How to Choose an Adoption Agency: A Guide for Expectant Mothers [Infographic]

Did you know that one-third of women facing an unplanned pregnancy consider adoption as a positive option for their baby? If you have made the courageous decision to place your baby for adoption, your next step will be to start designing an adoption plan. Who do you want to help you through this process? Who will offer you the most reliable support throughout your pregnancy and beyond?

Choosing the right kind of adoption professional is vital to the adoption process. The agency or counselor you choose will become the backbone of your adoption plan, offering you guidance and services throughout this unexpected journey. With the many types of adoption professionals today, it can be difficult to know where to turn for the most reputable and trusted support.

At Adoptions With Love, we want you to receive the service that you and your baby deserve. Our expert adoption professionals have created the above infographic to show expectant mothers like you how to choose the best possible adoption support. The above step-by-step guide will help you:

• Research the various types of adoption professionals. While there are many types of services for women choosing adoption and over 2,000 private agencies throughout the USA, not all will be right for you. For example, adoption attorneys do not offer counseling and ongoing contact/support. Adoption facilitators do not offer screening of adoptive parents, financial support, or ongoing counseling services and are illegal in 15 states. Private adoption agencies are licensed, professionally trained social workers that must adhere to guidelines that protect you and the baby. They carefully screen adoptive families and can commit to you at each stage of the adoption process.
• Find an agency that gives you choices. Today, 95 percent of adoption agencies offer open, semi-open, and closed adoptions. At an open adoption agency, you will always have the right to control YOUR adoption plan.
• Find an agency that offers legal adoption agreements. Legal, binding contracts will help ensure that your baby’s adoption will go according to YOUR plan, every step of the way. Today, many private agencies offer post-adoption contracts. In fact, 67 percent of privately adopted U.S. children currently have post-adoption agreements.
• Find an agency that offers a thorough screening process of potential adoptive families. Many expectant/birth mothers find peace of mind knowing their child will grow up in a safe and secure environment. Choosing an adoption agency that carefully conducts home studies, does thorough background checks, and post-placement visits can ensure the stability of an adoptive family’s home. Look for an agency that requires extensive home studies and at least six months of post-adoption visits.
• Choose an adoption agency. Our goal is to help you choose an adoption professional that can meet each of your important needs. Read the above infographic to learn how to choose an adoption agency and how to be confident in your choice.

Adoptions With Love is a non-profit, private domestic agency offering adoption assistance to pregnant women nationwide. If you would like more information on finding the right adoption agency or the perfect home for your child, please call us toll-free at 1-800-722-7731. Download our free guide, How to Choose an Adoption Agency below.