How to Select a Child Adoption Agency

Your comfort with the idea of adoption and the adoption process is often determined by the professional level of help, guidance and sincere caring of the adoption agency you select. The adoption agency is critical in determining how smoothly the adoption process takes place, how you and your child rights and options are addressed, and how you adjust to the adoption of your child.

Our agency, Adoption Services, is committed to putting your needs first and to helping you in every way possible. If for any reason you do not want to work with our child adoption agency, we will help you find another child adoption agency that will work with you.

If you decide to look elsewhere on your own, remember that child adoption agencies come in a variety of forms. They can be for-profit or non-profit. They can be public or private. But the most important fact for you to remember is that child adoption agencies are licensed to make sure you and your baby have options and protections that are not available when you deal directly with an adopting family.

Ask any child adoption agency you call for their adoption licensing authority and a phone number you can call to check that they are legitimate. If they say they don't have one, then they are not a licensed child adoption agency. Forget them and call someone else. The primary licensing authority for our agency, Adoption Services, is the Office of Children and Youth, phone # (717) 772-7702.

Find a child adoption agency whose staff will be available to help you 24 hours/day, 7-days a week. Over 65% of the birth mothers we have worked with have delivered babies on weekends or holidays. And most problems seem to come up in the evenings and on weekends.

Next, you want to make sure the child adoption agency meets your needs. Take some time to develop a list of questions that are important to you and make sure they are able to address your concerns.

1. Ask if they are licensed. But be very careful. Make sure it is a licensed child adoption agency you are dealing with and not just a referral service or child adoption facilitator. A referral service or child adoption facilitator simply takes information from an adopting family and packages it in a way that will appeal to you. They then refer you directly to the family or their attorney. And you are right back to the risky private child adoption.
   
2. Do they only do open adoptions or only closed adoptions or are they able to do both an open or closed child adoption so that you have a choice of exactly what you want?
   
3. Do they use direct placement or do they use foster care instead?
   
4. Can they help you regardless of the stage of your pregnancy? If you are one month or 8 months pregnant can they still help you? If your child has been born and is now 1, 2, or 3 months old, or even 24 or 36 months old, can they still help you find a loving family?
   
5. Ask about their process for screening and evaluating adoptive families. Find out how many visits they have with the family and what they review during these visits. Ask the child adoption agency if they check with state police, child abuse, and FBI authorities so you can be sure your baby is going to be placed with a safe and loving family.
   
6. Ask about the qualifications and experience of the person who interviews the family and visits their home. And ask what type of verification they get about the adoptive family's health, employment, and income.
   
7. Ask the agency what role you, the birth parent can have in selecting the adopting family. Ask if you have the choice of meeting and selecting the family. And ask if you have a choice about getting pictures and updates regarding your baby.
   
8. Will they cover all of your medical, legal and other expenses?
   
9. Check to see if their counselors are specially trained and qualified and not just another staff person who is hired to answer routine questions or to "sell" the agency to you.

Make sure the agency goes over all your options and not just what they offer.

Finally, eliminate anyone who pressures you into working with them or into doing something quickly.

Adoption Services is a fully licensed non-profit adoption agency that helps birth mothers living in any state in the U.S. The Agency can also help a U.S. citizen living in any foreign country. Adoption Services has helped over 9000 birth parents and families.  Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or if you want our guidance or help.   There is never any fee to you as a birth parent whether you work with our agency or decide to look elsewhere.