Choosing a Quality Adoption Agency: A Guide for Expectant Parents

When you first make contact with an adoption agency, you will probably speak with a pregnancy counselor. This person should be advocating and fighting for YOU! This is the person that should be answering all of your questions. They should be providing and guiding you to all of the resources and information you need. This should be about you and your child. If you are looking for housing, medical care, clothing food, etc., the pregnancy counselor should be able to point you in the direction of any resource you need. This should NOT be adoption counseling.

Possible questions to ask: How long after placement will I be able to receive services? What will counseling look like leading up to the birth? How will I be supported in the years following placement if needed?

One of the main reasons we chose our agency was because it offers pregnancy counseling first and is a family support resource in our community. They are an adoption agency second.

Look at what fees are charged to adoptive families. Some agencies charge different fees to adoptive families looking to adopt children of different races. Consider asking this question up front.

Just because an agency says they only facilitate open adoptions, it could still mean a variety of different things. You need to know how they educate the families. Our agency required 12 hours of open adoption education classes. These classes were also offered to all of our extended family. Open adoption is kind of new and sometimes seems scary to new adoptive parents. A quality agency will provide education for everyone touched by adoption. This should also include your extended family.

Are you able to choose a family from an online matching site like Parent Profiles? What if you already have a family picked out and they live in a different state? Will they help you to get in contact with them and the professionals they are using? Does the agency limit the number of families they allow in their pool of waiting families? These are all questions you should consider.

Our agency facilitated the first meeting between myself, my husband, and the expectant parents. The pregnancy counselors set up the meeting at a restaurant in their city. The pregnancy counselors attended along with our social worker. It was very reassuring knowing that we each had a professionals supporting us during the emotional first meeting. The conversation was lead by myself, my husband, and the expectant parents. The professionals jumped in when there were long silences, helping us all to remember important topics that we wanted to discuss.

The pregnancy counselor should always be ready to support whichever plan you choose and is right for you. If you do not feel that you can parent right now, you may feel differently after more resources are presented to you. They should help you get there if you choose to parent or place. If you ever feel pressured, get out and find the resources you need.

No one understands your situation better than you. Choose a quality adoption agency that is right for you and your situation.