Testimonials

To begin at the end, we have now been proud parents of our adopted son for nine months. We are so thankful we met Steffany Aye from Adoption & Beyond for helping to make this dream come true. Steffany, who is exceptionally well-connected and has an excellent reputation nationally, had reached out to our adoption consultant because she was working with a birth mother who wanted to place her baby with a family from our state. We flew down to meet the birth mom about a month before the child was born and Steffany did a superb preparing for and facilitating that encounter. Steffany’s expertise, attention to detail, and kind understanding made our adoption journey comfortable and smooth. It’s clear that she understands how foreign this process can be for some and was always available to provide answers, information, and assistance. Our adoption took place during the beginning of the Covid outbreak so there were added complications and planning issues but Ms. Aye was persistent in communicating with the hospital and managing the changing policies brought about by a local rise in cases. It was because of her that we were able to be in the hospital for the birth and it was because of her that our son was able to spend his first moments with us. We were also impressed with the importance Steffany placed on tending to the birth mother’s needs before, during, and after the birth. It was important to us that the focus be on her during what was an unplanned and potentially trying time in her life. Steffany obviously knows what she is doing and continuously stayed in contact with the birth mom to guarantee she had everything she needed. Overall, we could not have asked for more from Steffany and Adoption & Beyond and would unreservedly recommend them to anyone.

How can I possibly write a good enough review to express how Adoption and Beyond helped us receive our greatest happiness?

Stephanie and her team were “beyond” helpful in facilitating our adoption. We did match privately, but A&B helped us be home study ready and guided us throughout every step of the process. Even as questions come up over a year later, we can always reach out and trust they will help us.

We met with several agencies before choosing to start with Adoption and Beyond and they were the clear winner, even over larger, national organizations. Everything from transparent cost with each fee, to be realistic about the time and effort involved. If we ever chose to adopt again, we would not hesitate to work with Adoption and Beyond again.

I’ve also had a couple people reach out to me wanting to know more about adoption. One is just starting to think about adoption, the other seems more serious moving forward. I’ve recommended Adoption & Beyond to both of them. We had such a wonderful experience working with you!

The support and education that is provided by Adoption and Beyond with the newsletters, videos, guides, blog posts, and email responses to questions has fostered a healthy environment for us to feel comfortable with continuous education about adoption, Ken and I feel that we are continuously learning more information week by week as we move along in our home study process.

It’s been 3 years since our sweet Layla was born. I don’t think I ever got to properly put into words how much you all helped us become parents…  We have been using these past 3 years to form an amazing relationship with Layla’s birth mom… and I am so thankful we were chosen to be Layla’s parents… I’m excited and hopeful our relationship will continue to flourish but what I’m most thankful is that our sweet daughter has just more people in her life that truly love her and can explain more about her background when it comes to genetics!  

Thank you all for everything you do and everything you have done for us!

Thank you for all of your support, Shawna! It was a pleasure working with you. Your organization, clear communication, and kindness were very much appreciated!!

Adoption & Beyond has been amazing to work with during our adoption process. They were so informative and supportive as we were brand new to the adoption realm. Stephanie and her team took the time to answer all of our questions and make sure that we were well informed during our home study and post adoption visits. I can’t say enough good things about our journey using Adoption & Beyond and we would highly recommend them.

You guys did excellent work, your agency is very careful in everything made sure there’s no mistake we learned a lot working together and all staff are all professionals, we will recommend you to anyone that needs a home study, we really appreciate everything.

Thank you for being so supportive! We truly feel so blessed with everything that’s happened. The wait was harder than I thought it would be, but it was so worth it. Thank you for being a part of our support system! 

We wanted to say a huge thank you for the role that Adoption & Beyond has played in the adoption of our son

What was your experience in adopting a child out of state?

Our experience was unexpected, and yet we felt as prepared as we could based on all the education from A&B. I honestly couldn’t have imagined that we would have an adoption out of state at the very beginning of this whole process. However, taking it each step of the way with A&B made it less stressful and less overwhelming. I would say be prepared for things to be outside your control and be flexible about the timeline. Finally, we chose to enjoy our time in another state with our new child making memories and bonding. That time is now a priceless memory!!

