Our Members
| Adoption Assistance, Inc. |
5006 Stonewood Drive |
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Adoption Assistance, Inc.
is a non-profit, licensed Tennessee adoption agency
that is dedicated to assisting families with the
adoption process, including assistance with
immigration, certifications, and guidance on dossier
preparation. Adoption Assistance offers home studies
for international, domestic, and independent
adoptions.
Founded and directed by adoptive parents, Adoption Assistance, Inc. provides services in a professional, efficient, and affordable manner. Julie Erwin is the founder and Executive Director of Adoption Assistance, Inc. She and her husband Bill, an attorney, are the parents of five internationally adopted children; Will, age 9 born in Korea, Kate, age 7, born in Guatemala, twins Nick and Clay, age 5, also born in Guatemala and Lauren age 2 born in Taiwan. |
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| Adoption Connection |
801 Percy Warner Blvd. Ste. 103 Nashville, TN 37205 615-354-1664 www.jfsnashville.org or teri@jfsnashville.org |
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| Adoption Connection of Jewish Family Service of Nashville operates under the license of Adoption Connection of Jewish Family Service of Memphis to provide a full range of services to birthparents, prospective adoptive individuals and couples, and adoptees. Both are private, nonprofit agencies that offer services to their respective communities, regardless of religious affiliation. Adoption services include counseling and assistance to birthparents and prospective adoptive parents, domestic and international home studies, as well as post-placement services. | ||||||
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 AGAPE, Inc. |
4555 Trousdale Dr. Nashville, TN 37204 615-781-3000 www.agapenashville.org or jrister@agapenashville.org |
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| AGAPE is a nonprofit social services agency founded in 1966 by a group of elders and ministers from local Churches of Christ. Its purpose was, and is, to provide Christian-based social services to children and families in crisis, including foster care to over 50 children each month, pregnancy counseling, mental health services, and adoption services. AGAPE is licensed by the State of Tennessee as a child placing agency, and provides foster care services to children in State custody and special needs children in State custody through the Department of Children’s Services. | ||||||
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 America WorldAdoption Association |
256 Seaboard Lane G 101 Franklin, TN 37067 615-778-0087 www.awaa.org or tennessee@awaa.org |
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| America World Adoption Association is a Christian-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families adopt children from around the world. We currently have programs in China, Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, Ethiopia, El Salvador and Kazakhstan. Our organization is run with the adoptive family at heart. America World values the right of every child to have a family and believes adoption is a God ordained way to build a family. America World is also devoted to actively supporting orphan awareness ministries and hopes to spread the spirit of adoption within the Christian community. | ||||||
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| Caring Choices of Catholic Charities of Tennessee |
30 White Bridge Rd., Nashville, TN 37205 615-352-3087 715 Franklin, Clarksville, TN 37040 931-645-9969 www.cctenn.org or dthomas1@cctenn.org |
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| Caring Choices of Catholic Charities is a licensed child-placing agency by the State of Tennessee. They provide services to those experiencing an unplanned pregnancy with supportive professional counseling. In addition, they provide services to families wishing to adopt by providing both domestic and international home studies. The agency has regular information meetings for families beginning the adoption process and support groups for families that are awaiting adoptive placement. They also offer support groups for families that have adopted through international and domestic adoption. Caring Choices now provides post adoption counseling to families that have adopted children. ASAP (Adoption Support and Prevention) is a statewide program of which Caring Choices provides services to the Middle Tennessee Area. | ||||||
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| Lisa L. Collins, Esq. |
One American Center 3100 West End Ave, Suite 1210 Nashville, TN 37203 (615) 269-5540 www.tnadoption.com or lcollins@tnadoption.com |
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| Ms. Collins is an attorney in Nashville and devotes her law practice to adoption law and alternative reproductive technology law. Ms. Collins’ adoption practice includes representing adoptive parents, birth parents, and adoption agencies in their adoption needs, including domestic private and agency adoptions, related person adoptions, international adoptions, interstate adoptions, contested adoptions, termination actions in juvenile court and surrogacy. She is a member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys and sits on their Board of Trustees. | ||||||
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| Mary Cooper | proudmeme2@aol.com | |||||
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| Rose Harris | ||||||
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 Grace Pregnancy Resource Center |
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Welshwood Nashville, Tennessee 37211 P.O. Box 110308 Nashville, Tennessee 37222 (615) 331-8958 jrowland@prcnashville.org |
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| The Grace Pregnancy Resource Center provides support services for women in the areas of pregnancy tests, confidential counseling, education and agency referrals. Grace Pregnancy Resource Center is a beneficiary of the State of Tennessee’s Choose Life specialty license plate. Proceeds from this popular new plate benefit social service providers throughout Tennessee who offer tangible support and assistance to women and families facing difficult or unexpected pregnancies. Buy your plate at your local county clerk office (wherever you renew auto registration tags) and raise awareness of the benefits of choosing life today. | ||||||
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| Heaven Sent Children |
307 North Walnut Street Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37130 (615) 898-0103 emily@heavensentchildren.com |
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15328 Old Hickory Blvd. Nashville, TN 37211 615-831-6987 www.mercyministries.com or info@mercyministries.com |
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| Mercy Ministries of America, founded by Nancy Alcorn in Monroe, Louisiana in 1983, is an international, nonprofit outreach ministry for troubled girls and unwed mothers. The ministry provides a loving environment where mercy triumphs over judgment, and broken lives are lovingly put back together and restored by the immeasurable power of our awesome Lord. Mercy Ministries counsels each expectant mother and allows her to make her own choice about parenting or placing her baby for adoption. Mercy Ministries is licensed by Tennessee and Louisiana as a child-placing agency. | ||||||
