Adoption Resources : Thinking about Adopting : Adoption Agency Questions

Adoption Agency Questions

Here are some suggestions and considerations to keep in mind when selecting an adoption agency.

1. Contact your state licensing authority for a list of all adoption agencies that are licensed and in good standing. If you have a particular adoption agency in mind, confirm its license status, complaint history, and compliance history. The State Licensing Specialist should have all licensing information.
2. Contact your community’s Better Business Bureau or other consumer complaint agency to determine if the adoption agency has a complaint history with regard to its general business practices. Ask for a copy of the adoption agency’s most recent annual report and most recent independent audited financial statements.
3. Read adoption literature, both about adoption generally and about any adoption agencies you are considering. The Internet and public libraries are good sources. Speak with friends or others who have used adoption agency services. Ask the adoption agency if it can put you in contact with any current or former clients to ask about their experience.
4. Require the adoption agency to provide you a written agreement that includes all fees and costs in an itemized fashion. The agreement should also specify the services the adoption agency will provide. At a minimum, the adoption agency should confirm in writing whether its services will include adoptive parent counseling, education, and training; identification of a child needing a permanent home; completion of the home study; any necessary coordination with adoption regulatory entities, e.g., as part of completing an adoption assistance agreement when adopting a special needs child; services with respect to the adoption court approval; provision and/or coordination of post-adoption services; and refund policy, particularly should there be an adoption disruption due to a circumstance beyond your control, as is the case when a birthmother decides not to place her child for adoption.
5. Contact your state’s State Adoption Specialist with any questions about applicable adoption laws and processes. Adoption laws and processes vary from state to state, so it is important to confirm your state’s laws and processes with your state’s State Adoption Specialist.
6. Find out if the adoption agency is a member in good standing of any national human service organizations, such as NCFA.
7. Determine whether the adoption agency is accredited by an independent oversight body, such as the Council on Accreditation, keeping in mind that, in general, accreditation is not a requirement for adoption agencies to provide services but is an indication that an agency has allowed an external review body to evaluate its service quality.
8. Assess whether the adoption agency professionals have a work style that makes you feel comfortable. Take into consideration how the adoption agency responds to questions about its service history and requests for documentation, including the request for a written fee agreement with itemized fees and describes all services to be provided.