Adoption Center of Illinois

What Adoption Center of Illinois does

Adoption Center of Illinois (ACI), legally operated as Family Resource Center (Tax ID 36-3532803), is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit and Illinois-licensed Child Welfare agency founded in 1988 by Richard Pearlman, LCSW. The organization provides licensed adoption services across the full adoption lifecycle: domestic programs (Traditional Adoption, Agency Assisted Adoption, Waiting Child Services), Hague-accredited international adoption (Primary Provider Services since February 2008), home study services for both domestic and international placements, adoption-competent clinical therapy for children and adults, birth parent lifelong support, and expectant parent counseling for unplanned pregnancies. Customer segments are individual personas — expectant/birth parents, prospective adoptive parents (with approximately 80% cited as coming from infertility backgrounds), adoptive families, and post-placement birth parents — rather than enterprise accounts.

The agency's distinguishing philosophical asset is the proprietary "Extended Family Network" model, developed by founder Richard Pearlman and Executive Director Emeritus Jane Turner, which moves beyond binary open/closed adoption paradigms to a dynamic Family-Systems-based framework for ongoing birth-family and adoptive-family relationships. ACI maintains community programming — adoption classes (Attachment, Domestic Adoption and Illinois Law, Baby Care, Transracial Adoption), therapy workshops, support groups, an annual scholarship program, and community events including the ACI Gala, annual picnic, and holiday open house — delivered from the Chicago Uptown Bank Building headquarters with virtual/hybrid class delivery.

Revenue is generated through two streams: (1) adoption service fees, home study fees, therapy fees, and class/workshop fees (e.g., $30 per standard class, $60 per specialty workshop, $25 per symposium ticket for non-ACI families, with free access for ACI families and alumni), and (2) charitable donations and grants. ACI receives no equity investment; it is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and currently led by Executive Director T. Bernu. The organization holds regulatory credentials from the Illinois DCFS, the Hague Convention, and the Council on Accreditation, and holds membership recognition from NCFA, HRC's All Children All Families, and GuideStar.

Name

Adoption Center of Illinois

Legal name

Family Resource Center

Website

https://adoptioncenterofillinois.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Adoption Center of Illinois (Family Resource Center) is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Illinois-licensed and Hague-accredited adoption agency providing domestic and international adoption, home studies, adoption-competent therapy, and post-adoption support to expectant parents, prospective adoptive parents, and adoptive families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adoption Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAE

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

Keywords

• Adoption services
• Domestic adoption programs
• International adoption services
• Post-adoption support
• Home study services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Adoption Services Fees: Fees collected from prospective adoptive parents for adoption services including home studies, program participation, and placement services. Programs include Traditional Adoption, Agency Assisted Adoption, Waiting Child Services, and International Adoption Services.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, ACI accepts charitable gifts and donations from individuals and organizations to support its mission and adoption programs. Donations may be directed towards different programs.
3. Educational Classes and Workshops: Fees collected for adoption education classes, workshops, and seminars offered to ACI families, alumni, and non-ACI families. Classes cover topics such as attachment, adoption law, baby care, and transracial adoption.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Adoption Center of Illinois (ACI) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) adoption agency that delivers licensed domestic and international adoption programs, home study services, birth parent counseling, expectant parent guidance, and lifelong post-adoption therapy and education. Its adoption services are organized around the proprietary Extended Family Network framework, a Family Systems Theory-based approach that creates ongoing connections between adoptive and birth families.

