choosing an agency (IA)

[Momma Aimee]

we first started our IA research in 2005. in 2012 (Jan) we might actually officially start the process. (that or it will be foster to adopt) it seems to me, if you hang out on yahoo groups, and message boards eventually every agency out there has people that are unhappy. i get that, if people have a bad adoption experience, for most any reason, they are likely to have hard feeling towards their agency espoically is the agency could not smooth over the issues. so my question is this: how do you know which reviews, or comments, to trust. how do you, in the end, choose an adgency since none of them (few of them?) are free of some nay-sayers?

[queenjane]

(Disclaimer: i dont know much about IA and there are others here who have actual experience...)

Have you looked into WACAP? They have something called "Promise Child" grants for waiting children which could help defray costs. I was looking at their programs and maybe Bulgaria might be a country to look at?? Their requirements seem somewhat flexible and the travel requirements seem more flexible than, say, Russia.

[Momma Aimee]

to be honest my biggest concern is finding a country that with my medication. Next is choseing a respected agency.

[SpottedFoxx]

I love love love our agency.  I too did a bit of research on them (actually, after we contracted with them) and I found one woman who was unhappy.  She was offended that the attorney in Guatemala wasn't at her beck and call and that she "invited us to her home for dinner.  Ha! Like'd I'd do that!"  Seriously.  I kid you not.  She was a spoiled brat.  Everyone else had only good things to say.  Not only did I talk to our social worker daily during the process, she worked the phones for me when my son developed seizures less than a week after coming home She called the doctor in Guatemala, conferenced in someone to translate the questions, conferenced in his doctors at the hospital and called me to make sure we had everything we needed.  I still talk to her on a regular basis even though she has retired.  I consider my agency part of our family.  If you'd like their information, PM me and I'll send it along to you.  They do both international and domestic.

[queenjane]

Originally Posted by Momma Aimee 

to be honest my biggest concern is finding a country that with my medication. Next is choseing a respected agency.

i dunno...i totally get your point....but i also think it might be worth considering seeing what agencies seem to pop up as "recommended" by people and THEN looking to see how many of their programs would fit your criteria....IA can change month to month year to year, so it might be worthwhile to go with an agency that has more than one country you would qualify for, that way if one country is on hold or closes you have more options. I bet there is more than one country that you'd qualify for. But as i said, IA is not really my field of expertise. ;)