If you are pregnant or a parent looking to place a child, please follow this link to our
Embracing Hope website. www.EmbracingHopeAdoptions.com
A Fully Licensed
Child Placing Agency
About Hope Embraced
Jeanna Smith
Founder and Executive Director,
Certified Adoption Investigator,
President of the South Carolina Association of Licensed Adoption Agencies
I have been blessed on all sides of adoption. I was a birth mother when I was 20 years old and experienced a lot of the emotions that placing mothers go through. Years later, after getting married, I went through years of infertility before becoming an adoptive parent. Adoption is very close to my heart, and it brings me great joy to be a part of the process with so many families. We know that families are formed in many different ways!
I have a degree in education. I have years of experience working in crisis pregnancy centers and maternity homes, with adoption attorneys and agencies, face-to-face with birth parents, and guiding adopting families. I thank God for my professional and personal experiences so I can better relate to families going through this process. I look forward to working with you!
Santana Powell
Contracted Birth Mother Mentor and Licensed Doula
My name is Santana. I am married to an amazing man, and I'm a mother of 4 children, with one of them coming to us through adoption. We have an open adoption and a wonderful relationship with our daughter's birth mother. My husband was adopted and he has an open adoption with his birth mother. I have also been a surrogate and carried babies for two different families. I love to pour into others and I'm all about personal growth. A cool fact about me is, I'm a triplet.
I am grateful for the opportunity to get to know the birth moms that come to work with Hope Embraced, and be able to be a mentor. I love to empower them to see their own potential and am here to be a lifetime friend.
Mike Smith
Senior Graphic Designer,
Director of Advertising,
Certified Adoption Investigator,
Certified Clinical Trauma Support Specialist, Cognitive Behavior Therapy Practitioner, Neuro-Linguistic Programming Master Practitioner
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I am a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, where I earned my degree in Graphic Design and Illustration. My professional training also includes certification as a Clinical Trauma Specialist through the Arizona Trauma Institute, a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Practitioner through the Academy of Modern Applied Psychology, and a Neuro-Linguistic Programming Master Practitioner through Priority Academy.
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My connection to adoption, however, extends far beyond my professional experience.
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I was adopted at the age of nine after spending seven years in and out of the foster care system. One of the memories that has stayed with me throughout my life is sitting down with my social worker and looking through a stack of family profiles as I participated in choosing the family that would ultimately become my own. That experience gave me a perspective on adoption that continues to influence the work I do today.
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Adoption is also an important part of my life as an adult. I am an adoptive parent and have personally experienced the process of adopting my stepson. My wife, Jeanna, brings another invaluable perspective to our work through her own experience as a birth mother.
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Together, we combine lived experience, professional knowledge, and creative expertise to help families develop adoption profiles that are authentic, thoughtful, and uniquely their own. Jeanna works closely with families on their written content, reviewing their stories through the perspective of a birth mother and helping them communicate with warmth and sincerity. I bring those stories to life visually through professional graphic design, illustration, photography, and creative direction.
​For us, an adoption profile is much more than a collection of photographs and information. It is an introduction to a family, an opportunity to communicate who they truly are, and potentially the beginning of a life-changing connection.
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Our goal is to help each family tell their story with honesty, compassion, creativity, and heart.
Julia Seppala
Adoption Support Coordinator
I am the mother of three beautiful children, one of whom is adopted. My husband and I believe that adoption was part of God’s plan for our family, so we chose to adopt. We have an open adoption with our daughter’s birth mother, and we have maintained a close relationship with her over the years. We consider her to be a part of our family.
Adoption is not new to us, as we have family members and friends who are foster parents or who have been adopted through an adoption agency. I have a deep compassion for children in foster care and adoption, and I actively support adoption. I have experience working with children in various fields and volunteering at a local foster “closet” that provides clothing, toys, and other necessities for children in foster care.
I am thrilled to join the team at Hope Embraced. I am looking forward to working with you and being part of your journey!
Courtney Garner
Office Administrative Assistant/Outreach Support Coordinator
I earned my Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Wofford College and my Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from Converse University. I have always felt called to walk alongside others during life's most meaningful and challenging moments. My greatest professional passion is to serve the adoption triad as a mental health therapist. I wish to help each person navigate their unique adoption journey with empathy, respect, and hope.
My passion for adoption is deeply personal because I am an adoptee myself. I was adopted at birth by my family and learned I was adopted when I was eleven years old. Being adopted has shaped who I am and ultimately inspired the career path I have chosen. It has given me a profound appreciation for the courage of birth parents, the love of adoptive families, and the lifelong experiences of adoptees.
As a Christian, I believe every life is created with purpose and that every adoption story deserves to be met with compassion, grace, and understanding. It is an incredible privilege to walk alongside families as they write the next chapter of their stories, and I am honored to be part of that journey.
Our Mission Statement and Purpose
We believe all children are treasures and are filled with unique potential, which is enhanced by the nurturing provided in a loving and stable home. To that end, we offer adoption services to ensure that healthy and loving families embrace all children within the reach of this agency. We believe that birth parents are precious and heroic, and it is our goal to empower them in life and support whatever decisions they make. We provide support and guidance to the adopting parents every step of the way in their adoption journey.
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We are a licensed adoption agency based in South Carolina, certified to receive minor children for placement in family homes with the goal of domestic adoption. We provide adoptive recruitment services, serve as a referral agency, offer consulting services, and conduct adoptive assessments and training.
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The Hope Embraced team members have fulfilled the requirements for our state licensing and completed all the required recertification training annually to stay up to date and current with education and best practices in the adoption world, including how to assist birth parents, adoptive parents, and other adoption professionals.
Hope Embraced team members have personal experiences that have led to their hearts and passion for adoption. Our team is committed to excellence and ethics, and we will do everything possible to educate, guide, and partner with our clients throughout the complete adoption triad to achieve a secure and loving adoption plan.
