Children’s House International

What Children’s House International does

Children's House International (CHI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit international adoption agency founded in 1975 in Utah and currently headquartered in Lynden, Washington. The organization facilitates international adoptions for U.S. families through country programs in more than 13 countries and has cumulatively placed over 3,000 children since founding. CHI is Hague Convention accredited (since 2009) and holds adoption agency licensure in six U.S. states (Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Texas, Utah, and Washington). Country program delivery is executed through long-standing partnerships with foreign government and non-governmental entities, most notably ICBF (Colombia) and FNA Team (Bulgaria, since 2011), and U.S.-side marketing and education channels are supported through partnerships with Brittany's Hope and Creating a Family. Executive Director Debbie S. Price has led the organization since 1994.

The agency's core service is end-to-end international adoption case management: home study coordination, dossier preparation, foreign partner coordination, pre- and post-placement supervision, and family preparation education. CHI has extended its service surface beyond full adoption placements to include international surrogacy consulting under the Family Journeys Surrogacy Program and a Colombia hosting program for families seeking short-term hosting arrangements. No proprietary technology platform is evident; the operating model is relationship-driven and case-managed, with the staff (11–50 employees) anchored by long-tenured leadership and country-specific program directors (e.g., India Director Lisa Anderson). Revenue is generated primarily through per-case adoption fees (typically $30,000–$60,000 per U.S. family), with supplementary fee income from surrogacy consulting, hosting, and donor/grants. The go-to-market is direct, referral-based, and partner-channel-driven, with no apparent digital acquisition infrastructure.

From a competitive positioning standpoint, CHI's defensibility rests on regulatory accreditation, foreign-government program access, and a 50-year track record rather than on technology or scale economics. The underlying adoption market in the U.S. is mature and contracting as sending countries tighten exit pathways, which makes the recent product diversification into surrogacy and hosting strategically material but unproven in scale. No AI/ML capabilities, funding rounds, M&A activity, or platform products are disclosed.

Name

Children’s House International

Legal name

Children's House International

Website

https://childrenshouseinternational.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Children's House International is a non-profit, Hague-accredited international adoption agency founded in 1975, placing children from 13+ countries with U.S. families, now also offering international surrogacy consulting and a Colombia hosting program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Adoption Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG), Homestay Placement & Host Family Management (EDAIALAC)

Keywords

• International adoption services
• Adoption home studies
• Post-adoption support
• International surrogacy consulting
• Hague accredited adoption agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Lynden

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Adoption Agency Services: CHI generates revenue through adoption agency fees covering professional guidance, case management, and coordination throughout the international adoption process. Fees include home study services, dossier preparation, program-specific processing, travel coordination, and post-adoption reporting.
2. International Surrogacy Consulting: CHI offers international surrogacy consulting services, providing guidance on surrogacy options in Georgia including IVF, donor egg programs, and embryo transfer services. Revenue is generated through consulting fees for program guidance, paperwork assistance, travel planning, and ongoing support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Children's House International is a non-profit, IAAME Hague Accredited international adoption agency that facilitates the placement of children from 13+ countries (including Colombia, India, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Georgia, Brazil, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Portugal, Hong Kong, and Ghana) with approved U.S. citizen families. The agency provides end-to-end services including home studies, dossier preparation, matching with children, travel coordination, visa processing, and post-adoption reporting, plus an international surrogacy consulting program focused on Georgia and a Colombia hosting program for older children.

