Kathy Kunkel, founder and director of A Act of Love Adoption Agency in Utah, celebrated her 60th birthday this week. Kunkel has been a pillar in the Utah and national adoption community for more than twenty years — adopting eight of her own children and assisting thousands of adoptive parents and birthparents in adoption as well. For her sixtieth birthday, her staff at A Act of Love celebrated with a surprise party and adoptive families from all over the United States sent letters of gratitude and well wishes.

Ms. Kunkel founded A Act of Love in June, 1993 when there were very few adoption agencies at the time that were not church or state funded. She started the agency after having considerable experience and communication with birthparents. In addition to her experience with her own adoptions, Kunkel had birthparents live in her home during their pregnancy. She had the time to spend learning how a birthparent feels as she prepares to place her newborn. She began to understand the need for a new type of adoption agency. After learning from the birthparents she helped, Kunkel felt it was very important to let birthparents actively participate in the type of adoption they wanted. Many expressed they would like their adoption to be more open than what most of the current agencies were willing to offer. Kathy listened.

She and her husband went to work to complete all of the necessary paperwork and licensing requirements to open Act of Love’s doors. After several years, her dream came true and on a June day in 1993, A Act of Love Adoption Agency was officially open. It was then that the face of adoption in Utah began to change. Kathy took her understanding of birthparents wishes and created programs that would allow choices. She and her small staff (at that time) were very hands on. Often, she and her husband would take birthparents to their doctor visits and grocery shopping. As the agency grew, Kathy brought on more staff and moved the agency from her home to an office. Upon doing so, business grew and both birthparents and adoptive parents began recommending A Act of Love to their friends and acquaintances.

Today, A Act of Love Adoption Agency has over 20 dedicated and loving employees. Each has been personally touched by adoption in their own life and has the desire to help others through the beautiful journey of adoption. They understand the roller coaster of emotion involved and lend an empathetic shoulder to lean on.

A Act of Love is known throughout the country and works with the top attorneys in the industry — members of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Birthparents and adoptive parents from many states in the U.S. choose to work with Act of Love because of their integrity and their reputation.

Although the agency has grown tremendously since its inception 20 years ago, it continues to have the personal “Mom & Pop” feel, where every client is met with individual attention and love. Kathy Kunkel truly loves her life’s work and pledges to continue serving children through adoption services until the day she dies! Congratulations Kathy on your incredible success and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!