Explore Adoption in

   South Carolina

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What You Need to Know About

Adoption in South Carolina

If you’re considering placing your baby for adoption, there are a few things you need to know!

1. Licensed in your state. The adoption agency you work with must be licensed in your state. You should never move to another state so an adoption agency can work with you.

2. Face-to-face. Your adoption agency should be meeting with you in person. You have the right to ask them to come to you to do that.

3. Open adoption. You have the right to choose your child’s adoptive family, to meet with them in person, and to receive information concerning the adoptive family so that you can be confident in your decision to place your child with them.

4. Advocate. You have the right to an advocate who works to protect you and your interests during the creation and execution of your adoption plan.

5. Post-placement care. You have the right to post-placement care and support after you execute your adoption plan. Your adoption agency should offer professional counseling, support groups, and or post-placement advocacy.

I Want to Give My Baby Up for Adoption. Where Can I Go to Get Help?

At Abiding Love Adoptions, we use the term “place for adoption” instead of “give up for adoption”. 

No Expectant Mother “gives up on” her child—she decides that another path is best. We believe that adoption is a parenting choice. Only a mother who is not giving up on her child can make that decision. 

Start With the South Carolina Adoption Agency That Puts You First

All that being said, if you’re looking to place your baby for adoption, Abiding Love Adoptions is here to help! Unlike other adoption agencies, we only work with the Expectant Mother. This allows us to love and protect our clients as they navigate the adoption process. Our goal is to help you make the best decision for your future!

Explore Adoption in South Carolina

Exploring adoption with us is not a commitment to make an adoption plan. We invite you to learn more about adoption to see if it’s the best choice for you. All services are FREE and confidential!

Contact us to get started.

our south carolina team

South Carolina Caseworkers Local Numbers

SERVING THE ENTIRE STATE OF South Carolina

Carrie Murray Nellis

Executive Director & Caseworker Supervisor

Carrie's BIO

My Mother tells a story about me at the ripe age of 7. She found me pacing up and down the driveway with my suitcase full of necessities (i.e. dolls, toys, etc) in hand. A family friend happened to be out for a run and stopped me thinking I was planning to run away. He asked: “Carrie, what are you doing?” With the innocence of a 7 year old I simply answered “Mr. Stan don’t you know Jesus is coming? Are you ready?”

And with that I seem to have never stopped asking the same question to all who would listen. As I grew older I realized simply loving people was more effective than words – but when God opened the doors the question remained the same – Are you Ready?

I graduated from Wheaton College with degrees I would never use, but my time at Wheaton furthered my passion for others and a thirst to discover how my talents & passions fit into the body of christ.

My sweet husband, Gil, and I married fresh out of college. Only three months into our marriage when literally I woke him up in the middle of the night to say “God is calling me to go to Law School.” His response was as surprising as my impromptu announcement – He said “me too.” And with that we quit our jobs and went to Mercer University School of Law together. Throughout our time at Mercer I admit I was jealous of Gil. He was focused. He knew his calling was towards Tax law and Estate Planning. For three years I continually asked God “Are you sure I heard you right?” “Why am I here?” His steady voice continued to say “Just wait.”

After Graduation, I worked for a small general practice law firm in Savannah, Georgia. I was blessed with great partners who genuinely loved me, but I was lost – still not knowing why God had called me to practice law.

Within my first year of practice, I had my first Adoption case and a fire inside me started burning. Shortly afterwards The Murray Nellis Law Group was born. I quickly became involved in Juvenile Court cases and saw an opportunity to serve my clients by not only fighting for them inside the courtroom, but by loving them outside the courtroom walls as well. But as many do, I became disillusioned with the Juvenile System that so many times it fails our children and Birthparents. The Lord showed me that through Open Adoption children would have an opportunity for a stable safe upbringing and Birthparents would have the opportunity to reclaim their dignity and know what it means to be truly loved.

And so one thing lead to another – years have gone by and the Lord allowed my law practice to become exclusively centered around Adoption Law.

For years I have had the opportunity to work alongside Vicki, but in 2016, the Lord called us to start Abiding Love Adoption Agency. It is our passion to serve Birthparents and to serve them well by loving them FIRST! I consider it an honor that God chose me to love on such special women and men during one of the most difficult times of their lives.

Leslie Decker

South Carolina State Director

Leslie's BIO

Being a professional and a grandmother on staff at Abiding Love Adoptions, I have been a Christian for over 50 years and a Social Worker in some capacity for over 40 years. His love is the greatest gift in my life, and I live out my passion, purpose, and mission daily – changing the lives of others as a servant in His kingdom, with and by the power of His love – the greatest power ever known! 

Several earlier life experiences led me into Social Work – helping a childhood adopted friend find her birth family, living internationally with my military family, and arriving at then Craig Air Force base in Selma, Alabama three months before the movement, after living in a totally different world overseas. These experiences left me with a vision and desire to change the world of adoptions, demonstrate His love to all cultures and ethnicities, and fight injustice everywhere.

