reputable adoption agencies? Need help!!

To add to the above, here are some ways to evaluate an agency: 1. Contact the U.S. Embassy in your country of choice, and ask if the agency has had many cases in which children were rejected for visas, either because they did not qualify as "eligible orphans" under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act or because of suspected irregularities in the adoption process. Also, ask if the agency has been working with any in-country facilitators whom the Embassy has identified as associated with improprieties in the adoption process. 2. Contact the state licensing authorities in the state or states where the agency is licensed. Find out if the agency is in good standing, and if it has a history of disciplinary action. Also ask whether there is a complaint registry and find out what complaints have been lodged against it in recent years. While nearly all agencies will occasionally receive a complaint, usually because a family didn't do enough research ahead of time to find an agency that was a "good fit, look for a pattern of serious complaints involving financial or ethical problems. 3. Contact the Better Business Bureau in the state(s) where the agency is licensed. Ask the questions in #2. 4. If you will be adopting from a country that has ratified the Hague Convention on intercountry adoption, make sure that it is accredited by the U.S. to do Hague adoptions, usually through the Council on Accreditation (COA) in New York. Once the U.S. has ratified the Hague, which will probably occur in early to mid 2008, you will need to use an accredited agency to adopt from a country that has ratified. Even if you will not be adopting from a Hague country, consider choosing a COA accredited agency, as it is likely to have systems and processes that represent good adoption practice -- for example, a written grievance procedure and a refund procedure. 5. If you will be adopting from a country that directly accredits American agencies wishing to place children from there (for example, Russia), be sure to choose an agency that has received the necessary foreign accreditation. In general, stay away from any agency that "umbrellas" -- that is, that works with an agency that is accredited, but that is not, itself, accredited. You could well wind up being unable to complete an adoption if the foreign country becomes aware of the practice of "umbrella-ing" and moves to stop it. 6. Determine whether an agency is a member of well-respected organizations of adoption professionals. The main one for international adoption is the Joint Council on International Adoption (JCICS), though you may also want to look for membership in the National Council for Adoption, the Child Welfare League of America, and/or the North American Council on Adoptable Children. These organizations advocate for ethical conduct in adoption, and help to provide in-service education for adoption professionals. While they can't guarantee their members' performance, you will find that they do tend to attract agencies that share their commitment to ethical conduct and well-trained professionals. 7. It is especially meaningful if key people from an agency have served on the Board of one of the organizations mentioned in #7, or have made presentations at the organizations' conferences and workshops. Such involvement generally shows that an agency's staff are respected by their peers, and familiar with good adoption practice. 8. Become an "expert" on adoption from your country of choice. Get to know the laws and processes well, through reading reliable information from unbiased sources such as the U.S. State Department. You will then be able to read agency websites and literature and determine whether they are making any untrue statements. And remember the old adage, "If it sounds to good to be true, it probably isn't true!" 9. When considering an agency, ask the staff for a list of references. Insist on getting the names of people who have used the agency RECENTLY and for the SAME country that you are considering, and who have completed their adoptions. Remember that agency programs can change in quality over time, and that an agency can have a great program in one country, but a mediocre one in another. 10. Also go out to your local adoption support group and on-line to find other references, not provided by the agency. Remember that agency-provided references are likely to include only the most satisfied clients of the agency! Again look for people who have used the agency RECENTLY and for the SAME country that you are considering. 11. When you contact references, be very specific in what you ask them. It is not enough to ask, "Were they ethical?" or "Did you have a good experience?" Think about what is most important to you, since an agency that is a good fit for one person may be totally inadequate for another. As an example, if you have never traveled overseas before and are rather scared about doing so, be sure to ask lots of questions about the degree of in-country support. An experienced international traveler, or one with previous adoption experience, may not need as much in-country support. Choosing a good agency is one of the most important things you can do in planning for an adoption. It can mean the difference between a joyful experience and one that ends in a broken heart and an empty wallet. So do your homework thoroughly. Sharon