Product overview

Children's House International operates as a unified service platform offering international adoption services as its core offering. The agency provides a comprehensive adoption ecosystem that includes: (1) International Adoption Services across 13+ countries (Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Ecuador, Georgia, Ghana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Mexico, Portugal, Romania); (2) Home Study Services for domestic and international assessments; (3) Post Adoption Services for ongoing family support; (4) the Family Journeys Surrogacy Program for families pursuing international surrogacy; and (5) the Colombia Hosting Program for temporary hosting of older children. Supporting these core services are resource modules including Parent Education, Financial Resources (including Your Adoption Finance Coach), and Medical Resources. The agency also maintains a Waiting Children Program database for children with special needs, older children, and sibling groups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Adoption Services Hague-accredited international adoption agency services facilitating the placement of children from 13+ countries (Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Ecuador, Georgia, Ghana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Mexico, Portugal, Romania) with approved U.S. citizen families, including country program guidance, matching, and coordination.
• Home Study Services Domestic and international home study services for prospective adoptive families, including evaluation, preparation of family profiles, and the required documentation for adoption approval.
• Post Adoption Services Ongoing post-adoption support services for families after a child has been placed, including post-adoption reports required by sending countries and assistance with family adjustment needs.
• Family Journeys Surrogacy Program International surrogacy consulting program that guides U.S. families through surrogacy options, primarily in Georgia, including IVF, donor egg programs, and embryo transfer services.
• Colombia Hosting Program Hosting program for Colombian children (ages 10-15 and sibling groups) for 3-5 week periods during Summer or Winter, designed for families considering adoption of older children or sibling groups.
• Waiting Children Program Password-protected database of children available for adoption, including those with special needs, older children, and sibling groups, accessible to approved families.
• Your Adoption Finance Coach Financial coaching service helping families offset adoption fees and make international adoption more affordable through planning and resource identification, including grants, tax credits, and financing options.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,000 children placed worldwide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 core.

• Creating a FamilycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHI partners with Creating a Family to provide free adoption education resources to prospective adoptive families. This partnership supports CHI's commitment to parent education and informed decision-making throughout the adoption process.
• Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar (ICBF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHI works directly with ICBF, Colombia's federal adoption authority, to ensure an ethical and transparent adoption process. ICBF is the central authority that matches families with children and oversees the adoption process in Colombia.
• FNA Team (Bulgaria)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFNA team from Bulgaria has partnered with CHI since 2011, working together to unite children from Bulgaria with forever families in the United States. The partnership has facilitated 328 successful adoptions.
• Brittany's HopecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaula Tobias from Brittany's Hope congratulated CHI on their 50th anniversary, highlighting a 14-year partnership working together to unite 328 precious sons and daughters with their families.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Holt International Children's Services: Holt International is one of the oldest and largest US-based non-profit international adoption agencies, providing intercountry adoption services across multiple countries. It directly competes with CHI for the same US adoptive families and operates in overlapping sending countries.
• Gladney Center for Adoption: Gladney is a long-standing non-profit adoption agency offering domestic and international adoption, home studies, and post-adoption services. It directly competes with CHI in the US family adoption services market and shares the same non-profit, family-focused mission.
• Nightlight Christian Adoptions: Nightlight is a non-profit Hague-accredited agency providing international and domestic adoption, embryo donation, and surrogacy services. It overlaps with CHI on international adoption and now on surrogacy, serving a similar US family segment.
• Lifeline Children's Services: Lifeline Children's Services is a Christian non-profit offering international and domestic adoption, pregnancy services, and foster care. It competes with CHI for US adoptive families pursuing international adoption programs.
• Spence-Chapin Services to Families & Children: Spence-Chapin is a non-profit Hague-accredited adoption agency offering international and domestic adoption services in the US. It directly competes with CHI for US adoptive families and operates a similar full-service, family-centered model.
• Wide Horizons For Children: Wide Horizons For Children is a non-profit Hague-accredited international adoption agency placing children from multiple countries with US families. It is directly comparable to CHI in mission, service scope, and target customer.
• Adoption Services Foundation: Adoption Services Foundation is a non-profit Hague-accredited agency providing international adoption services from multiple countries. It is directly comparable to CHI in accreditation status, country mix, and target customer.
• Americans Adoptions: American Adoptions is a large, for-profit licensed adoption agency offering domestic and international adoption in the US. It directly competes with CHI for US adoptive families and offers comparable end-to-end adoption services.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: Catholic Charities operates a large nationwide network of social service programs including some adoption and pregnancy support services. It is a broader incumbent that overlaps with CHI on adoption-related social services rather than specializing in intercountry adoption.

Others

• Creating a Family: Creating a Family is a non-profit adoption education and resource organization that already partners with CHI to provide free adoption education to prospective families. It is an adjacent ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CHI4Adoption
• Instagraminstagram.com/childrenshouseinternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chiadopt

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Children’s House International