Here’s the final step in the three-step process of choosing an adoption agency! Last week, we shared how you can effectively interview adoption agencies.
The third and final step is to make your final decision on which adoption agency you’ll contract with. At this point, you’ll probably have just two or three adoption agencies that you’re seriously considering. The agencies should not only meet your criteria but also feel like a company you’d be happy working with. However, you still have some more research to do.
The adoption agencies you’ve been in communication with should be able to provide you with a list of references. At Lifetime Adoption Agency Florida, we share a long list of references and their contact information with all prospective adopting parents. Our references are adoptive families who have adopted using our services, and so they can answer questions such as what to expect with a Lifetime adoption. We suggest that you contact as many of the references an agency provides you with, to gain a bigger picture. If the adoption agency you’re talking to doesn’t provide you with referrals, consider it a red flag!
It’s also smart to see if there have been complaints made against an adoption agency. Since there’s is no central website where complaints against adoption agencies are stored, you’ll have to check a few different places. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) records complaints against adoption agencies. Check the BBB website for all cities in which the agency operates. The BBB provides complaint information by phone and online.
An adoption agency’s standing within the adoption community is another factor to keep in mind. We suggest that you take online reviews with a grain of salt, since the anonymity of the Internet sometimes brings out the worst in people, especially with such an emotional topic as adoption.
