Private Adoption Agency (Glossary)

Private Adoption Agency: A private adoption agency is an organization that is licensed through their state that allows them to complete adoptions, prepare home studies and post-placement reports as well as supervise and completes the adoption finalization.

There are thousands of private adoption agencies that are either a profit or non profit organization. Private agencies can make their own requirements with both the potential adoptive parents as well as with the potential birth parent as long as the requirements fit within the licensing guidelines.

There are various types of adoptions that a private adoption agency can complete. The two main types of adoptions they complete are domestic infant adoptions and international adoptions.

Other services that private adoption agencies may offer are, counseling services for both the pregnant woman who finds herself with an unplanned pregnancy and also for the potential adoptive parents. Most agencies that offer these types of services also offer post adoption services as well. Some agencies also offer educational classes such as; newborn care classes, parenting classes, cultural awareness classes, and social events.

Some private adoption agencies specialize in a type of adoption. You may find one that only completes international adoptions from one country, or one that specializes in just international adoptions while working with several countries. You may also find private agencies that specialize in only domestic infant adoption, open adoption, or only adoption of children of a specific race or ethnicity. Private agencies can also be affiliated with a religion or may only work with special needs children. As a private agency, they can decide how they want to run their business and what programs they want to offer as long as they fall under the adoption agency licensing rules of their state.

Some of the downsides of working with a private agency would be that they are able to set prices, set policies, and be completely selective on who they will work with. They can choose to only work with people of a certain religion, they can decide to only work with potential adoptive parents who are within a certain age group, who have no children, or only a certain number of children, they can choose people based on marital status and so on. The wait for a child through a private adoption agency can be very long because there are more potential adoptive parents waiting for a child then there are babies available for adoption.

Some of the positive sides of working with a private adoption agency are that some pregnancy women like to work with an agency of a specific religion or ethnic background. Same with adoptive parents, they may want to work with an agency that specializes in adoption from just one country or that specializes in open adoption, or adoption of children of a specific race or ethnicity. Other positives are for those potential adoptive parents who want to adopt a newborn. Typically, more couples are able to adopt a newborn from a private agency than through a public agency. Some are even able to bring the baby home from the hospital.

Another positive are for those pregnant women and potential adoptive parents who are looking for an open adoption. Most open adoptions are completed through a private agency. The open adoption preference is a large draw to private adoptions whereas most adoptions through the public system are not able to have open adoptions. Reputable private adoption agencies will facilitate open adoptions with pre placement and post placement counseling for the pregnant woman as well as the potential adoptive parents.