Steffany – Thank you so much.  You guys have been so helpful through this process.  

I really appreciate your help, you’ve made this process very easy for me. 

What was your experience in adopting a child out of state?

Relatively easy because we had a ton of support from A&B! I know I spoke to one of the SWs at least 3 times a day while we were out of state. That support made it so much easier for us.

Hi Steffany! I don’t know if you remember me! You helped me and my husband Jeff adopt back in 1997. I have been thinking of you and thought I would see if you were on Facebook. Thank you for your help so many years ago. Our baby Joshua turned 25 last week!!! He is an amazing “adult” I still call him my baby lol. Hope you are doing well. Thank you again for all your help way back when helping me become a mom ❤️

… the coaching your agency provided was very helpful in our match call and I believe eased the [mom’s] stress in regard to open adoption and the process.

Thank you, Steffany! You and your team have been amazing and we truly appreciate everything you’ve done thus far.

Thank you for all your continued support for us on our adoption journey. You guidance, patience answering all our emails and questions has helped us more than you can know.

We appreciate all you do!

Thanks so much for ALL your help through this process! You have been amazing and we are grateful for you!! 

Hi Steffany and Olivia!

…I appreciate everything you both have done for me over this past year both in encouragement and help with all that paperwork lol. (So much paperwork!)

I hope you both have a wonderful weekend and you made mine better already.

Thank you again! 

As always, your Home Study reports are well written and informative!  Thanks.

We adopted a child through Adoption & Beyond in 2014. We were drawn to Adoption & Beyond after talking with the Executive Director. Her expertise and professionalism combined with the the organizational philosophy of ensuring the situation was right for the child, the birth family, and the adoptive family were important to us. Adoption & Beyond supported us throughout the entire process and our lives were changed forever. What a wonderful organization!

We have really appreciated all of your support during our home study process. A very easy group to work with.

The education process during our home study seemed overwhelming at first.  Little did we know how often we would lean on it as we went thru the adoption process and beyond.  As we prepared for our Lilah to come home, we helped educate those that would be most involved in her world with the book In On It.  When she arrived home we leaned on things we learned in the class as to how to have grace and respect for our birth mom as we live different lives.  The education on skin and hair care based been referenced often and passed on to those in our world that help care for Lilah as she has African American heritage.  As conversations have been had about us and in front of us about our adoption journey, the education we received has helped us to guide the discussion to accurate facts about adoption and away from assumptions.  All of the education we received has helped inform us as well as educate others on the reality of adoption while taking away many misconceptions that people many times have when they’re not educated.  Without the education, we received we wouldn’t have been able to help others as well.  As Lilah grows, we plan to continue to rely back on the education we received while also reaching out to Adoption and beyond if we need support as they’re now a part of our family.

Emily and Kellen

We appreciate you thinking of us and for all the support Adoption & Beyond has provided through the adoption process. Amazing people work for your organization. 

This agency is outstanding! Steffany, Shawna and their team are an amazing group of dedicated and caring professionals. We will forever be grateful for the work that they do.

The education we received from Adoption & Beyond really did help set our minds at ease with the whole process. The very helpful, well-thought-out home study kit did lay a clear, concise path we needed to follow to complete the process. Resources referred to, like books and online videos, were also great “go-to’s”. We have been encouraged to create a memory book to help share with our child their personal journey. What we found extremely informative was the online talk with a birth mother provided by Adoption & Beyond’s education course. Having a birth parent share her real, vulnerable perspective on the adoption process, inspired us with ways we can connect more as adoptive parents with our child’s birth parent. 

We worked with Adoption and Beyond for the home study process and received personalized and quality service during our adoption process. Each interaction with Julie, Steffany and Shawna was professional and they bent over backwards to accommodate our specific needs. They were patient with my MANY questions and helped us from the initial inquiry to the placement of our baby boy. I highly recommend this agency for all of your adoption needs

In 1999 our lives were forever changed. Our first adoption Blessed with a beautiful daughter. Again, in 2000 a second adoption Blessed with a handsome son. Adoption & Beyond lives up to its name…. Their services & level of commitment to their families goes Beyond what mere words can express. 22 years later we are experiencing grandparenthood ~ “It’s a Wonderful Life!” We highly recommend Adoption & Beyond. It’s not just a service it’s their devotion to helping connect forever families.

