About Our Agency
Like I've said before, the waiting is the hardest part. We're going on month 4 of being a waiting family. Everyone keeps asking us if we've had any updates and the answer is always no. The next update we get will be a potential match! When we get that, I'm sure people will know soon enough!
In the waiting, we have a lot of to think and prepare for our sweet bundle of joy's arrival! We've picked out a daycare, a name, and finalized the nursery. We've gotten the paperwork prepared at work and we have been learning about what to expect with a newborn (the consensus is that everyone is just winging it!). We also are continually praying for our future birth mother and baby. We appreciate all the continued prayers from our family and friends as well.
However, I wanted to give a bit more information about our adoption agency. Coley and I talked with 40+ agencies before choosing ours. We spoke to people from all over the country. I research different accreditations, types of adoptions, different agency processes, out of state information, etc. We had multiple phone calls and info packets to digest. We finally settled on Christian Adoption Services of Matthews, NC.
We chose this agency for a variety of reasons, but one of the major ones was that we felt safe with them. We went to the info session, spoke with families who adopted through them, researched the agency. CAS was the one that made us feel the most comfortable in a time when we were broken and defeated. We felt that our needs would be met as well as the needs of our future birth mother and baby. We knew that should a placement fail, we wouldn't be out the money we've already spent and have to start all over again. We would just go back on the list and wait for our forever match. We felt comfortable opening up to the agents and social workers as well as talking with the directors and president. All of these things led us to our decision and we definitely made the right choice.
I would like to tell you a little bit about our agency and why they were the best option for us.
CAS has been around since 1979. The agency is a non-profit, private adoption agency. They have matched over 2,000 families and placed children in loving, Christian homes. Generally, they operate in North Carolina but have recently expanded to South Carolina. They also do international adoptions. Our agency is Hague, IAAME and ECFA accredited, which means they are approved through various organizations as a quality agency. They are affiliated with a number of fellowships and alliances that work with adoptions. There are various requirements the agency has to meet to maintain these connections and CAS strives to be a safe, reliable choice for adoptions.
CAS, being a Christian agency, credits everything to God. Their mission is to "Build God’s Kingdom by connecting vulnerable children with Christian families." They feel that God has led them to this mission and will help them throughout the process. They strongly believe in God's plans and that each family is matched based on His plans. They run a ministry with the birth moms to bring them closer to Christ and help them cope with their loss that is associated with making an adoption plan. They do a lot of birth mom events, such as retreats, that are solely for the birth moms to connect with each other and build a strong relationship with God. We felt that their continued work with birth moms was a key factor in their agency and was one of the reasons we chose them.
Another thing CAS does is advocate for all children, adoptees or not. They advocate for orphans, foster children, and families. Pastor Kevin Qualls is the president of CAS and he is always traveling to speak at churches about CAS and adoption. He is a great advocate for the agency and the children they serve.
We have felt safe and welcomed throughout our entire process so far. We have had great connections with our social worker and adoption agent. We have met some great families through info sessions and trainings. We feel that we are a part of a wonderful mission and that we were led to CAS through God's hands. We are beyond grateful to have found such a wonderful, loving agency who will be by our side throughout our entire adoption process and our child's life.
If you would like to help CAS with their mission, you can donate to the agency through this link.
You can also donate to CAS through United Way if your employer works with them. Just designate your donation to Christian Adoption Services.
For more information about CAS and their mission, you can visit their website or call the agency! Anyone there will be happy to speak with you about their agency, process, or anything else you may need. If you know someone who is wanting to make an adoption plan for their child, the website has a list of the waiting families and a hotline for women to call and speak with an agent. The information for the agency is below!
In the waiting, we have a lot of to think and prepare for our sweet bundle of joy's arrival! We've picked out a daycare, a name, and finalized the nursery. We've gotten the paperwork prepared at work and we have been learning about what to expect with a newborn (the consensus is that everyone is just winging it!). We also are continually praying for our future birth mother and baby. We appreciate all the continued prayers from our family and friends as well.
However, I wanted to give a bit more information about our adoption agency. Coley and I talked with 40+ agencies before choosing ours. We spoke to people from all over the country. I research different accreditations, types of adoptions, different agency processes, out of state information, etc. We had multiple phone calls and info packets to digest. We finally settled on Christian Adoption Services of Matthews, NC.
We chose this agency for a variety of reasons, but one of the major ones was that we felt safe with them. We went to the info session, spoke with families who adopted through them, researched the agency. CAS was the one that made us feel the most comfortable in a time when we were broken and defeated. We felt that our needs would be met as well as the needs of our future birth mother and baby. We knew that should a placement fail, we wouldn't be out the money we've already spent and have to start all over again. We would just go back on the list and wait for our forever match. We felt comfortable opening up to the agents and social workers as well as talking with the directors and president. All of these things led us to our decision and we definitely made the right choice.
I would like to tell you a little bit about our agency and why they were the best option for us.
CAS has been around since 1979. The agency is a non-profit, private adoption agency. They have matched over 2,000 families and placed children in loving, Christian homes. Generally, they operate in North Carolina but have recently expanded to South Carolina. They also do international adoptions. Our agency is Hague, IAAME and ECFA accredited, which means they are approved through various organizations as a quality agency. They are affiliated with a number of fellowships and alliances that work with adoptions. There are various requirements the agency has to meet to maintain these connections and CAS strives to be a safe, reliable choice for adoptions.
CAS, being a Christian agency, credits everything to God. Their mission is to "Build God’s Kingdom by connecting vulnerable children with Christian families." They feel that God has led them to this mission and will help them throughout the process. They strongly believe in God's plans and that each family is matched based on His plans. They run a ministry with the birth moms to bring them closer to Christ and help them cope with their loss that is associated with making an adoption plan. They do a lot of birth mom events, such as retreats, that are solely for the birth moms to connect with each other and build a strong relationship with God. We felt that their continued work with birth moms was a key factor in their agency and was one of the reasons we chose them.
Another thing CAS does is advocate for all children, adoptees or not. They advocate for orphans, foster children, and families. Pastor Kevin Qualls is the president of CAS and he is always traveling to speak at churches about CAS and adoption. He is a great advocate for the agency and the children they serve.
We have felt safe and welcomed throughout our entire process so far. We have had great connections with our social worker and adoption agent. We have met some great families through info sessions and trainings. We feel that we are a part of a wonderful mission and that we were led to CAS through God's hands. We are beyond grateful to have found such a wonderful, loving agency who will be by our side throughout our entire adoption process and our child's life.
If you would like to help CAS with their mission, you can donate to the agency through this link.
You can also donate to CAS through United Way if your employer works with them. Just designate your donation to Christian Adoption Services.
For more information about CAS and their mission, you can visit their website or call the agency! Anyone there will be happy to speak with you about their agency, process, or anything else you may need. If you know someone who is wanting to make an adoption plan for their child, the website has a list of the waiting families and a hotline for women to call and speak with an agent. The information for the agency is below!
Christian Adoption Services,
624-100 Matthews-Mint Hill Rd,
Matthews, NC 28105
704-847-0038
www.christianadopt.org
If anyone has any questions for Coley and I, we are also happy to talk about our experience and process with Christian Adoption Services. Many people know I'm an open book, so ask away! :)
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