Later, I graduated from Troy University with a double major in Social Rehabilitation Services and Journalism, as well as a Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama. I have served in almost every type of public child welfare social service program, including Adoptions, at all levels, including county, multi-state and federal. In one of those positions, while Director of two County Child Welfare Agencies, I met Carrie Murray Nellis, then Guardian-ad-litem for our children in Juvenile Court proceedings, and now founder, owner and Executive Director of Abiding Love Adoptions. We have always shared a heart and focus for the children, their birth mothers, and adoptive parents. I just didn’t know then how shared it would become one day…

In my personal life, my precious husband Kip Decker has been a naturalistic impressionistic artist for over 50 years and is recognized and published as one of America’s Top 200 Acrylic/Water Media Artists. As a blended family, we share five adult children and their families, including our hearts – 11 grandchildren! We are known as Lolli and Pop, and those grandparent roles fill our hearts with joy! 

Finally, after retirement from the government sector, a position opened at Abiding Love Adoptions. The sacred calling to go love big and well was clear. I could not say no to the only agency existing anywhere that honors everyone in the process – birthmothers, babies, and adoptive families. So here I am, surprisingly now the SC State Director of Abiding Love Adoptions and Birthmother Advocate. What a blessing and privilege to serve our Birthparents with such a team of dedicated team of professionals!

Lori A. Standard

Director Adoptive Family Advocacy and Human Resources

Lori 's BIO
I head up Adoptive Family Services for Abiding Love Adoption Agency, as well as Human Resources Department for hiring and employee management for Abiding Love Adoption Agency and Abiding Love Charities. I am honored to serve alongside our Adoptive Families in the Matching, Placement and Adoption process, if a Birthmother chooses to make an adoption plan. Abiding Love is dedicated to serve our Birthmothers in their journey, I feel that in order for us to do that we also must educate and well serve the Adoptive Families they choose. We do this by giving them a voice and educating them about Open Adoption and how to establish healthy, long lasting boundaries that grow the relationship between Parents and Child.

I am a native Georgian, growing up in Dunwoody, GA with my three sisters and numerous animals. We raised our children in Roswell, GA, most recently moving to Dahlonega, Georgia with my husband Kevin. We are a blended family of five children. My two biological children were adopted as adults by my husband and I am honored to be the Bonus Mom to his three biological children. Our kids range in age from 26 to 18 years old. We are empty-nesters starting to navigate life without children in our house for the first time, but loving mountain life. You will find us on the golf course and tennis courts, enjoying our sweet little town with its many restaurants and vineyards.

It is my honor to serve alongside our Executive Director, Staff, and Families for the past 5 years. God is gracious in the gifts He gives each of us and the calling He has placed on our hearts to serve others intentionally, and well.
Danielle Wells

Birth Mother Advocate

Danielle's BIO

As the proverb goes: “It takes a village to raise a child.” This saying proved true in my own life. I was born to a young couple and raised in Lexington, SC, primarily by a single father. My father reminded me daily of my mother’s love and the sacrifice and selflessness that it took for her to allow someone else to help fill that role in my life when she was unable. Having a wonderful dad, a selfless loving mom, a large family and wonderful family friends -my village- stepped in and helped mold me into the woman that I am today. This village is comprised of many members of the adoption triad, and of all ethnicities.

As an adult, my husband and I still reside in Lexington, SC. We share a beautiful, blended family of 4 children. When the time came to grow our family, adoption made sense for us. Our beautiful little girl was adopted through Abiding Love and we have been able to witness how well Abiding Love truly loves our daughter’s Birth Mother. We continue to rely on “our village” (and our gracious Heavenly Father) to mold our children, and we are so thankful that both my mom and our daughter’s Birth Mother are a part of that.

With a servant’s heart, I am incredibly honored to represent Abiding Love and walk alongside women as they make one of the most difficult and selfless decisions in life.
“Let all that you do be done in love.” 1Corinthians 16:14

Our Locations

Charleston, South Carolina

843-507-4262

Columbia, South Carolina

803-918-5290

Florence, South Carolina

843-732-6823

Greenville, South Carolina

864-674-1138

Abiding Love Adoptions is an Adoption Agency that specializes in Infant Adoption in South Carolina. Our mission is to love and support the Birth Mother throughout the Open Adoption Process.

Unlike other Adoption Agencies, we only work with the Birth Mother and or Birth Parents. When creating an adoption plan, we do not work with or represent the interests of the Adoptive Family. This allows us to love and protect our clients as they navigate the adoption process. Start with the AGENCY that puts YOU first!

We provide:

Financial Assistance
Medical Care & Insurance
Open Adoption Planning
and much more

Exploring adoption is not a commitment to make an adoption plan. Learn about adoption to see if it’s the best choice for you.