Adoption Placement Coordinators
An Overview of the Three Most Common Ways to Arrange an Adoption
Most people, upon making the decision to adopt, turn to an adoption agency because it is the traditional way to go. Some assume that using an adoption agency is the only way to go. However, there are several options available with the three most common being an adoption agency, an adoption facilitator, and an adoption attorney.
The Adoption Agency
There are two types of adoption agencies: public and private.
A public adoption agency is usually government run through a social services agency, and deals specifically with foster children. These children are typically older (over the age of two years and often much older) by the time they are legally eligible for adoption, and have suffered from abuse, neglect or abandonment prior to entering foster care.
A private adoption agency is licensed by the state, but may handle many different types of adoption situations or specialize in a specific type of adoption. For instance, one agency may deal exclusively with domestic infant adoptions, while another may handle foreign adoptions, and still another with special needs adoptions or may be religious-based.
Another way that private adoption agencies vary widely is in the fees they charge for their services. These fees can be quite substantial, ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 or more. Ask for a complete break down of all their fees before paying out any money and before signing a contract.
An Adoption Facilitator
An adoption facilitator arranges adoptions by acting as a kind of match-maker between the birth mother and the prospective adoptive couple.
Facilitators will seek out birth mothers through various means, usually with some-type of advertising, and attempt to match them with the prospective families who are contracted with them. Using an adoption facilitator may or may not be less expensive than an agency.
Every state has different laws regulating facilitators and it is a good idea to be aware of what those laws are when looking for a facilitator. In some states they must be licensed, in others they do not.
An Attorney Specializing in Adoption
Another route to adoption is through an adoption attorney. Sometimes the lawyer will personally arrange the adoption placement, other times they will finalize an adoption that has already been arranged.
It is important when choosing an adoption attorney to rely on more than word-of-mouth or an ad in the local telephone book. Attorney fees are not necessarily an accurate indicator of a good adoption attorney either.
A good place to begin is by obtaining a list of adoption attorneys from the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. It is prudent to retain a lawyer who specializes in adoptions. You wouldn’t have a podiatrist deliver a baby, would you?
Things to Remember
- Find out the adoption laws in your state first.
- Never sign a contract or make a deposit until you have thoroughly checked out the agency, facilitator or lawyer that you are planning to use.
- The key here is to research, research, research and ask lots of questions. Not all agencies, facilitators and attorneys are created equal. Being licensed and charging excessive fees does not always guarantee an adoption will not fall through. On the flip side, someone who charges extremely low fees may be a red flag.
- Whatever course you choose, it is important to remember that no one can guarantee that you will successfully adopt. Where there are human beings and emotions involved, nothing is for certain until it is finalized and the ink is dry.
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