Adoption Circle

What Adoption Circle does

Adoption Circle is a non-profit, state-licensed Private Child Placement Agency (PCPA) headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, with additional offices in Cleveland and Akron/Cuyahoga Falls. Founded in November 1991 by five working mothers (two attorneys and three social workers), the agency has been continuously operating for over 30 years and has completed thousands of placements across Ohio, with the first placement completed in spring 1992. It is licensed by the state of Ohio and operates in compliance with the federal Multi-Ethnic Placement Act as Amended.

The agency delivers four core adoption programs: an Infant Adoption Program (domestic placements for newborns and children up to six months), a Targeted/Identified Adoption Program for families who have already identified each other, an International Adoption Program offering homestudy services for cross-border placements, and Auxiliary Services such as stepparent adoptions and post-placement supervision. These programs are supported by nine state-certified adoption assessors on staff, including three founding social workers still with the organization, and by birthparent services (free 24/7 counseling, financial assistance with housing, maternity clothing, and medical expenses) and adoptive family services (training, homestudy, profile creation, matching, and post-placement supervision). Additional offerings include Search and Reunite services, Post-Adoption Resources, and Adoption Education classes.

Revenue is generated primarily through adoption service fees charged to adoptive families, beginning with a $250 non-refundable application fee and additional fees spread throughout the adoption process. Birthparent services are provided at no cost, with legal, medical, and counseling expenses paid by adoptive parents. The agency also operates an Ohio Adoption Grant and accepts donations via PayPal, with an annual Adoption Possibilities Golf Outing supporting fundraising. Go-to-market is direct-to-client only, with no channel partners; marketing relies on the agency website, monthly newsletters, YouTube content, social media, community events, support groups across Ohio cities, and referrals from organizations such as RESOLVE and healthcare providers.

Name

Adoption Circle

Legal name

Adoption Circle

Website

https://adoptioncircle.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Adoption Circle is a non-profit, state-licensed Ohio adoption agency founded in 1991 that provides private domestic infant adoption services, birthparent counseling, homestudy assessments, and post-adoption support for Ohio families and adoptive families nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adoption and Family Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411), 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 industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Private adoption services
• Adoption counseling
• Birthparent support
• Adoption homestudy
• Domestic infant adoption

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

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, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Adoption Services Fees: Fees charged to adoptive families for the full-service adoption process, including application, homestudy, education, placement, and finalization services. The application fee is $250.00. Fees are spread throughout the adoption process for manageable payments.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Adoption Circle is a non-profit, state-licensed Ohio adoption agency that provides private adoption services across the full lifecycle of an adoption: birthparent counseling and 24/7 support, homestudy assessments for adoptive families, birthparent-to-adoptive-family matching, placement coordination, and post-placement supervision and finalization. It runs four core programs (Infant, Targeted/Identified, International, and Auxiliary) and serves adoptive and birth families primarily throughout Ohio with national reach.

Product overview

Adoption Circle is a non-profit, state-licensed Ohio adoption agency offering a comprehensive suite of adoption services. The organization provides four core adoption programs: Infant Adoption Program, Targeted/Identified Adoption Program, International Adoption Program, and Auxiliary Service Programs. These programs are supported by Birthparent Services (including 24/7 counseling, financial assistance, and medical expense coverage) and Adoptive Family Services (including training, homestudy, profile creation, and post-placement supervision). Additional support services include Adoption Homestudy Services, Post-Adoption Resources, Search and Reunite Services, and Adoption Education for New Families. The agency operates primarily in Ohio with offices in Columbus and Cleveland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Infant Adoption Program
• Targeted/Identified Adoption Program
• International Adoption Program Homestudy services and case coordination for families pursuing intercountry adoption, in compliance with applicable international adoption regulations.
• Birthparent Services Comprehensive, free support for expectant parents choosing adoption, including 24/7 counseling, financial assistance with living expenses, medical expense coverage, housing support, transportation, and maternity clothing — available throughout Ohio.
• Adoptive Family Services Full-service support for families hoping to adopt, including adoption training and education, homestudy services, parent profile creation, matching assistance, and post-placement supervision.
• Adoption Homestudy Services Standalone homestudy assessment including home evaluation, background checks, reference verification, and a written report compliant with Ohio requirements; available for domestic and international adoption cases.
• Auxiliary Adoption Services Additional adoption-related services including stepparent adoptions, post-placement supervisory visits, and birthparent assessments that complement a primary adoption program.

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of Ohio adoptive families and adoptive families nationwide have grown through adoption with Adoption Circle.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: Network of diocesan agencies providing pregnancy counseling, adoption services, and post-adoption support through affiliated offices. Comparable to Adoption Circle in service scope (adoption + counseling) and non-profit structure, though operating at far larger scale and with a faith-based identity.
• Gladney Center for Adoption: Larger, well-established Texas-based adoption agency offering domestic and international adoption, birthparent services, and post-adoption support. Comparable to Adoption Circle because it provides the same full-service infant adoption workflow, but at much greater scale and national reach.
• Holt International Children's Services: Established non-profit focused on international and domestic adoption, post-adoption services, and family support. Comparable to Adoption Circle because it offers homestudy, adoption placement, and post-adoption resources, but operates at substantially larger national/international scale.
• Bethany Christian Services: National faith-based non-profit offering domestic and international adoption, foster care, and pregnancy counseling across many U.S. states. Directly comparable to Adoption Circle as a licensed private child placement agency providing homestudy, birthparent matching, and post-placement services.

Others

• Children's Home & Aid: Non-profit providing child welfare, foster care, and adoption services across Illinois and surrounding states. Comparable to Adoption Circle as an adjacent social services non-profit working with birthparents and adoptive families, though its primary focus is broader child welfare beyond adoption.

Direct peers

• Cradle of Hope: Non-profit licensed adoption agency providing domestic infant adoption, birthparent support, and post-adoption services. Comparable to Adoption Circle as a smaller non-profit PCPA offering the same bundled adoption workflow with similar mission and fee structure.
• American Adoptions: One of the largest U.S. domestic infant adoption agencies, providing birthparent services, homestudy, and placement nationwide. Comparable to Adoption Circle as a full-service infant adoption agency serving both birthparents and adoptive families, though it operates at significantly larger scale.
• Nightlight Christian Adoptions: Non-profit licensed adoption agency offering domestic infant adoption, birthparent services, and homestudy services across multiple states. Directly comparable to Adoption Circle because both are mid-sized non-profit PCPAs focused on domestic infant placement with full birthparent support.
• Adoptions From The Heart: Non-profit licensed adoption agency providing domestic adoption, birthparent counseling, and home study services across the U.S. East Coast and Midwest. Closely comparable to Adoption Circle in service mix, non-profit structure, and target populations (birthparents and adoptive families).

Regional players

• Children's Home Society of California: California-based licensed adoption and family services non-profit offering pregnancy counseling, domestic adoption, and post-adoption support. Comparable to Adoption Circle in adoption service scope and non-profit structure, but operating primarily within California rather than Ohio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=bPzKMepljyA
• Xx.com/Adoption_Circle
• Facebookfacebook.com/AdoptionCircle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adoption-circle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Circle