Things To Look For In An Adoption Agency

Adopting a child is one of the most beautiful, selfless and life-changing decisions you will ever make. For the sake of both you and your new addition to the family, be selective and filter outstanding agencies from questionable ones with the following specific criteria.

1. Licensure and Certification

Representatives from government agencies verify that reputable adoption agencies in Indianapolis and throughout the country are certified, or that the attorneys providing services for them are licensed through their state. A good agency happily will provide proof that they meet all current standards and are authorized to complete the work you need.

2. Treatment of Everyone Involved

The adoptive period is often a trying time full of strong emotions and confusion. Good adoption agencies make it a point not to take advantage of this situation, being very careful with how they market themselves and communicate. They make as many resources available to the birth parents as possible so that the parents feel comfortable with their decision, and birth fathers are very much kept involved for both ethical and legal reasons. The agencies freely give information about legal requirements and all the options that are available to all parties, and they offer support or counseling services to both the birth and adoptive parents before, during and after the adoption. At no time do they discriminate–every family is taken through the process in exactly the same way, and there are no differences in rates based on the gender, race or ethnicity of the child. They talk about the welfare of the child just as much as they talk about what you or the birth parents want or need, and they make every effort to be accessible as much as possible.

3. Statistics

An adoption agency you can trust should be able to provide you with statistical information related to their operations. For instance, although many factors affect wait times, such as the age of the child you want to adopt, the agency should be able to give you a ballpark about how long you’ll be in limbo. They should also be able to tell you how many families they work with per year. Look at this figure in conjunction with the number of child surrenders. In a good organization, you’ll see a high number of birth parents come to the agency but a low percentage actually choosing to give their child up–this result shows that the agency does everything it can to keep birth parents and their kids together if it’s at all possible. Be suspicious if the agency works with a lot of families but has a low number of successful placements, as this issue indicates that the agency isn’t working hard enough to ensure the adoptive parents and children are a good fit for each other.

4. Fees

Good agencies will be transparent about when and how much they charge. They carefully itemize all services.

5. Screening

Successful placements require that adoption representatives get to know you, the birth parents and the child, which takes time. Trustworthy workers ask loads of questions, visiting your home to make sure it’s a safe and loving environment. They usually request a significant amount of personal and financial documentation.

Conclusion

Not all adoption agencies have your interests or the wellbeing of children as a priority. Use these points as a filter to find an ethical organization truly committed to building healthy, happy families at a fair cost.