How to Find a Reputable Adoption Agency Near You

Facing an unexpected pregnancy can feel like a complete crisis. If you are facing this situation, you may feel overwhelmed, scared, and unsure of what to do. Know that you are not alone. There are positive options for you. Each year, nearly half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned. About 14,000 of these women choose to place their babies for adoption. If you are considering adoption,  the first place you will want to begin is at a reputable adoption agency.

Finding an adoption agency that meets your needs is the first step toward making an adoption plan. You may want to look for a full-service agency that is familiar with adoption in your state or an adoption attorney. Adoption laws and processes vary state-to-state, so it is important to find a local adoption agency that has professionals in your area.

It is also important to find an adoption agency that can provide you with the guidance, support, and care that you deserve during this challenging time. Adoptions With Love, for example, is a -licensed, full service private, non-profit, domestic adoption agency that has been working with expectant/birth parents from all over the country since 1986. An experienced and reputable adoption professional can offer you the tools and information you need to make smart and informed choices throughout the adoption journey.

If you are unsure of what to look for in an adoption agency, read on. In this guide, we will share the factors we find more important in a reputable adoption agency.

1. Support & Guidance

As you weigh your options, you may consider looking for an adoption agency that can offer you support and guidance through this challenging time in your life. Making the decision to place your child for adoption is never an easy one, but it is something that can be explored with the help of an adoption agency. At a reputable adoption agency like Adoptions With Love, expectant/birth mothers are never pressured into making any decision. We want to be sure that you understand that your adoption choices are just that – your choices.

You may not have chosen to get pregnant, but you can make a loving, selfless, and brave decision for your baby’s future now. Expectant/birth mothers today can choose between an open, semi-open, or closed adoption plan. This means that you are empowered. You are in charge of this adoption plan. With the help of your adoption professional, you can design an adoption plan that meets your needs, as well as your wishes for your baby.

These choices start with selecting your child’s adoptive parents. You may browse through the many profiles of families ready to adopt. With the help of your adoption professional, you can also custom design your adoption plan. Whether you would like to end contact with the adoptive parents after adoption or you would like to maintain a relationship, with updates and conversations throughout the years, you are the one who gets to determine the form and frequency with which you keep in touch.

Your adoption agency can ensure that your needs are met with the details of the adoption plan in a signed contract. Your adoption agency can also serve as a liaison between you and the adoptive family over the years of your child’s upbringing.

2. Quality Care

One of the many benefits of working with a full-service adoption agency is the care you will receive during and after your pregnancy. At Adoptions With Love, you are always part of our family, and you always remain a client.  We are here for you before, during and after the actual adoption takes place. The right adoption professional will work to ensure that your physical, mental, and emotional needs are met throughout the adoption journey. From prenatal care to counseling, expectant/birth parents must take care of themselves in order to successfully move through the pregnancy, birth, and adoption process.

If you are in need, Adoptions With Love can help cover uninsured medical costs associated with your pregnancy. From routine prenatal appointments to the 6-8 week postpartum checkup, hospital visit(s), blood work, and everything in between, we want to ensure you are supported and staying healthy throughout your pregnancy. If you need transportation to and from your prenatal appointments, we can also help with this.

A reputable and compassionate adoption agency will also care for an expectant/birth parent’s mental and emotional wellbeing. Free counseling services are offered throughout pregnancy and long after the adoption is complete. Adoption is not a simple process that ends when the paperwork is signed. . Adoption is a positive choice, but it is also one that requires time to heal. Recovery – in the emotional sense – is an ongoing process,  it is one in which a caring counselor can help you.

3. Free Adoption Services

Aside from the medical support and counseling offered, many local adoption agencies will offer expectant/birth mothers support with their finances during pregnancy. We can also offer financial support 6 to 8 weeks after you make an adoption plan for your baby.  Adoptions With Love offers a wide range of free services for expectant/birth mothers, such as:

• Financial assistance with utilities, phone, maternity clothing, and other necessities, as needed.
• Designing your adoption plan. Each person has different needs. As mentioned above, you have the opportunity to choose and meet the couple that will adopt your baby.
• Housing assistance. Get help paying a deposit and several months of rent.
• Complete counseling services by compassionate and experienced professionals to assist you in planning for your future and that of your baby.
• Medical care. As mentioned, medical care is a top priority. If you do not already have a doctor, your social worker can help find a doctor who understands your emotional and physical needs.
• Legal assistance provided by experienced lawyers who specialize in adoption. Making sure that the rights of all those involved in the adoption process are respected and upheld is our utmost priority.
• Ongoing contact throughout the years. Keep reading for more on that.

These services are always free of charge to expectant/birth mothers.

As expectant/birth mothers begin to explore the option of adoption, they often wonder if adoption agencies pay birth mothers for their babies. This would not be legal or ethical to do. While agencies do not give a monetary payment, the adoption services and financial assistance mentioned above can greatly assist an expectant/birth mother and help relieve some stress during the adoption process.

4. Continued Contact

Adoption is a life-changing experience. Once you have made your decision to lovingly place your child for adoption, you may wonder what happens next. When you decide to work with a reputable adoption agency, you need not worry about feeling all alone after the adoption is complete. Adoptions With Love, for example, offers continued support to birth mothers for the many years following birth. Just as adoption expands a child’s family, it expands a birth mother’s family, as well. Birth mothers become a part of the Adoptions With Love family and we forever remain committed to that relationship.

5. Local Adoption Services

As noted above, adoption laws and regulations vary by state. Depending on where you live, the process and steps required to make an adoption plan will differ. For this reason, it is important to work with an adoption agency that is familiar with your local adoption laws. Seek out an adoption agency that has familiarity and experience with adoptions in your state. Adoptions With Love works with expectant/birth mothers throughout the United States and we work with a team of compassionate professionals near you. Our professionals can meet you, wherever you are, to discuss your options, teach you about adoption, and walk you through the adoption process. Click here to view the states we serve.  If you do not see your state listed, just call or text us!  We work in all 50 states.

If you would like to learn more about adoption or finding an adoption agency near you, please do not hesitate to contact Adoptions With Love. We can help guide you through this process and equip you with local adoption support. We have adoption agency professionals near you, that can meet you at a place in which you feel comfortable. Call us anytime, confidentially, at 1-800-722-7731, or request more information online.