Questions for Adoption Agency

Questions Prospective Adoptive Parents Should Ask Every Agency

Families who have exhausted other options for welcoming a baby into their home may feel anxious and stressed as they explore adoption as an alternative. With the overwhelming number of individuals and agencies that offer adoption, choosing the right people to coordinate an adoption is essential. Here are some questions you should ask any agency you’re considering working with.

Is Your Agency Licensed?

For your own protection, you should only work with agencies and agents who are licensed in the state you’re adopting in. Choosing Hope Adoptions is licensed to perform adoptions in the State of Ohio.

How Can I Reach You When I Need To?

It isn’t just expecting mothers who need reassurance and support through the adoption process. The agency you work with should provide clear, detailed alternatives for contacting them. Choosing Hope Adoptions has staff available by text or telephone any time day or night. We also have offices in Springfield, Cincinnati, and Dayton, Ohio, so you’re never too far away when you need face-to-face contact with us.

What Can We Expect From the Screening Process?

The agency you work with should be completely transparent regarding their application and screening process. The agency should make you aware of all of the documentation required before sending a professional screener to your home. Ask your agency for a checklist, if one is available.

Will We Have a Chance to Review Our Home Study? Can We Share it With Other Agencies?

The agency you work with should provide you with a copy of your home study for your records. Not only will Choosing Hope Adoptions give you a copy of your home study to keep, but we also encourage you to share it with any other agency you are working with. We want your family to have the best chance to welcome home a child as quickly as possible, so we gladly make this documentation available for your use.

At What Stage of the Pregnancy do Birth Parents Start Looking for Adoptive Parents?

An ethical adoption agency should take great care to make sure the birth mother is committed to creating an adoption plan for her child. With this in mind, we make sure that the birth mother has time to experience the pregnancy before deciding to place her baby for adoption. We encourage expecting parents to wait until they’re closer to the 30th week of pregnancy before choosing adoptive parents.

How Long Will We Have to Wait to Welcome a New Child Into Our Family?

This is the most common question adoptive parents have for understandable reasons. There are many factors that affect how long your family will have to wait for a child. If you’re open to adopting children of all genders and races, as well as children who have special needs, you may not have as long to wait. You can also shorten the time it takes to adopt if you’re willing to adopt an older child. The more your family is willing to accept, the more birth mothers your profile will be shown to.

This is why it is essential for you to complete your Family Profile Book that includes your family’s interests and activities. This gives expecting mothers a complete picture of your family so they can choose a home where her child will grow up with the interests and values that she shares.

What Are All of the Fees and Costs Associated with Adopting a Child From Your Agency?

If you feel like the agency that you’re interested in working with is being vague about their adoption fees and costs, be prepared to walk away. We know that many adoptive families have saved for years to realize their dream of welcoming a new child into their home. That’s why we’re transparent about our fees and associated costs.

As a non-profit Christian agency, Choosing Hope Adoptions also does a substantial amount of fundraising so that our overhead costs remain low and your money goes toward adding to your family.

What Happens if the Birth Mother Changes Her Mind About Adoption?

Adopting a child is an emotional roller coaster. We know the crushing pain of having an adoption fall through because the birth parent has changed their mind. Any ethical agency will have a contingency in place in the event of a disruption in the adoption process. And, more importantly, an agency should have a plan to prevent such disruptions from occurring.

As we mentioned above, Choosing Hope Adoptions does everything within our power to ensure that the birth mother is fully committed to following through with an adoption plan before she chooses an adoptive family.

Will the Birth Mother Have Contact With Our Family After the Adoption?

Ethical adoption agencies encourage open adoptions, where the birth mother gets to know the adoptive family prior to placing her child with them. In an open adoption, the birth mother can decide how much contact she wishes to have with the adoptive family after the adoption. The mother may choose to have no contact or little contact other than letters and photos, or she may want to be part of her child’s life.

It’s the Most Important Choice of Your Life: Work with the Right Agency

Researching adoption agencies can take a lot of time and effort, but for a life event this important, it’s time well spent. Work with an agency that is less interested in their bottom line and more interested in what’s right for the child, the adoptive family, and the birth mother. Choosing Hope Adoptions is a licensed Christian ethical adoption agency with locations throughout Ohio. If you’re pregnant and looking for options, or you’re longing to bring a child into your family, call, text, or send us a message.