Adoption
How do you choose an agency?
I am wondering how you choose an agency?
Do you look over the information packets from all of them?
Do you actually speak with and meet with each of them? What do you ask them, because you can get all the information and answers from their packets?
Do you use a local agency in state?
Is anyone from Massachusetts here? There are so many..... Any recommendations?
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Re: How do you choose an agency?
We started searching online for agencies in our state because we wanted to be able to go into the office when we needed to. We looked over websites and ended up requesting information packets from two agencies. We then went to an informational session for one and loved them, so we signed with that one. The agency is licensed in our state, but also in a few others, and can facilitate adoptions through any state (although we will need to hire a secondary agency to help with some things if it is a state where our agency isn't licensed).
Good luck!
We are looking to adopt domestically as well-and so far when looking for an agency, we did search in state as well as out of state. In state does not seem like it's going to be an option-when looking at the local agencies, they only placed like 13 infants per year-and it really isn't that much. We feel like we'll be waiting forever. We also did NOT get a good feel from another local agency, so they are out of the question. We are going to a informational meeting-we figured it'll be a good idea to see and hear from people. It's the agency we may go through for our Home Study.
We got a recommendation for an agency from someone on here-and we are leaning very heavily towards them. We also got a recommendation from someone else for an agency in PA-unfortunately, they won't work with us until we are married for 3 years. If we are still trying to adopt at that point, we may choose to switch with them, but not sure.
We also got recommended to a lawyer in Florida that a friends sister adopted a little boy through, as well as the sisters BIL adopted a child. We have decided that we are not interested in a lawyer, because of the risk that we'd be taking. We don't have that much to lose-so we would rather pay a little extra for it to be done right.
I hope this helps-we are in very similar situations-stopped IF treatment, and just beginning this process. Feel free to PM me if you'd like to talk!
I can only tell you what we did.
We decided we wanted an agency within driving distance. That only left us with 3 agencies. One didn't even return my phone calls, so they were out. We called each of the other 2 and talked to each for about an hour. We wanted to ask them a lot of questions about licensing, etc., DH wanted to know more about the homestudy, and we wanted to get a feel for them and which one seemed to be a better fit for us.
We didn't get all the information and answers from the packets. We didn't know the specifics of a home study. We didn't know the last time they were inspected for a license update. We didn't know some of the more subtle details that don't make it into an info packet. We didn't know the personalities of the people we'd be working with.
We were still torn between the 2. We felt more comfortable with one, but the fees were twice what the other agency was. Ultimately we had a recommendation from one of DH's CWs who used the agency with higher fees. That clinched it. We haven't looked back.
Not from MA, sorry.
I do not live in MA but I will tell you what we have done/are doing. I researched any and every site I could in my state and honestly every other state in the United States. I narrowed down my search by requirements (age requirements since DH is 24 years old) and cost (cost is a huge factor for us). I requested info packets from the ones that I wanted to further look into since most of the info packets give very detailed information about the cost breakdown. I finally narrowed it down to one in my state and will be attending an info meeting next week to see if I really like what they have to say. I'm also going to make a profile adoption booklet to send out to medical offices, women's resource centers, etc. in hopes to do an independent adoption since this is usually much cheaper.