Portia Hawkins

Portia T. Hawkins is a Certified Adoption Investigator for the state of South Carolina. Prior to joining Thompson Dove Law Group, Portia worked with the South Carolina Department of Social Services for approximately 26 years where she served as a program manager of the Central Registry Unit under the Office of Safety Management for Child Welfare Services. In the role, she was in charge of screening applicants for Child Abuse and Neglect in SC. Portia has also served as the Director for Child Welfare Services Administration Division. In addition, she has worked in private adoptions since 2006 while counseling birth mothers, volunteering in crisis pregnancy centers, assisting in adoption workshops and assisting in hospital settings. Portia’s work experience has also included being a Medicaid program consultant for the State Department of Social Services for South Carolina and as the Central Office training supervisor and coordinator for education and logistics.

Portia was recognized by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) in 2015 for her work with adoptions and foster care. She was honored with the title of “Adoption Angel” at a ceremony in Washington DC. The Angels in Adoption™ Program is CCAI’s signature public awareness campaign and provides an opportunity for all members of the U.S. Congress to honor the good work of their constituents who have enriched the lives of foster children and orphans in the United States and abroad.

Portia is also a Lay Guardian ad Litem certified through the South Carolina Bar. Her input is valued by other adoption professionals on domestic and international adoptions.

A mother of 2 daughters, she has found a special calling to assist expectant mothers who are looking for a solution, such as an appropriate adoption plan.