What makes a good adoption agency?

Question

and how many do you think exist?

Answer 1

An Out of Business sign on the front door?

OK I'll stop now.

One that provides mentoring and resources to young mothers. One that won't allow any type of  pre birth contract. One that won't allow adoptive parents in the delivery room. One that supports a mother during her postpartum period. One who insists on only open adoptions. One that advocates against coercion in all it's forms and puts their money where their mouth is by supporting organizations for adoptees and parents. One that underwrites the cost of adoptees or natural moms to attend adoption conferences. One that lobbies against sealed records.

I've been told there's one agency in Texas that fits a a number of those categories. I can't vouch for them because I've never had any dealings with them, but I trust the source implicitly.

So... maybe one?

Answer 2

free lolipops with every adopton

Answer 3

I would like to see agencies that have members of staff with actuall adoption experience. I mean, actually being part of a triad themselves.

I would like to see more care than money put into the industry.

I would like to see more aftercare to all members of the triad.

And in a perfect world, I would like to see agencies who run on trust, care, and understanding.

Answer 4

One that offers adoption as only a last resort.  

One that offers medical support and childcare to mothers with no strings attached.

One that keeps copies of all records, and discloses the entire file, upon demand, to either set of parents or the adult adoptee.

One that only facilitates completely open adoptions.

One that offers services on a sliding scale, according to ability to pay.

One that offers counseling services, post adoption to parents and adoptees.

Length of time in business has nothing to do with the quality of an agency.  The one that placed me has been in business over 100 years, and they spend most of their time lying.

How many exist?  None.  Anybody interested in going into business?

Answer 5

one that, at all costs, find ways to keep the mother and child together, barring abuse.

i think zero exist.

Answer 6

They don't exist.

Answer 7

One that is licensed, has licensed professional staff, and has a good history with license compliance.  Then, a good agency is one that complies with the fundamental requests from clients for the services they are licensed to provide.  It is not up to the agency to make decisions for their clients.  They are not in a position to encourage or discourage parenting or adoption.  That is not their role.  They are to provide education about adoption and parenting, and support the client to make the deicison they choose.  It is about free will, not judgments about who can and who cannot parent or place, unless abuse or neglect is involved.  Then they are compelled by law to report abuse or neglect to the state.  A good agency will provide support and information no matter what the client's decision.  Most clients have already made up their minds about adoption before they come to an adoption agency, so the role becomes one of support through the entire process and afterwards.  Good agencies always offer face to face counseling and support with qualified counselors who are trained and licensed.  Good agencies continue to provide this support and counseling indefinately after placement.  Good agencies never presure a client to parent, or place.  Good agencies truly care about the women they serve.  Good agencies always have the best interest of the child in the forefront.  Good agencies do not work with adoptive parents who are not totally on board with open/semi opn adoption, as it is in the best interest of the child.  Good agencies refuse to work with some adoptive parents, and do not alter their standards to fit an adoptive family.  Good adoption agencies do community work with women and children in need, aside from adoption.  Good agencies provide support, assistance, referrals, and help to any women who contact them struggling with addiction, homelessness, abuse, health concerns, safety issues, HIV, etc.  Good agencies offer short term foster care for any mother considering adoption for a born child, and referrals for voluntary foster care agencies for older children.  Good agencies offer 24 hour/day support and counseling for women in their community.  Good agencies offer the same professional, caring services to any birthmother no matter what race, age, ethnicity or health.  I could go on....this is my life's work.

How many agencies exist like this?  Many.  I would say more than half of the agencies that I am familiar with genuinely care and are professionals who want to provide the best support possible for women and children in their community.

Answer 8

A good one. hmmmm

One that supports open adoptee access.  One that makes sure that a woman knows all of her choices.  I found one.  They contacted me.  I would not have communicated with them if it hadn't been for one of their natural mothers. They provide copies of the OBC to the adoptive parents and the natural parents.  They will give all the information to the adoptee once they reach adulthood.  This agency is child centered.  They constantly remind both sets of parents that they owe this to their children.   They require the adoptive parents to continually give updates, pics and letters to the natural parents.  They are the only ones that I recommend to anyone.  This agency is all about empowering women in making the best choices for themselves and their child.

Answer 9

I think here in Ontario, the good adoption agency is the Children's Aid Society.  They adopt out children who are in foster care.  We don't have agencies in the traditional sense in great amounts.  I don't think I would ever have been comfortable going to an agency, but if we had here is what I would have looked for:

1. Most important (for me) is no religious affiliation.  I don't want to be part of an anti-choice agency.

2. Training ingrained before you can become parents.  This is not "how to be a parent" but training to better address the specific needs that come out of adoption.  (grief, loss etc.)  In Ontario we use PRIDE training.

3.  OPen adoptions only

I guess there could be more, but in reality these are what matter most to me.

Answer 10

One with good references from all members of the triad and from the legal community.

One that has been around for a very long time (many just come and go).

One that provides pre- and post-adoption education for all triad members.

One with a "clean" Better Business Bureau record.

I would say one that offers education for natural parents to keep their babies, but local social service offices are charged with that duty.

How many good ones do I think exsist?  Many

How many bad ones exsist? Many

I may think of more later...

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anastasia, an adoption agency is just that...  an ADOPTION agency.

Answer 11

I think that adoption agency is a awful word.

Employment Agency

Dating Agency

Recruitment Agency

Its all about *getting something*

I personally think that there should be "Adoption Centres", Or "Adoption Establishments" or "Adoption Support" But agency conjures up horrifying images for me anyway, of someone going in filling in paper work, paying a fee and walking out with a brand new life..Oh h**l that is what happens ! Silly me...

Now all Sarcasm aside, I really believe the word Agency should go and be replaced by something as above.

I think that a good Adoption *centre* would be somewhere that would firstly *totally* and *completely* work in the BEST interest of the Mother and Baby as a Unit.

And I then think that it would also be one that works in the best interest of the baby..So that if the baby or child was not in a safe place that the baby's interest was put foremost above everyone elses

I believe that a good Adoption Centre would be one that put the Mother,The Baby First and that they would NEVER put the adopting parents and $$$ first

That would be a GOOD Adoption *ugh hate the word agency* CENTRE

Answer 12

An agency with a program that is birth parent driven.  One that offers counseling to the birth parents before and after.  One that will not pressure you at all, but allow you to choose for yourself if you want to parent or place.  One that will explain every step of the legal process as well as the emotional.  They do exist.

Answer 13

We all know it's not Holt Int.

Answer 14

children aid is a good place to adopt from

Answer 15

There is a woman's center where I live who are for mother and child. They council women who are in crisis pregnancies and inform them of ALL their real options.

Should the women decide to parent, they have a program where the mother can ear point by going to their doctor appointments, reading articles and answer questions, and a few other ways. The point are used to purchase baby items from the center. The have a "by shower" and the community stocks up the center when it runs low.

Should the woman chose abortion, she is counseled before and after, there are support groups for other women who have gone through an abortion.

Should the parents chose adoption, they are counseled before and after. There are support groups to the parents.

There is no pressure to make ANY choice, just information, and support.

It isn't an adoption agency, but every woman should be required to visit one of these facilities to be referred to an agency. And the agency should have no financial tie to the woman's center.