{"id":1745,"date":"2021-08-26T21:18:15","date_gmt":"2021-08-27T01:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/resolve.org\/learn\/what-are-my-options\/adoption\/choosing-an-adoption-agency\/"},"modified":"2025-03-23T13:54:47","modified_gmt":"2025-03-23T17:54:47","slug":"choosing-an-adoption-agency","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/resolve.org\/learn\/family-building-options\/adoption\/choosing-an-adoption-agency\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing an Adoption Agency"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

Prospective adoptive parents need to be able to trust and rely upon their adoption agency.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Adoption\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tHow do I know if an adoption agency is the right one for me?\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t

Contributed by: Chuck Johnson serves as president and CEO of the <\/em>National Council For Adoption<\/a>. He is an advocate for children, birthparents, and adoptive families, and is a frequent writer, speaker, and commentator on adoption policy and practice.<\/em>The most common question I receive from prospective adoptive parents is: “How do I know if an agency is the right one for me?<\/em>” I know from experience that many families are so eager to adopt they might feel tempted to give an agency the benefit of the doubt. The decision to place a child or adopt one is a hugely important decision. Prospective adoptive parents need to be able to trust and rely upon their adoption services providers.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWhy is agency licensing important?\n\t\t\t\t

Some people choose different agencies to complete different services. They might complete homestudy requirements<\/a> with one agency and pursue placement through another. Others choose to work with adoption attorneys, and contract with agencies for homestudy and other requirements. Adopting through an adoption agency does not prevent you from seeking out separate legal counsel if you choose.<\/p>\n

If you do adopt through an agency, you should always choose a reputable, licensed adoption agency.<\/strong> Licensing requirements vary by state, but every state does clearly define which entities can place children and what standards those agencies need to meet and maintain. Each state has a licensing division that oversees adoption, and drafts a set of minimum standards for child-placing agencies. These licensing divisions set criteria for agency staff: educational qualifications, training requirements, sometimes even office\/administrative staff requirements, and regulations governing the storage of records. We strongly caution adoptive parents and expectant\/birth parents considering adoption against working with any entities or facilitators other than licensed adoption agencies or full-service adoption attorneys.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\tHow do I choose a reputable agency?\n\t\t\t\t

If the agency is working in other countries, it needs to be<\/strong> Hague-accredited<\/a>. Any good agency or adoption attorney should be focused on finding the best possible family for a child, not finding a child for a family. All adoptive families should be concerned with the ethics of placement and should search for an agency that truly respects and tries to serve birth parents. Adoptive parents must understand that they, too, benefit when birth parents are well counseled, well treated, and well served. It is better for birth parents, adopted children, and adoptive families when birth parents receive the respect and support they deserve.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is no set formula for choosing an agency through which to adopt; every adoptive family might have its own set of criteria. Prospective adoptive parents should look at what an agency has to offer in terms of quality of staff, and staff members’ degrees, training, and years of experience.<\/strong> Keep in mind that you might find a wonderful agency that simply is not the right agency for you-due perhaps to a personality mismatch or a difference in philosophy.<\/p>\n

Some agencies are more structured, requiring scheduled appointments ahead of time. Others have more of an “open door” policy, allowing clients to call regularly or drop by if needed to talk or consult. It does not mean that the latter is better than the former-it all depends on what sort of agency a family is looking for.<\/p>\n

A good adoption agency will have a philanthropic, community-minded spirit, but it should also be professionally competent.<\/strong> The best of intentions cannot ensure an ethical adoption process in which all parties are well served. Unless an agency is really able to provide supervision at every level, at every stage-unless they can provide all the oversight necessary before the placement and demonstrate their ability to provide support after the adoption-than they should not be doing something as complicated as providing adoption services.<\/p>\n

The majority of adoption agencies are nonprofit. There are some for-profit adoption professionals as well, such as adoption attorneys and for-profit agencies.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\tWhat questions should I ask my prospective adoption agency?\n\t\t\t\t