about us

Who We Are:

Christen Hartig, Executive Director, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 10 years of experience in Family Advocacy, Children’s Services, and Adoption. Christen has a passion for helping future adoptive parents with their home study and adoption journey. She also has a heartfelt love for the birth family. Because she is experienced with counseling adopted children, birth mother/father counseling and initial interviews, Christen offers her adopting families a wide array of knowledge about all aspects of the adoption triad from first hand interactions.

Our beginning:

Adoption Support Services of Florida was founded by Lori Fraas, LCSW. While working for different adoption agencies, she recognized that families who hired them strictly for home studies were not getting the personal attention they desired.  It was at that time that she set out to give families the prompt, personal, and professional services that only a Licensed Clinical Social Worker could provide. As adoption laws changed, some circumstances required that the home study be completed by a licensed child placing agency rather than an independent Social Worker.  To ensure that families would continue to receive exceptional service BY an agency, Adoption Support Services of Florida Inc., a child-placing agency licensed by the State of Florida, was founded to assist adoptive parents with the home study process. Over the next 15+ years, Adoption Support Services of Florida would complete more than 1,500 home studies, solidifying Lori as an expert in her field, and an active Florida Adoption Council member. 

Even with a full plate, Lori found plenty of time to spend with her daughter Christen and exemplify what an active, competent, and empathetic social worker looks like.   With such a great role model being constantly and readily available, Christen had the opportunity to grow up with Adoption Support Services of Florida. While other children played baby dolls, Christen played adoption social worker.  When Christen followed in Lori’s footsteps, and became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, the opportunity soon presented itself for the mother-daughter duo to join forces and support the families of Adoption Support Services of Florida together.  When it came time for Lori to retire, Christen stood ready to carry on the family business with the same personal and professionalism that gives Adoption Support Services of Florida its signature touch. 

Our purpose:

quality service at reasonable rates

We understand that personal service is what adoptive parents seek and therefore we offer free phone consultations to help parents explore their adoption options. We believe that children are a gift from God whether they come into your family through birth or through adoption. We consider it a privilege to be a part of what is one of the most significant events in life and it is our passion to help adoptive parents bring children into their homes.