Choosing an Agency

JackieK1013

If we decide to go with an agency for a domestic adoption, what should we look for? Anyone have a really good or bad experience they would share?

Dr.Loretta

Adoption for Dummies has a list of licensing questions

Counseling for all members of the triad is important, especially expectant and birth parents

Other things may be more or less important to you: religious affiliation, openness to LGBT parents, single parents, different tracks and fees for minority placements, fee schedule, wait times, whether it's local to you, etc.

It can also come down to whether you click with them

ejrobbi

I have been researching all the ones I found in Adoption for Dummies as well.

sewolff

Questions I asked in initial phone calls with agencies included:

How many adoptions do they do per year, on average how many families are waiting, are fees paid up front or at placement, are fees refundable if a placement is disrupted.  

Things that made me cross agencies off my list:

Anyone who gave the wait time for a placement (there are too many variables and absolutely no way to know that), agencies that charged different fees based on the race/ethnicity of the child.

ejrobbi

@sewolff I could not agree more with what has turned me off from agencies.  I even get mad looking at international adoption on how a child with disabilities is a third of the cost, to me, if a process costs a certain amount, wouldn't it cost that amount for every child.  I understand why but it still is a turn off.