CDSS Adoption Regional Offices

The California Department of Social Services' (CDSS) Adoption Services Branch (ASB) facilitates adoption of children who need permanent homes by providing direct Agency and Independent adoption services through six regional offices located throughout the State.  All six offices provide Independent services and four of the offices also provide Agency services.  Collectively, the six regional offices operate the third largest adoption agency in California.

The ASB provides Agency services for 18 counties in California.  The services focus exclusively on the placement of court dependent children, the majority of whom have special needs.

In an "Agency Adoption," the child is placed for adoption by the CDSS or a licensed county or private adoption agency.  A birth parent's parental rights are terminated either by court action or voluntarily relinquishing their parental rights.  The adoption agency is responsible for the adoptive planning of the child until the completion of the adoption.

The ASB also provides Independent services for 55 counties.  Independent or private adoptions are private transactions initiated by the parties of the adoption.

In an "Independent Adoption," it is the birth parent's decision and responsibility to select the adoptive parent(s) and to place the child directly with the adoptive family.

Parents who wish to place children for adoption and people who want to adopt can get information and assistance from the CDSS and/or licensed public and private adoption agencies.

Regional Offices and Counties Served

Arcata (Eureka): Del Norte, Humboldt, and Trinity (Humboldt: Independent services)

Chico: Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Sierra, Siskiyou and Sutter (Butte, Plumas, Shasta, Tehama, and Yuba: Independent services only)

Fresno: Mono and San Benito (Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Tuolumne, and Tulare: Independent services only)

Monterey Park (Los Angeles): (Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura: Independent services only)

Oakland: Mendocino (Contra Costa, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, and Stanislaus: Independent services only)

Sacramento: Amador, Lake, Yuba, and Yolo (Alpine, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lake, Placer, Sacramento, and Sutter: Independent services only)

(Alameda, Los Angeles, and San Diego: county child welfare service agencies provide both Agency and Independent services)