A Step Ahead Adoption guides you every step of the way in the process of adding to your family. Our consultants have all walked a mile in your shoes as adoptive parents themselves. We know how to make sense of it all by answering all your questions, and providing support in numerous ways. We believe adoptions should be a pleasant experience and the beginning of many great memories as you begin your journey. A Step Ahead Adoption was created from experience to facilitate the education of adoptive parents.

Our clients are regular people who have decided to share their lives with a child via adoption. That decision is easy, it comes from the heart. The hard part is navigating through information and connecting the endless sea of dots. Some have started the process on their own and hit a wall. Others have just made the decision and want to learn terminology, and where to begin.

We offer a freeΒ information packetΒ to help start your journey on the right foot. Once you decide to sign up for our services we give you video guidance, phone/email support, we are adding classes, workshops to our site, and so much more.

I am so happy to share our story with you. I was just telling my husband that I wish everyone considering adoption knew how different it is now compared to the old stereotypes I had in my mind.

My first piece of advice is…don’t try to do it w/oΒ Step Ahead. It is overwhelming enough. Having them keep us organized, guiding us through it, kept my sanity intact. Teri Heidemann is a super hero to my husband and I. We always knew, and still do, that whatever happens with the adoption she will be there to say β€˜It’s OK, here’s what we need to do”.

Our adoption is almost final now. We are just waiting on a court date in NC. We first spoke with Teri last April. She came to our home and explained how things worked. By May we had found a way to fund the adoption and called Teri back to get started. She told us everything we needed to do & how to do it. We started our home study in July and had the official home study report by August 1st. While we were going through our home study process I was also working on our family profile (Teri showed us examples of these and gave us a guide as to what to include). So, by the time our home study was finished our profile was ready to go out to potential birth moms. We were very lucky. We got a call around the middle of August about a birth mom and sent our profile to her on a Monday. By Thursday of that week we had a match. The birth mom had selected us!

From there things seemed to go very fast. In September we took a trip to Ohio to visit our birth mom, meet her other children and go with her to the ultrasound. We found out together that we were having a baby boy! Her due date was 1/1/07, but Nathan wanted to get here a little quicker.Β We got the call to get there on December 6th and we were holding him by December 7th. We got there in time to be with the birth mom during his birth! Nathan left the hospital with us and we were home in time for his first Christmas. A year ago I thought it could take years and years to have the family we dreamed of, but with Teri’s help, one year later we are getting our son’s first portraits done and are not able to walk through our house w/o stepping on a toy!Β I wish you all the luck in the world and hope that by this time next year you are covered in drool : ) If you have any questions I am here! Good luck

Laura Greene

North Carolina

We have nothing but great things to say about A Step Ahead Adoption Services. We really debated about whether we needed them or whether we could do it on our own. Now, looking back, there is no way we would have our beautiful little baby in such a short amount of time (7 months) if we had not hired ASA. They were helpful in so many ways: (1) Helping us get organized and moving (2) Recommending agencies (3) Presenting adoption cases to us and keeping us updated on cases when the agencies were too busy to call us (4) Supporting us through a failed adoption by providing us with names of others who had experienced failed adoptions and (5) Supporting us through placement and helped us jump over the β€œbumps in the road”. We cannot say enough. We often say that hiring A Step Ahead was the best money we spent. We told Diane and crew that we really felt by the end of the process, they did not charge nearly enough for all the services they provided. We truly believe we got a bargain!