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522 Russell St. Nashville, TN 37206 615-292-3500 www.miriamspromise.org or info@miriamspromise.org |
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| Miriam's Promise is the only nonprofit mainline Protestant agency providing both compassionate pregnancy counseling and adoption services in Middle Tennessee. Pregnancy counseling services focus on decision making, coping with grief and loss, and evaluating options such as parenting or adoption. Miriam's Promise offers domestic, international, and special needs adoptions, and home studies and counseling for independent placements. The agency sponsors meetings for adoptive families, waiting parent groups, a birthparent support group, the Elizabeth Project (an educational group designed for young parenting adults) and many other annual events celebrating all members of the adoption triad. | ||||||
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| Mom’s Alive |
216 Oakdale Drive White House, TN 37188 615-672-3011 www.momsalive.org or momsalive@yahoo.com |
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| Moms ALIVE (Adoptive Life Is Very Exciting) is a network of adoptive parents who meet on the 2nd Monday of each month in Donelson, TN. Moms ALIVE offers support to Middle-TN adoptive families as well as raising adoption awareness in the local community. Every other month, Moms ALIVE meetings feature a speaker. Moms ALIVE also has activities throughout the year for adoptive families and their children. Moms ALIVE members are from all aspects of adoption: domestic, closed/open, international, transracial, foster. | ||||||
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| Nashville Birth Parent Support Group |
522 Russell Street Nashville, TN 37206 615-292-3500 www.NashvilleBirthParents.com or nashvillebirthparents@yahoo.com |
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| The Nashville Birth Parent Support Group offers acceptance and understanding to birth parents throught the different stages of the adoption process - from expecting to placement to post-placement. Led by birth parents, the group provides a safe community for birth mothers and birth fathers to share their experiences and get the support and encouragement that they need. NBPSG is sponsored and supported by Catholic Charities and Miriams Promise, two Nashville-area adoption agencies. The group meets on the second Tuesday of every month from 6-8 p.m. at Tulip Street Methodist Church, 522 Russell Street, Nashville, TN 37206. | ||||||
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 Nashville Right to Life |
4802 Charlotte Ave. Nashville, TN 37209-3412 615-298-5433 www.tnrtl.org or info@tnrtl.org |
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| Nashville Right to Life was organized in September 1992, out of a desire to effect positive social change that affirms the sanctity of human life. Their mission is twofold: providing our community with accurate information and educational resources regarding the life issues of abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia; providing and promoting direct assistance to women and families facing unexpected pregnancies. An affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee in Washington, D.C., Nashville Right to Life focuses its energies on educational, legislative, and benevolent means to achieve legal protection for the unborn. They offer all levels of support to those who find themselves pregnant and frightened or alone, from providing clothing and baby items to more extensive emotional and financial support. | ||||||
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| RESOLVE of Nashville |
www.resolveofnashville.org 615-364-1873 resolvenashville@gmail.com or www.resolve.org |
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| Founded in 1974, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association is the oldest and largest consumer-based, nonprofit group that provides education, advocacy and compassionate support for those struggling with infertility in the United States. Each year, RESOLVE and its network of more than 40 affiliates across the country handle more than 1.5 million contacts from people seeking information and help. The Nashville affiliate of RESOLVE offers educational programs, including topics related to adoption, as well as support groups. | ||||||
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| Tennessee Department of Children's Services |
436 6th Ave. North Nashville, TN 37219 1-877-DCS-KIDS sarah.ballard@state.tn.us |
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The Tennessee Department of Childrens Services was created in 1996 by legislation that combined elements of several state departments that had been servicing childrens needs.Services provided by DCS include child protective services, foster care, adoption, programs for delinquent youth, probation/aftercare, and treatment and rehabilitation programs for identified youth. Governor Phil Bredesen appointed Dr. Viola P. Miller in January 2004 as the commissioner for the department.
ADOPTION
There are more than 800 children in the guardianship of the State of Tennessee; residing in foster homes, group homes or other residential settings. They are waiting for families to offer them a permanent home. Some biological parents may make the adoption plan for their child; other childrens parental rights have been terminated due to abuse, neglect or the inability to provide adequate care. Some of the children have extra physical, emotion or educational needs. Most children range from early school age to teenage years; some have one or more siblings and there are all ages of African-American and mixed race children waiting of an adoptive family. Many of these children have been waiting for years for someone to want them, show them the love they need and deserve, and give them a sense of belonging. www.tn.state.us/youth/adoption/index.htm |
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| Robert D. Tuke, Esq. |
Trauger & Tuke 222 Fourth Avenue North Nashville, TN 37219 615-256-8585 rtuke@tntlaw.net |
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| Youth Villages |
3310 Perimeter Hill Dr., Nashville, TN 37211 Nashville, TN 37211 615-250-7200 www.youthvillages.org or barbara.grunow@youthvillages.org |
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| Youth Villages is a private non-profit organization with services provided state-wide and also in Mississippi, Alabama , Arkansas, and Texas. In Middle TN more than 2,000 children and their families are served each year through a full continuum of care made up of intensive in-home-based counseling, therapeutic foster care, adoption services, residential treatment (including acute intensive treatment), community-based programs, independent living, and emergency psychiatric services. Youth Villages’’ commitment to helping troubled children and their families spans some 20 years and focuses on the child with more serious challenges. | ||||||
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| Ned Williams, Esq. |
7101 Executive Center Drive, Suite 100 Brentwood, TN 37027 (615) 469-7743 www.nedwilliams.net or ned.williams.esq@comcast.net |
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