Finding the Right Domestic Adoption Agency for You

Getting started in domestic adoption can be very overwhelming, and it’s hard to know what to ask when you are looking at different agencies that may be right for you.  Take a look at our questions to help get you started.

Questions to ask a prospective adoption agency for domestic adoption:

• How long have you been in business?
• Are you a licensed agency?
• Have you had any formal complaints against you with licensing, BBB or any other accredited agency?
• Do you complete just domestic adoption or international adoption as well?
• Can I see a copy of your contract?
• How many children did you place last year?
• What is your estimated wait time for match and placement?
• (If single) Do you work with single parents?  If so, is the wait time longer?
• (If same sex couple) Do you work with same sex couples?  If so, is the wait time longer?
• How long does it take to complete the home study from start to finish?
• What are some things that would keep me from getting home study approved?
• What is the average cost of adoption through your agency?  What’s the range from lowest possible to highest possible?
• What is NOT included in the average cost estimated?
• What support services do you offer before and after placement for adoptive parents?  For biological parents?
• Do you pay biological parent expenses?  If so, how much do they usually average and what’s the range?
• What is lost in the event of a failed adoption?
• How does your matching process work?  Are we on a “list” and shown by your discretion?  Or do we get to choose when our profile is submitted?
• What information is provided to be about the biological parent?
• What sort of “openness” do you encourage between adoptive parents and biological parents?
• Is counseling offered to biological parents?
• Do you help with financial assistance in raising the money for the cost of the adoption?
• What support services do I receive during the adoption?  How about the biological parent?
• Do you have clients I can speak with who have worked with your agency?

These questions are a good place to start to get you in the right direction.  It’s important to speak with a few agencies so you can compare information to find the best adoption agency fit for you.  If you have any questions about the process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@havenadoptions.com.