Product overview

Adoption Center of Illinois (ACI) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) adoption agency providing a comprehensive suite of adoption-related services. The organization operates as a unified service platform centered on its unique Extended Family Network framework—a paradigm developed by founders Richard Pearlman and Jane Turner that reimagines adoption relationships beyond open/closed binaries. Core offerings include Domestic Adoption Programs (Traditional Adoption, Agency Assisted Adoption, Waiting Child Services), International Adoption Services (Hague-accredited), and Home Study Services (both domestic and international). Supporting services include Adoption Competent Therapy for children and adults, Birth Parent Lifelong Support, and adoption education classes covering topics such as attachment, trauma, and Illinois law. The agency also provides expectant parent information services, an ACI Scholarship Program for financial assistance, and community events including the annual ACI Gala, picnic, and holiday open house. Services are delivered from the Chicago office location with virtual/hybrid class options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Domestic Adoption Programs

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Styles4kidz SalonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for African-American hair care education workshops for adoptive families. ACI hosts Level 1 and Level 2 hands-on workshops at the Styles4kidz Salon location in Oak Park, IL, teaching textured hair care techniques to families who have adopted children of different racial backgrounds.
• On Your Feet FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for the Activism in Adoption Series 2024, bringing together authors and researchers for panel discussions on adoption topics. Events include presentations by researchers like Dr. Gretchen Sisson and authors of Adoption Unfiltered, providing adoption education credit opportunities.
• The Book StallminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partnership with The Book Stall bookstore in Winnetka, IL for hosting in-person author events and panel discussions related to adoption literature and education.
• Children's Research TriangleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional partnership for specialized presentations on prenatal drug and alcohol exposure, with Dr. Corinne Fleming from Children's Research Triangle providing expert education on effects of prenatal substance exposure.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gladney Center for Adoption: Texas-based licensed nonprofit adoption agency offering domestic, international, and post-adoption services. Closely comparable to ACI in service mix (home studies, placement, expectant parent counseling, post-adoption support) and in operating a proprietary post-adoption program under its own framework.
• American Adoptions: One of the largest U.S. domestic newborn adoption agencies, licensed across multiple states. Comparable to ACI's domestic Traditional and Agency Assisted adoption programs, with similar fee-for-service revenue model and home study/placement workflow.
• Holt International Children's Services: Long-standing nonprofit focused on intercountry adoption and post-adoption services, Hague-accredited. Directly comparable to ACI's international adoption and home study offerings, with deeper international country programs and a similar full-service nonprofit structure.
• Nightlight Christian Adoptions: Licensed nonprofit adoption agency offering domestic and international adoption, home studies, and post-adoption services including an embryo donation program. Comparable to ACI as a mid-sized full-service adoption agency with similar program breadth and nonprofit funding model.

Broad incumbents

• Bethany Christian Services: One of the largest U.S. nonprofit adoption and child welfare agencies with domestic and international programs plus post-adoption support across many states. Comparable to ACI as a full-service licensed adoption agency offering a similar suite of placement and home study services, though operating at much greater scale and geographic breadth.

Others

• National Council For Adoption: National trade and advocacy body for adoption. ACI is a member agency, and NCFA's standards and policy work shape the regulatory environment in which ACI operates, making it an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a competitor.

Regional players

• Lutheran Social Services of Illinois: Illinois-based nonprofit providing adoption, foster care, and child welfare services under state contract. Comparable to ACI as a regional licensed adoption provider in Illinois with overlapping pregnancy counseling, home study, and post-adoption services, though LSSI also runs large DCFS-contracted foster care programs.
• Children's Home Society of California: Licensed California nonprofit adoption agency offering domestic adoption, home study, and post-adoption support. Comparable to ACI's service structure and nonprofit governance, though operating across a different state rather than directly competing in Illinois.
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago: Large regional social services nonprofit operating pregnancy and adoption counseling plus post-adoption support in the Chicago metro. Directly comparable to ACI's Illinois service area and adoption counseling model, with broader social services portfolio serving many of the same expectant parent and adoptive family populations.
• Children's Home & Aid: Illinois-based nonprofit child welfare agency offering adoption and post-permanency services under DCFS contracts. Comparable to ACI as a regional Illinois adoption provider serving overlapping expectant parent, adoptive family, and post-adoption support populations, though with a heavier foster care orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AdoptionCenterofIllinois
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adoption-center-of-illinois-at-family-resource-center

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Adoption Center of Illinois