How to Choose an Adoption Agency

The task of choosing an adoption agency or attorney involves a number of options and possibilities.The following suggestions are designed to help both birth mothers and adoptive parents in their decision-making process.

Suggestions for Choosing an Adoption Agency:

  • Get referrals from friends or others that have adopted or have placed their child for adoption, or contact an adoption agency to get a list of referrals.
  • Ask how long the attorney has been involved in this line of work.
  • Find out if the attorney/agency has a history of disrupted adoptions, and if so, the reasons why.
  • Research and develop a list of attorneys that appear to meet your requirements.
  • Find out what services they offer both before and after the adoption.
  • Find out the costs of the adoption and the financial obligations of both the birth family and the adoptive family.
  • Ask if the agency places minority or biracial children.
  • Ask about open versus closed adoption and the attorney’s views and experience with each type of adoption.
  • Ask about any contractual obligations.
  • Ask about Adoption Plans and Decrees.
  • Inquire about the availability and type of counseling.

Tips for Adoptive Parents

  • Ask how long the average wait is for a couple in your situation.
  • See what the procedures are in place to establish the health of the child.
  • Try to learn how involved with the attorney the birth parents’ parents are and how the attorney deals with birth fathers.

Tips for Birth Parents

  • See what procedures are in place to determine the health of the adoptive parents.

Want to Know More?

Call or text Lifetime Adoption: 800-923-6784