Choosing an agency (international adoption)

[DynamiteA]

Hi everyone, we are finally really looking at going ahead with international adoption and I'm so excited.

So far we have not done too much more than lots of reading (online and borrowed magazines from friends and family who have adopted) and talking with adoptive families.

We are about ready to go ahead but I feel intimidated choosing an agency! There are so many! I want to print out the application but I can't pick an agency.

How do we choose a good one? Is there a way to find reviews of experiences with different agencies?

By the way, we are likely focusing on Ethiopia...

Thanks for any advice on how you chose or which one you'd recommend.

[annethcz]

Read up on the EthiopiaAdopt yahoo group.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EthiopiaAdopt


FWIW, we adopted DS2 fro Ethiopia 3 years ago. We used AAI and were happy with the agency.

[Veronika01]

There is a yahoo group especially for feedback on adoption agencies, I think it's called Agency Discussion or something like that. You can get advise from people who have experience in using a specific agency. It's also a good idea to get an idea on the agencies business practices from the Better Business Burea. Pay close attention to who calls you back promptly and honestly answers your questions. If they're tardy before signing with them and not honest and up front then, chances are that they'll be tardy with your case as well. I hope you find a great agency. :

[Shelbyscout]

This yahoo group is extraordinarily helpful:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Adoption_Agency_Research/

Good luck!

[RedOakMomma]

After you get feedback from other parents on a few agencies you're considering, I'd suggest calling them (the agencies) with a list of questions. You'll get a feel for them, for their services, and find out a lot about how they treat pre-adoptive parents and pre-adoptive children. You might also ask the agencies you're considering for a few reference families, and give them a call.

And this is just my personal opinion, but I think it's important to choose an agency that accomplishes more than the short-term (placement of a child). You have a lifetime ahead of you with your child, and your agency plays a role in the health & happiness of that lifetime. Things to consider:

-pre- and post-adoptive support for families (counseling, training, etc.)
-the stability of their program
-their feelings about first/birth parents, communicating with families in Ethiopia, travel, culture, etc.
-how they address questions of adoption ethics
-do they support efforts to keep first families together (charitable work paid for by the agency, for example)
-basic availability for questions
-etc.

There's so much to consider. You can't ask every question, obviously, but when you talk to other parents you'll get a better idea of the outstanding agencies. Just make sure (or try) to think long-term. It's not about who places fastest...it's about who places best.