Your Options » Adoption » Chosing an Adoption Agency
Tips for Choosing An Adoption Agency
If you are considering releasing your child for adoption, it is critical that you work with an adoption agency you can trust. After all, this decision will affect you and your child for the rest of your lives. A compassionate agency will explain all aspects of the adoption process to you and provide ongoing services to meet your emotional needs as you make this decision.
- Does the adoption agency listen to you?
- If the adoptive agency does all the talking about what is best for you and your baby or tells you what a "good" adoption plan is for you, the agency has a pre-set formula for adoptions and could disregard your right to make your own plan for your baby. Trustworthy agencies will take the time to help you decide if adoption is right for you and will honestly discuss your options and rights when forming an adoption plan.
- Will the agency be there for you before, during and after the birth of your baby?
- A reputable agency will be supportive of you during all stages of your pregnancy and after the birth of your baby - whether you choose adoption or parenting.
- During your pregnancy, does the agency have access to community resources that can assist you with housing, medical and living expenses, maternity clothes, and counseling?
- Look for an agency which offers comprehensive services - provides ongoing counseling as well as puts you in touch with community resources that will help with your immediate needs.
- Is the level of service to you only dependent on the adoptive family's ability to pay fees?
- A reputable agency wants to find the best family for your child, and fees alone should not affect this decision.
- When you talk to some agencies, do they make you feel like you are "selling" your baby?
- Trust your instincts. If an agency offers you money up front, then they want your baby at a price and are not concerned about your needs. The agency's goal is to convince you to release our baby.
- Will you be able to see your baby after placed for adoption?
- The degree of openness in the adoption plan is by mutual agreement between you (the birthparent) and the adoptive parents. An ethical agency will explain all of your options to you prior to the adoption.
- What about the birth father?
- An agency that tells you it is unnecessary to contact the birthfather to complete the adoption plan is putting your plan and your child's future at great risk of disruption. Birth fathers have certain legal rights, and experienced agencies will work with you and the birth father to complete the adoption plan.
Reprinted from Pregnant? Now What?, Bethany Christian Services, 2006.