About A Bond of Love
A Bond of Love (ABL) is a trusted, non-profit domestic adoption agency proudly serving families from our home in Sarasota, Florida. Since 1992, we’ve been dedicated to offering compassionate legal and social services to both birth parents and adoptive parents.
Recognized for our commitment to making a difference, ABL was honored with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s prestigious Angels in Adoption Award in 2005, celebrating our efforts to bring joy and hope to adoptees and foster children alike.
An overview of our mission and service
A Bond of Love Adoption Agency, Inc. is a private, non-profit, Florida licensed child placing agency established in January 1992.
The agency was founded by Susan L. Stockham, Attorney at Law. 
Ms.Stockham realized that Sarasota and the surrounding areas needed an ethical agency to provide the social services that are unique to adoption such as homestudies and pre and post adoption counseling. Ms. Stockham has specialized in Adoption Law since 1982 and is a nationally acclaimed expert in the area of Adoption, Family Law and Surrogacy. In addition to authoring several books and articles, Ms. Stockham is an active member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Ms. Stockham is herself an adoptive mother of four boys.
The Agency is governed by a Board of Directors. Angela Carey is the Executive Director and is an active adoption counselor. The Agency also employs a bookkeeper/office coordinator and several caseworkers. All of the full time employees are paid a salary. The Agency has no volunteer workers other than the Board of Directors who volunteer their time, approximately 6 hours per month.
The objective or mission of the Agency is to offer a unique blend of adoption services to meet the growing needs of birth parents and prospective adoptive couples. The full spectrum of services available through an adoption agency combined with the flexibility traditionally associated with independent attorney placements provide for personal freedom and choices for all members of the adoption triad.
The Agency has developed programs that offer post-placement counseling to birth parents both as a group and individually. The adoptive couples have the opportunity to attend adoption support group meetings that address the needs and concerns of the adoptive families.
Assistance in developing family profile books is provided as well as a reading list on adoption issues. Homestudies are done by the Agency for in state adoptive couples, and all homestudies for either in state or out of state couples must be completed before any are considered as an adoptive family.
The birth parents may choose the couple that adopts their child (children) from profiles and pictures that are on file with the Agency. The birth parents and the adoptive couple have an opportunity to have a face to face meeting before the match has been agreed upon by each party. During that meeting the desires of the birth parents are discussed and agreements are reached regarding the exchange of letters and pictures through the Agency for a predetermined time.
The Agency provides counseling, both pre and post placement, to the birth parents and assists birthmothers in obtaining pre-natal care. The counselors provide transportation to and from doctor appointments for the birth mothers as needed. Often the counselors are called upon to find housing, clothing and furniture for the birth families.
The Agency also maintains a trust account established by the adoptive couple and remits expense monies to the birth parents during the term of the adoption process until six weeks after the birth of the baby.
The Agency is licensed to place all children for adoption regardless of their age or health, although most of the adoptions facilitated by the Agency have been infants, some with special needs.
The Agency is a private, non-profit agency with a 501(C)3 designation that depends entirely upon fees to maintain operation.