The Christian Adoption Process in North Carolina: A Step-by-Step Guide for Hopeful Adoptive Families
- bchfamily
- 3 hours ago
- 6 min read
Adoption is one of the most profound decisions a family can make — and one of the most misunderstood. Hopeful adoptive parents often come to us with a powerful mix of deep desire and deep uncertainty. They sense God is calling them toward adoption. They’re just not sure what that road actually looks like.
At Christian Adoption Services (CAS) — the adoption ministry of Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina (BCH) — we’ve walked alongside families on this journey since 1979. For nearly 50 years, we’ve helped build forever families across North Carolina and South Carolina, and we want to give you an honest, clear picture of what the Christian adoption process in North Carolina actually involves from start to finish.
Who We Are: CAS, a Ministry of Baptist Children’s Homes of NC
Before we walk through the steps, it helps to understand who we are. Christian Adoption Services is a Christ-centered, full-service adoption agency licensed in both North Carolina and South Carolina. We are a ministry of Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina, which means our adoption work flows out of BCH’s broader, decades-long calling to care for children and families.
Our specialty is domestic infant adoption, though we also offer home study services and partner with BCH for foster care and foster-to-adopt opportunities. Every family who adopts through CAS becomes part of the larger CAS family — supported, prayed for, and connected long after placement day.
The Domestic Adoption Process at CAS: Step by Step
Step 1: Make Your First Contact
Every adoption journey begins with a conversation. The first step is simply to call our office at 704-847-0038 or fill out our adoptive family contact form. You don’t have to be certain — you just have to be curious. Our team will tell you more about our program, answer initial questions, and help you discern whether CAS is the right fit for your family.
Step 2: Attend a Virtual Interest Meeting
Once we’ve connected, we’ll add you to the waitlist for an upcoming virtual interest meeting. These sessions are held a few times a year and are required before you can move forward in the application process. Invitation to the interest meetings is based on space and the needs of the domestic program. Interest meetings are low-pressure and welcoming — a place to learn how CAS works, ask honest questions, and prayerfully consider next steps.
Step 3: Apply Through Eadopt (Step One)
If you decide to move forward, you’ll begin the formal application through Eadopt, our secure online portal. The first step of the application includes:
Family profile and biographical information
Your motivation to adopt
Health and financial information
A statement of faith
A “Preferences of a Child” guide that helps us understand what you’re open to
Initial training requirements covering transracial adoption, prenatal exposure, and openness
This step is designed to help you reflect deeply on what God is calling you toward — not just to gather paperwork.
Step 4: Internal Review and Decision
After step one of your application is complete, our internal review team evaluates your family profile, preferences, and our agency’s current capacity. You’ll receive one of three decisions:
Approved to move to step two
Hold status (often related to capacity or finances)
Not accepted to move forward at this time
We aim to be honest and compassionate with every decision. Our goal is to set families up for long-term success — not to push people through a process they aren’t ready for.
Step 5: Complete Your Home Study (Pre-Placement Assessment)
The home study, also called a pre-placement assessment, is a formal evaluation conducted by a qualified social worker, including but not limited to: interviews with everyone in your household, a walk-through of your home, background checks, health screenings, and reference checks.
The purpose of the home study is not to find reasons to disqualify you — it’s to help ensure children are placed in safe, stable, nurturing homes and that families are well-prepared for what lies ahead.
Step 6: Complete Required Training
CAS requires education throughout the application and home study process, including:
Online classes through Adoption Learning Partners (minimum of four)
An infant CPR class (both spouses) through the Red Cross or a community partner
A two-day in-person training workshop held throughout the year, covering topics such as preparation for the adoption process, matching and meeting with expectant parents, transracial adoption, attachment parenting, prenatal substance exposure, and more
Many families tell us this training was one of the most transformative parts of their journey — preparing them not just for adoption, but for deeper compassion in every area of parenting.
Step 7: Build Your Profile Album
While you’re completing your home study (or just after), we will help you create a profile album and online adoption profile. These digital albums are typically shown to expectant mothers around their seventh month of pregnancy as they prayerfully choose a family for their child.
Step 8: Become a Waiting Family
Once your home study is approved, you are officially admitted as a waiting family with CAS. Your profile is added to our Waiting Adoptive Families page, and you’re invited into our online community of waiting and adoptive CAS families.
A note on timing: Since 2016, the average wait time for placement at CAS has been about 7 months after home study approval. Wait times vary based on your openness to factors like race, gender, and prenatal exposure, but because we intentionally limit the number of families in our domestic program, our waiting period is shorter than many agencies.
Step 9: Referral, Placement, and Post-Placement Support
When an expectant mother chooses your family, our adoption coordinator will notify you with a referral for placement. Our team walks beside you through every step — meeting the expectant parents, navigating the hospital experience, and signing the paperwork.
After placement, we will conduct post-placement visits that help you understand what to expect after placement and lead toward finalization in court. We also ask families to:
Send updates through Eadopt per the agency agreement
Maintain agreed-upon communication with the child’s birth parents (we help mediate this)
Stay connected through our annual family picnics, retreats, and online support community
Adoption finalization typically happens in court several months after placement — a deeply joyful day when your child becomes legally and forever part of your family.
Do You Qualify to Adopt Through CAS?
To adopt through our domestic program, families must meet these basic requirements:
Married for at least two years
At least 25 years of age
In good physical and emotional health
No unresolved or major criminal history
Believers in the basic tenets of the Christian faith
A Word About Faith
At Christian Adoption Services, we believe adoption is one of the most powerful pictures of the gospel. Just as God has adopted us into His family through Jesus Christ, adoptive families extend that same grace — choosing to love a child not because of what they bring, but simply because of who they are.
Our hope for every child placed through CAS is that they grow up in a Christian home where they are loved immensely, cared for, protected, honored for who they are and where they came from — and ultimately come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
We consider it one of our highest privileges to walk beside hopeful adoptive families on this journey. If God has placed adoption on your heart, we’d love to hear from you.
Ready to Take the First Step?
If you’re ready to learn more about adopting through CAS, call us at 704-847-0038 or fill out our adoptive family contact form. For more on the journey ahead, explore our Domestic Adoption Program, FAQs, and training requirements.
Whatever stage you’re in — quietly considering, actively praying, or ready to apply — we’re here to help.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the adoption process take with CAS?
From application to placement, most families complete the process within 12–18 months. Since 2016, the average wait time for placement after home study approval has been about 7 months. However, if preferences are limited, placement may take longer.
Do you work with families outside of North Carolina?
At this time, our domestic program only places with families living in North Carolina and South Carolina.
What ages of children does CAS place?
Our domestic program specializes in infant and newborn adoption, though we occasionally place older children as well.
Is open adoption required?
All CAS adoptive families are trained on the benefits of openness, and we ask families to come into the process with an open heart. The level of openness is determined case-by-case based on the birth family’s preferences; however, adoptive families must be open to having an open adoption.
What does adoption through CAS cost?
Costs vary based on the program and services involved. Call 704-847-0038 for detailed information, and explore our scholarships and grants page for funding resources.
