Choosing an Agency

Choosing the Right Adoption Agency

In the years following World War II, when U.S. citizens were first trying to adopt abroad, it was difficult to find a local agency to conduct pre- and post adoption services. The first U.S.-based international agency was Holt International Adoption Services of Eugene, Oregon, which was founded in the 1950s. That agency made arrangements with private agencies in various states to provide services to Korean orphans being placed through Holt. However, prospective adoptive parents who did not fit the requirements for Holt because of their age, length of marriage, or religious beliefs had a difficult time finding alternatives.

International adoption nowadays is a completely different story. So many agencies exist and so much information is available that potential parents are overwhelmed.

Most potential adoptive parents find an international adoption agency by word­-of-mouth, through recommendation by their local, domestic adoption agency or par­ent group, by researching all available books on the subject, and by searching the Internet and requesting literature and additional information from agency web sites. In addition, adoption information and referral services have popped up in many states to help adoptive parents find the most suitable agency for their needs. Annual adoption conferences are held in many states. This gives pre-adoptive parents the chance to talk to more agencies, both local and out of state, and to take home their literature. Most local agencies hold their own seminars or orientations to present an overview of their services.

Several directories of agencies and services are also available. One excellent source for this kind of information is the Report on Foreign Adoption, published by International Concerns for Children, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides com­prehensive, up-to-date information on international adoption for interested individu­als. The report includes 10 monthly updates and also includes a list of reputable, licensed and experienced agencies with no history of major litigation. Visit www.iccadopt.org for more information on ICC and the Report on Foreign Adoption.

In addition, the Child Welfare Information Gateway offers the National Adoption Directory , that can be downloaded for free from the CWIG web site. In addition, the site offers an online National Organizations Directory, updated daily, that allows you to search by state for adoption agencies, officials, support groups and more. Other resources for beginning your search for a reputable international adoption agency include the Joint Council on International Children’s Services, which maintains a list of member agencies.

Making Your Selection

Choosing an adoption service provider is a decision that you should make with great care. Generally, in accordance with the applicable standards, only accredited adoption service providers (which can be organizations or individuals) will be eligible to provide adoption services in Convention adoptions. On a quarterly basis, each accrediting entity makes required information available to the public about each agency it has accredited, in addition to each agency that is denied accreditation.

The Department of State maintains a list of accredited adoption service providers at www.travel.state.gov.

Your adoption service provider should disclose specific information about its operations and procedures in writing to you upon initial contact including, but not limited to, the following:

• Its adoption service policies and procedures (including general eligibility criteria and all fees)
• The supervised providers (in the United States and overseas) who would be expected to work with the prospective adoptive parents and the costs of their services
• A sample written adoption services contract

Accredited adoption service providers will also make the following information available to you upon request:

• The number of adoption placements per year for up to three years prior, and the number and percentage of those placements that remain intact, are disrupted, and have been dissolved
• The number of parents who apply for adoption on a yearly basis
• The number of children eligible for adoption and awaiting an adoptive placement referral via the adoption service provider