The professionals

For the same reasons you wouldn’t hire a barber to deliver a biologically created baby, finding the right professional for your adoption is important. Depending on your state of residence, you may have more options than you realize. (See the State-by-State chapter.)

In some states all adoptions must go through agencies. In others, adoption attorneys and/or facilitators are allowed to fill some of the functions of an agency. Whichever route you chose, and you may chose more than one, you will need to be certain that you’ve chosen the best professional possible for your adoption and your family.

Your adoption journey is bound to last a while, so it’s vital you find someone you get on well with, someone who makes you comfortable and in whom you will gladly to place your trust, hope and future.

Adoption.com has a comprehensive Directory of Professionals from which you can draw a selection to examine, then whittle down the list until you end up with the pro whose hand you’ll happily hold … figuratively, but perhaps literally, as well … for the next months.

Although you will want to trust your gut instinct in your process … much of what makes a relationship work well has a lot to do with feeling … start out by getting the right answers to important questions.

Remember, although you will not be the expert, you are the client and that means you are the person who must be satisfied. Establishing whether or not this will be so is an imperfect practice, but it’s the best there is, so prepare to interview your possibles thoroughly and carefully.

Finding if others have been happy with your potential choice can save some time in the decision process. Get referrals from former clients and ask opinions of others in the field.

Establish how long they’ve been in business, how many adoptions they’ve completed in that time, and how many have failed.

Read the literature that’s provided and ask questions about anything that may be unclear.

Find out what requirements are asked of clients:

minimum/maximum age?
married couples only?
baseline income?
any acceptable health issues?

Ask how long adoptions they handle normally take.

Get a feel for attitudes toward potential birth parents and find out how involved they are to be in the process if you decide to go with this professional and ask about the policy on potential birth parent rights, mother and father, and open adoption.

Find out exactly what services are provided, pre- and post-adoption, to all notes of the triad chord.

Find out what qualifications those who will be providing services have.

See the contract you will be asked to sign, and get a detailed itemization and timetable of all costs and fees you will be expected to pay.

Credits: Sandra Hanks Benoiton