Adam & Teresa

South Carolina

From our Facebook Feed

We welcome our newest little leprechaun who was born in FL and will be growing up with a fabulous WI family. This is baby #5 for the alumni family and we are "over the rainbow" that they found their precious son. A big THANK YOU to a consultant friend who referred the expectant mom case our way!!! It is the best when your colleagues are your friends and we all work together for a happy ending/beginning πŸ€πŸ€πŸ€πŸ€πŸ€ ... See MoreSee Less
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Sending big love to a New Mexico family who were just selected by an expectant mom with an AZ agency. They have been working with the AZ agency a short while and were chosen this week! ... See MoreSee Less
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We treasure these lovely "thanks yous" from our dear client families. ASA client families are WONDERFUL!!πŸ’™πŸ’™πŸ’™πŸ’™πŸ’™πŸ’™πŸ’™πŸ’™πŸ’™πŸ’™We just wanted to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything you've done for us and helping us become a family with our sweet little boy. Working with you and A Step Ahead was such a wonderful experience. After all our various dealings with social workers and adoption agents, who are absolutely wonderful people, but tend to march to the beat of their own drum and timeline πŸ˜†, your directness, promptness, and professionalism were a breath of fresh air! We will absolutely recommend A Step Ahead to anyone who is considering adoption. And though we have not started thinking about the future yet or made any future plans, maybe don't be shocked if you hear from us again πŸ™‚ ... See MoreSee Less
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A patient WI family was chosen by a dear expectant mom from the Sunflower State and will be traveling to KS this summer for the birth & placement. Congratulations, we are delighted for this family! ... See MoreSee Less
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This graphic says it all! One WI family is "over the rainbow" that they may be celebrating Saint Patrick's Day with a new little man in their family. Matched today with an expectant mom in FL due any day! They are alumni to ASA and have patiently waited almost 2 1/2 years for baby #5 to find them. But there is more ... we at ASA enjoy colleagial working relationships with a few adoption consulting groups (friendly competitors). When one of us does not have a family to meet an expectant parents' preferences, we share these opportunities with each other! Today, we give a big shout out of THANK YOU to one of our consultant friends for thinking of our long-waiting client families. It truly takes a village and we love having supportive friends in adoption. ... See MoreSee Less
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We are always so excited to hear from our former client families ... our alumni ... here is a sweet shout-out from a fantastic Alaska family who adopted their daughter in Florida, They are loving life and keeping in constant touch with their daughter's birth mother....Sharing so y'all can celebrate this joy with us!"Diane & Nancy, we just want to say thank you again and to let you know that we've thought of you both and are so thankful for your services. I ALWAYS tell anyone I speak adoption with, to consider a consultant and specifically, ASA. We truly believe that hiring ASA is the only reason we are celebrating life with our amazing monkey by our side. " ... See MoreSee Less
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In less than 5 months, a sweet family from Maine traveled to MA for the adoption of their precious baby girl. Home and enjoying their snuggles and cuddles πŸ˜‰ ... See MoreSee Less
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Fingers crossed, prayers lifted and our hopes are soaring for an incredibly patient MN family chosen by an expectant mom in FL with a baby due next month!! ... See MoreSee Less
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An Iowa family is making double preparations for their precious twins due this summer in CO!! Our great clients are hoping to develop a great realtionship over the next few months and will enjoy spending time with the babies’ mom in the months to come πŸ‘£πŸ‘£ ... See MoreSee Less
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WOW ... that was a quick turnaround ... joined in later Oct. 2022, matched the next month, parents yesterday!! A darling TN family just took placemet of their newborn son in FL. Less than 4 months from joining to placement ... hoooray!!!! ... See MoreSee Less
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What a precious family and we are so honored to have helped them bring a 3rd girl into their nest. They paitently waited for their baby to find them and never gave up. Joining ASA in 2021 and just now becoming parents! Patience is definitely a virtueπŸ’—Baby girl was born in KS and waiting with her parents to travel to her home in SC! ... See MoreSee Less
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Another AZ-born baby girl is being loved on by her grateful parents from LA. This family joined ASA in November 2022 and on their first profile showing were chosen! Not to mention a big sis ready to welcome her home. "Let the good times roll!" ... See MoreSee Less
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What did one thrilled VT family do on Valentine's Day? Celebrated the birth of their daughter in AZ. Placed, happy and full of love πŸ’—We share our heart-felt Congratulations! ... See MoreSee Less
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Sharing that Valentine’s Day love … a wonderful client family enjoying their first hike with their new baby boy πŸ‘¦ ... See MoreSee Less
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Home, home on the range! We are so tickled that this precious boy , who was born in FL, and arrived just in time to celebrate Valentine's Day with his parents from MT...also an "alumni" family! He will be growing up enjoying the big outdoors of the West with a big brother who came home with the help of ASA in 2019. How sweet it is πŸ™‚ ... See MoreSee Less
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It will be a busy few days for four ASA families .. in the air, on the road, and traveling all over the country. We are looking forward to sharing their news next week! ... See MoreSee Less
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Two dads from NC have a new love in their life!! Their precious daughter arrived on time in FL and full of charm πŸ’—We are beyond thrilled for our newest family of 3. ... See MoreSee Less
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Love abounds for this SD family of 5!!! They endured two disrupted adoptions and then the perfect Prince landed in their laps πŸ˜‰ What a special Valentine's Day they will have, home and finalized. Blessings to all πŸ’™ ... See MoreSee Less
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BIG LOVE for another "alumni" family from OR who were just chosen by a birth mom in CO to take placement of her toddler boy. We are delighted for these two dads who have a daughter and now will be bringing a son into their home. ... See MoreSee Less
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They are back for baby #2 and were chosen by an expectant mom on their first profile submission! So delighted for our alumni family from WI. Congratuations πŸ™‚ ... See MoreSee Less
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So delighted for an "instant" family of 4. One of our sweet childless couples in MA were chosen by an expectant mom in TX earlier this month their baby girl was born. Close to that baby's birth, they were contacted by their home study provider about a quick placement of a 1-year old in their home state. Voila' ... two children in less than one month are in their forever home in MA. Big love to them all πŸ’—πŸ’— ... See MoreSee Less
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Two dads from Rhode Island are basking in the sun and in love with their baby boy! What a lovely way to begin the new year. Congrats to the new family of 3 πŸ™‚ ... See MoreSee Less
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Congratulations to a childless couple from MO who were chosen by an expectant mom in FL. They have accepted the "match" and their baby will be due in early May! What a great time to visit and stay in the Sunshine State. ... See MoreSee Less
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