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Adoption Agencies or Private Adoption?

A private child adoption is when the placement of the child is arranged through an individual, often an attorney, physician, friend, child adoption facilitator, or referral service.

An agency child adoption is when the placement is arranged through a child adoption agency that has been carefully screened by the state to assure that a full range of services is available to the birth parents and adopting family.

Private child adoption:

A private child adoption can be very risky. For example, an adopting family may give the birth mother some financial help which can invalidate the adoption process or the birth mother may end up keeping the child and the family will loose any money expended. Birth mothers may also be pitting one family again another and the family may get caught in the middle.

Without a licensed child adoption agency supervising the process, a child adoption can be a nightmare. When you read horror stories in the news, these are most likely involve a private child adoption. While your attorney, counselor, doctor, or friend probably has your best interest at heart, their help and advice can be misleading and even detrimental. It is strongly recommend you proceed only with a licensed child adoption agency.

Agency child adoption:

In an agency child adoption you are being helped by someone (or a group of people) who has a license from the state to help birth parents and adopting families. They have a license and the responsibility to watch out for you, the birth parents, and the child.

The licensed child adoption agency will carefully screen all birth parents and obtain a complete medical history. The adoption agency can also help coordinate the birth mother’s prenatal and hospital care to help make sure the birth mother and the baby receive only the best of care. They can also keep in touch with the birth mother and birth father and, by providing needed counseling, reduce the chances of the birth parent changing their mind. Finally, the child adoption agency can make sure that you and the birth parents have met the requirements of the states involved and that they are in the position to provide are a full range of professional services as they are needed.

To check if a child adoption agency or organization is licensed, contact them and ask for their license number and the phone number of the adoption licensing authority. Then call the authority and confirm that the information given to you is correct. Ask the licensing authority if there are any irregularities in the agencies history. Every state has a licensing authority and each one will be glad to answer your questions. Child adoption agencies can be profit or non-profit, public or private, but for you the most important thing is whether or not they are licensed.