Agencies contradicting each other
The two agencies we have contacted seem to take every opportunity to contradict each other, even though they don't know we've looked at the other. I got a call from the second agency we contacted today, wherein she said that healthy kids under the age of seven who were not in a 3+ sibling group were pretty much unavailable, and that other agencies would lead us on on as to their availability. The first agency makes no such statements.
Agency One claims that it does indeed cost more for an adoption of two children (to the tune of $7000) because of additional lawyers, translation fees, et cetera, while Agency Two says the cost is no more than for a single child.
Agency Two's application, which they sent with their information packet, asks if we would consider children with minor special needs like asthma, allergies, etc, but does not inquire as to moderate or severe special needs. Agency One has not sent an application, but I can see from some of their adoption stories that they do serve children with special needs more severe than allergies.
This is so frustrating. We haven't even chosen an agency and I already feel like someone has got to be jerking us around. We won't give up, but good grief.
<a href="http://lilypie.com/"><img src="http://lb1f.lilypie.com/LC1Ym4.png" width="400" height="80" border="0" alt="Lilypie First Birthday tickers" /></a>
Re: Agencies contradicting each other
Sorry DaisyZH, I should have included that information. It's for international adoption, Poland specifically. We will see about talking to some people who have adopted from the agencies...maybe I will suss out other adoption boards and see if I can find people independently that have adopted from them or tried to, and eliminate the bias from people the agency chose to represent them.
<a href="http://lilypie.com/"><img src="http://lb1f.lilypie.com/LC1Ym4.png" width="400" height="80" border="0" alt="Lilypie First Birthday tickers" /></a>
Oh no problem - and just so you know I didn't mean your post was confusing, I meant the agencies were confusing lol! I re-read it and was like oh no I hope she didn't think I was telling her she was confusing. Anyway, it's hard especially when you're looking at a country that's not super-popular. We've been looking at Hong Kong and there is a yahoo group but you have to be in the process to even read it. If I come across anything regarding Poland I'll definately PM you!
Blurgh, ignore me. I'm totally embaressed but I had a new profile made to post on TTGP - we're trying to figure out whether we can afford to adopt and now we might get RE testing and might be TTC again. I know it's stupid but I felt embaressed to be posting on both boards so I opened a new one to ask questions about RE testing. Bump fail for me
Well different agencies will have different policies. It may be one agency's policy to include charges for a second child and not the other's. It seems strange to me that one agency wouldn't have any children with moderate special needs, but if they only worked with one or two orphanages that didn't take in kiddos with more special needs (it seems like some systems are set up that way?), it might make sense that they wouldn't typically have children w serious special needs available.
Maybe? I'm tooootally guessing on that last part. We're IA but with Uganda, so our agency only works with two orphanages, and, frankly, many children with severe special needs just don't make it to an orphanage.
Application approved Dec '11
Mar '12: Homestudy interrupted by change in Uganda requirements - where do we go from here?
After searching and searching, back with Uganda but with our homestudy agency's program.
Homestudy complete July 19
USCIS I-600A submitted July 20. Biometrics appointments arrived Aug 17; fingerprinted Aug 21; 171H received Sept 25th. On the wait list Oct 1st: #18. By Jan 25th, we're #13!
Come home, baby A!