For our adoption, the country we went through required them to get approved by them. This took 13 months of paperwork and constantly resending documents that had already been done before… They went above and beyond to help us!! Every request from the other country resulted in Adoption and Beyond preparing and sending it out in 24 HOURS!! Every single time! Also, the encouragement of them letting us know they are with us every step of the way. We will always be grateful for their help in our adoption process! Amazing agency! Thank you, Stephanie, Shawna and Julie!!

We went through Adoption and Beyond for all of our training and our homestudy prior to pursuing a private adoption. They helped us every step of the way and helped to make the process as smooth as possible. We can’t recommend them highly enough!

I want to thank you and Shawna for all you have done for us throughout this portion of our journey. I appreciate all you have done for us and helping us get through this crazy time! Thanks again! You all have been so wonderful to work with!

The staff at Adoption & Beyond made the process of adoption easier and approachable. The personal attention and assistance they give to each couple is outstanding. If we had to do the adoption process again, we would choose Adoption & Beyond.

After looking at several agencies both large and small we chose to work with Adoptions & Beyond. Their honest and informative approach gave my wife and I a wonderfully personal experience. This is opposed to a very commercial or fragmented experience with other agencies available today. We also appreciated the services and support they provide to birth families. Our lives were changed when we successfully adopted our child in 2015 fulfilling our lifelong dream of becoming parents. In fact, we are in the process of working with them again!

They were wonderful! Very efficient and organized. I used them for post-adoption visits.

We have worked with Adoption and Beyond twice now. They are extremely professional, knowledgeable, quick to respond, and make you feel like they are family. We honestly felt like they have had our best interests as well as the birth families’ best interests at mind. I love that they are a local agency that is well connected in the community. I can’t recommend them enough

Love,

And AHH THANK YOU!! You all have been so wonderful to work with! 

A&B is amazing for both adopting and birth parents. Stephany was very helpful for me and my family.

I’ve worked with Steffany and her team at Adoption & Beyond for many years and they are always so kind and caring to their families and very knowledgeable and professional. The best in KC!

We had a great experience with Steffany and Shawna at A&B. They provided answers, processed feedback, and delivered us a top notch home study report ahead of schedule! A+ ladies! Thank you for making a difficult journey a little more pleasant. 5 STARS.

I worked with Adoption & Beyond since Stefany Aye first opened. Stefany and her team work with both birth families and adoptive families to make the process as stress free as possible. Stefany and her team go above and beyond to help create families.

We had a very positive experience working with Steffany Aye and the staff of Adoption & Beyond for our international adoption home study. Our family highly recommends this group of caring professionals.

Thank you,

Training for everyone involved in the adoption is superb!

You have been like an angel to me and I appreciate all the help and advice you have given me. I will NEVER!!! forget you and I hope nothing but the best for you and the agency. Again thank you for EVERYTHING you did for me while I was pregnant.

And I should add how grateful we are that we chose your agency to do our study. So far everything has been done just perfectly and we’ve begun to realize how rare that is among agencies! Wow! Kudos! Thanks.

Hi Steffany, I just completed your survey. I gave the highest marks on every question. You have been terrific (so supportive and responsive). Thank you.

I’m sooooo excited and relieved that our adoption has been finalized! I can breathe now!!! Whew—what a journey!! There was one moment that will forever stay in my mind. It was when I sat in on the Domestic Workshop that Rachel conducted. You were there—working in your office. I popped into your office during a break and said “Oh Steffany, I don’t think I can compete (not a great word) with all of these married folks…it’s just me—I’m single!! You simply said “Yes, you can…you will be fine!” Prior to that moment of speaking with you, I was mapping out my exit strategy of how to slip out of the door of the training. I was soooooo overwhelmed/intimidated by those married folks in the class. You spoke…and I thought—well, I will just sit here and see what happens….WOW!!! I have to tell you that I’m sincerely grateful to you and your team for all the great work on my family’s behalf! You were an AWESOME team member for our Family Expansion Project!! If ever I can speak on your behalf, let me know!!