFTH's core products and services span domestic adoption placement, international home studies, LGBTQ-inclusive adoption, identified and intermediary adoption services, state-specific programs (NJ ACI, VA designated/parental placement), and a newly-launched Adoption Therapy Center (Connecticut, July 2024) offering adoption-competent telehealth therapy. Ancillary revenue and mission-supporting offerings include the Expecting & Birth Parent Support Fund, Birth Parent Scholarships, an extensive 18+-season AFTH TV educational video library, support groups, and CEU-accredited educational classes ($30/family) and specialized webinars ($100/family). The technology stack is intentionally minimal and service-oriented, with no proprietary platform, API, or AI components; client engagement is mediated by human social workers and LCSWs.

The business model is a hybrid of fee-based adoption placement services, self-pay adoption-competent therapy, modest unit-priced educational programming, and tax-deductible donations/fundraising. Pricing is largely transactional and varies by service type, with no subscription platform tier beyond the self-pay therapy cadence. AFTH distributes through in-person consultations at 11 offices, telehealth for therapy clients in PA and CT, and direct digital intake forms. The agency is independently owned with no disclosed parent company, private equity, or institutional backing, and operates as a charitable mission-driven entity.

Name

Adoptions From The Heart

Legal name

Adoptions From The Heart

Website

https://afth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Adoptions From The Heart is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit private adoption agency, founded in 1985 and licensed in six Mid-Atlantic/Northeast states, providing domestic adoption placement, adoption-competent therapy, educational programming, and support services for birth parents, adoptive families, and adoptees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adoption Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF)

Keywords

• Adoption services
• Domestic adoption agency
• Birth parent support
• Adoption therapy services
• Adoption home studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Wynnewood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Adoption Services: Fee-based adoption services for domestic adoption, international adoption home studies, and related placement services. As a nonprofit 501 C-3 organization, revenue supports programs and the Birth Parent Support Fund.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting the agency's mission and Birth Parent Support Fund.
3. Adoption Therapy Services: Self-pay telehealth therapy services provided by adoption-competent therapists for members of the adoption triad.
4. Educational Classes and Webinars: Educational series classes at $30 per family and specialized webinars at $100 per family, fulfilling CEU requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Adoptions From The Heart is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) licensed adoption agency that provides domestic adoption placement, international home studies, LGBTQ-inclusive adoption services, and adoption-competent therapy. The agency supports the full adoption triad (birth parents, adoptive families, and adoptees) across six U.S. states, supplemented by educational programming, support groups, and financial assistance through its Birth Parent Support Fund.

Product overview

Adoptions From The Heart (AFTH) is a nonprofit adoption agency offering a comprehensive suite of adoption-related services. The core offerings center on domestic and international adoption placement, supplemented by educational programming through AFTH TV (an extensive video content library spanning 18+ seasons), and an Adoption Therapy Center providing adoption-competent therapeutic services. Additional offerings include financial assistance programs (Expecting & Birth Parent Support Fund, Birth Parent Scholarships), educational series and seminars, various support groups, and specialized services including identified adoption, intermediary services, assisted reproduction (Heartbeats), and state-specific programs. The organization emphasizes open adoption practices and employs professionals from all parts of the adoption triad.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AFTH TV: Video series featuring episodes on adoption topics, stories from adoptees, birth parents, adoptive families, and educational content about adoption.
• Heartbeats: Assisted Reproduction
• Adoption Therapy Services

Products and services

• Domestic Adoption Services
• International Adoption Home Studies
• LGBTQ Adoption Services
• Adoption Therapy Center (Connecticut)
• Adoption Therapy Services (Pennsylvania)
• Expecting & Birth Parent Support Fund
• Birth Parent Scholarships
• Educational Series & Seminars
• Heartbeats: Assisted Reproduction
• Identified Adoption Services
• Intermediary Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 40 years of service helping build families
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Painting With a Twist MediaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 February 2025AFTH partnered with Painting With a Twist Media for a fundraising event called 'Painting With a Purpose.' Over 33 participants attended the Valentine's themed event to raise money for AFTH programs and the Expectant & Birth Parent Support Fund. A portion of ticket sales was donated back to AFTH.
• Heart & Soul'dminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAFTH was selected as Heart & Soul'd's newest mission match partner. Both owners of Heart & Soul'd completed their families through adoption with AFTH, creating a personal connection. The partnership allows AFTH to continue collaborations with adoptive parents.
• Dr. Erin MeyerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Erin Meyer, an internal medicine and pediatric hospitalist who works in the NICU, collaborated with AFTH for educational webinars on Prenatal Drug & Alcohol Exposure. She speaks from both professional and personal angles as an adoptive mom.
• Woman Against AbuseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Woman Against Abuse organization for educational workshops on Domestic Violence and Intimate Partner Violence for birth parents who may have experienced or sought to learn more about abusive relationships.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Gladney Center for Adoption: One of the largest U.S. adoption agencies, headquartered in Texas with a multi-state footprint. Comparable to AFTH as a full-service nonprofit offering domestic and international adoption, birth parent services, and post-adoption support, but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Bethany Christian Services: National nonprofit offering adoption, foster care, and family support services across many U.S. states. Directly comparable to AFTH in mission and service mix (domestic adoption, home studies, post-adoption support) but with substantially larger operations and broader service lines including refugee services.
• Holt International Children's Services: Large international and domestic adoption nonprofit with a long history and global footprint. Comparable to AFTH's international home study offering and broader nonprofit adoption mission, but operates at materially larger scale and with significant international program depth.
• Catholic Charities (adoption programs): National network of Catholic Charities agencies that operate licensed adoption, pregnancy support, and post-adoption services across many states. Comparable to AFTH in providing licensed nonprofit adoption services with pregnancy counseling, but as part of a much broader social services portfolio.

Direct peers

• American Adoptions: Large national private domestic adoption agency working with birth and adoptive families across the U.S. Highly comparable to AFTH on core service (domestic infant adoption placement), target customer base, and professional-services revenue model, though for-profit rather than nonprofit.
• Spence-Chapin Services to Families & Children: Long-standing nonprofit adoption agency based in New York with a strong Northeast presence and modern family services. Closely comparable to AFTH in mission, geographic footprint (NY/NJ/CT adjacent), service portfolio, and emphasis on adoption-competent counseling and post-adoption support.
• Nightlight Christian Adoptions: Multi-state nonprofit adoption agency offering domestic, international, and embryo adoption services. Comparable to AFTH on multi-state licensing, adoption placement focus, and educational programming, with a similar nonprofit fee-for-service model.
• Lifelong Adoptions: National adoption agency facilitating domestic infant adoptions with a strong digital and outreach-driven GTM motion. Directly comparable to AFTH in placing infants with adoptive families, supporting birth parents, and serving prospective parents across multiple states.
• Adoption Assistance, Inc. Mid-sized private domestic adoption agency with home study and post-placement services in multiple states. Comparable to AFTH in offering home studies, domestic adoption placement support, and education for adoptive and birth parent clients across overlapping East Coast geographies.

Regional players

• Children's Home Society of California: Regional nonprofit adoption and family services agency based in California. Comparable service mix (domestic adoption, home studies, post-adoption support, family counseling) but primarily serves a different West Coast geography rather than the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwSeoBzVdkAw
• Facebookfacebook.com/adoptionsfromtheheart
• Xx.com/afth_org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Adoptions From The Heart