Deciding on an Adoption Agency is not always as an easy decision. You have decide which agency is going to be the best suited to fit your needs. I conduct monthly seminars for American Adoptions, which we adopted our son through. During the seminar I always let couples know that although I am here representing the American Adoptions Agency, this agency may not be suited for every couple. The seminar is not meant to convince people to join the agency but to give information to see if American Adoptions would be the right fit for them and will it meet their needs. I have listed below some steps that couples or individuals looking to adopt through a private agency should take and/or consider when looking to adopt through an agency.
• Research using the internet to find agencies. Look up “Adoption Agency Directory” using your search engine. Write down important information from the agency website. At this point you may have already made a decision to either adopt Domestically of Internationally, therefore consider if the agency primarily handles Domestic Adoption of International Adoption.
•Decide on your budget. An adoption whether it International or Domestic will cost anywhere from $20,000 – $40,000. Decide on what you are able to spend. Different agencies charge differently. Some agencies charge based on a percentage of your income, while others will charge based on the total cost of the adoption. This will include, but are not limited to advertising, counseling, paperwork fees, lawyer fees, medical costs for the birthmother if needed, and living costs of the birthmother if needed. Once you have decided on a budget it will help you in your decision in finding an agency.
•Ask other adoptive parents who you know what agency they used and how their experience was with the agency while adopting. My husband and I asked a number of people before we decided on an agency. Now I give references for others when they inquire about American Adoptions. If you find a particular agency that you are interested in and know no one who has used them, ask the agency for local references.
•Find out the criteria for joining the agency. Some criteria that agencies look at are age of the couple, marital status, how many children are already in the family, the amount you are able to afford to adopt.
•If you are choosing domestic adoption, consider if the agency has a waiting list for couples or does the birthmother choose the couple. If the birthmother chooses the couple, ask the agency about the ratio of birthmothers to prospective adoptive parents. This will effect your wait time.
•If you have chosen Domestic Adoption will they offer counseling for all parties. Decide as a couple how much support you want from the agency. If you want counseling from the agency make sure they offer it. But even more importantly do they offer counseling for the birthmother or birthparents?
Adoption Directories
National Adoption Directory Search