Independent & Relative Adoption

Independent & Relative Adoption

Lutheran Social Services provides home studies and other services for adoptive and birthparents who become matched on their own without the help of an agency. The States of Wisconsin and Michigan requires that the adoptive family be studied and approved by a licensed adoption agency.

• Lutheran Social Services is licensed by the state to provide families with adoptive home studies.
• A home study explores the family's background, and educates them about adoption issues and the process of independent adoption.
• LSS adheres to the legal process required by the States of Wisconsin and Michigan.
• LSS can provide services for the birthparents, helping them explore their options, prepare for the process and cope with their grief and loss.
• In Wisconsin, the baby can go home with the birthmother or be placed in bridge care. In Michigan, the baby goes home with the adoptive family directly from the hospital.
• LSS has licensed foster homes available, if one is needed. The adoptive family is required to pay the daily foster care rate.
• Option of utilizing parentprofiles.com with reduced rate through LSS.
• LSS follows state laws from termination of the birthparents' parental rights and until the adoption is finalized.
• Please note: All relative adoptions will be evaluated individually to assess the adoption classification.

• For the purpose of adoption, the State of Wisconsin's definition of "relative" requires that the relationship with the child be that of a biological grandparent, brother, sister, aunt or uncle.  Relative also includes grandparent, great grandparent, step brother/ sister, half-brother / sister, brother / sister-in-law, second cousin, step uncle/aunt or any person of a preceding generation as denoted by the prefix grand, great, or a spouse of any person named.

• LSS further supports its commitment to children with these accreditation and memberships:
             Hague Accreditation  
             COAAccreditation  
             JCICS Member (Joint Council on International Children's Services)  
             CWLAMember (Child Welfare League of America)

For more information please click here.