Rick and Susan Wyatt

In 1982, after 13 years of infertility testing, medical procedures and numerous surgeries, it became very clear to Rick and me that conceiving a child was not God's plan for us. After our last infertility procedure, being told to "go home and plant a garden" seemed like the end of our dream. Little did we know what God had in store for us and what unbelievable blessings that "garden" would yield, not only for us, but for many, many other people.

We had done all that we could do and now it was time to 'let go" and to give our dream to God. In January of 1983, 9 months later, our beautiful baby girl Hannah was born. Now we knew why we had to wait 13 years for THIS baby. Hannah was the child God had chosen to be our daughter. It all made sense, it was God's plan, in God's time.

The day after Hannah was born, Rick began law school, five nights a week for two and a half years. In August of 1985, we received a phone call from a friend who was an attorney. He told us that he had a birthmother who wanted to place her child for adoption and asked if we would be interested. Never in our wildest dreams did we ever think we would be blessed with a second child. We were chosen and in October of 1985, Grant "exploded" into our family. He has "rocked" our world ever since!

On October 31, 1985 Rick was vested in the Alabama State Bar Association. Shortly after starting to practice law, Rick began working with couples and birth parents, handling private adoptions. In 1991 Family Adoption Services was established. Here we are 25 years later. What a wonderful journey! What miracles & blessings the "garden" has produced!!

Family Adoption Services has had the privilege of helping people fulfill their dreams of becoming parents and creating loving families. Equally important to us, is knowing that we have helped women and men make the unselfish decision to place their children for adoption. Putting their child first, knowing that their choice for a stable home and a secure future, is the ultimate sacrifice.

Family Adoption Services is not our business..it is our "GARDEN."

Rebecca Conner, MSW, LCSW, PIP
Director and Social Worker
NASW member

Rebecca graduated with her Bachelor of Social Work degree in 1999 and Master of Social Work degree in 2000. Both degrees are from The University of Alabama. She began her social work career in the Tuscaloosa City School system immediately upon graduating and has continued her work with families and children for the past eight years. She has worked for the Vernon, AL Children’s Advocacy Center as a therapist and also with the Montgomery Department of Human Resources in the foster care department. Rebecca works to empower children and families through cooperative support services and believes that the adoption process is the ultimate testament of unconditional love from both the birth parents and adoptive parents. She greatly enjoys conducting adoptive parent home studies and being involved in the process of bringing a family together.

Lesa Hawkins, BSW LBSW
PRN social worker

Lesa graduated from the University of Alabama in 1985 with a degree in Social Work. She is a licensed Social Worker who has 20 years of experience in the field of medical social work. Lesa has worked in the labor and delivery units in the hospital where she assisted with adoptions and wrote policy and procedures for the hospital regarding private and agency adoption. Lesa lives in Cullman and does contract Home Studies and birth mother interviews for Family Adoption Services.

Mandy C. Mussleman
Adoption Coordinator

Mandy graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2006 with a Masters of Education. She and her husband, Brian, who was adopted, have two sons. Mandy has worked with Rick and Susan since 2004. Mandy assists in the completion of the legal work for the adoption process. She enjoys being a support person for the birth mothers throughout an adoption. She works intensely with the birth mothers during this emotional time in their lives, and often visits them in their homes to explain the process and help them with necessary paperwork. Mandy is on-call for birth mothers before, during, and after the birth of their child. Mandy believes that adoption is truly a gift of love.