Your Guide to Adoption Agencies in Tacoma
Adoption is one of the most important choices you will ever make. Whether you are a pregnant woman considering adoption for your baby or a hopeful parent thinking about starting your family, this is a life-changing decision.
Adoption agencies in Tacoma can help you.
The adoption process is complicated. Most people don’t understand it, and even those who do are far from experts. With the help of Tacoma adoption agencies, you don’t have to become an expert. These professionals can guide you from step to step. Finding the right agency is central to having a good experience with adoption. This guide to adoption agencies in Tacoma will get you started.
We’ll cover:
- What adoption agencies in Tacoma do
- What types of agencies you can choose from
- What to look for in the best adoption agencies
- The next steps you can take
Choosing an agency is one of the first things you’ll do in the adoption process. It can feel overwhelming to get started, like that feeling in school when you had to write a 10-page paper and were stuck looking at a blank screen.
You have to start somewhere, even when it feels like too much. Choosing the best adoption agency in Tacoma will get you heading in the right direction.
What Tacoma Adoption Agencies Do
Adoption agencies perform a variety of tasks that are necessary to complete an adoption. While a more in-depth guide is needed to fully understand the adoption process, here are several examples of things agencies do:
- Legal Services: Adoption is governed by laws set at the state and federal level. Adoption agencies make sure these laws are adhered to and connect you with the legal representation you need throughout the process.
- Administrative Services: Piles and piles of paperwork are required in the adoption process. Your adoption specialist makes sure it’s all there and filled out correctly.
- Creating Adoption Plans: When you are pregnant and considering adoption, you are in charge of the process. You can create an adoption plan that lays out exactly how you want things to go, and the adoption agency will help you do this.
- Finding Adoption Opportunities: As a hopeful adoptive parent, you will create an adoptive family profile that is shown to prospective birth mothers. A good adoption agency will help you create the best profile possible and show it to women who are likely to choose your family.
- Coordinating Communication: Most domestic adoptions today are at least semi-open. Adoption agencies can help facilitate communication between prospective birth mothers and hopeful adoptive parents.
There’s more, too. From the home study to adoption finalization, adoption agencies in Tacoma guide you through the process and (hopefully) make it much smoother.
Types of Adoption Agencies in Tacoma
There are several different types of adoption, and adoption agencies in Tacoma tend to specialize in one or the other. This means that the first thing to do is determine the type of adoption that will be best for your family, and then find a corresponding agency.
You can choose from these types of adoption agencies in Tacoma:
Private Adoption Agencies in Tacoma
Private adoption agencies work in domestic infant adoption — when a pregnant woman chooses to place her baby for adoption and selects an adoptive family to place him or her with. If you are pregnant and considering adoption, you should reach out to a private adoption agency in Tacoma. If you are a hopeful parent and your dream is to adopt a baby from the U.S., domestic infant adoption is your best route.
Tacoma Adoption and Foster Care Agencies
Hopeful parents who want to adopt from the U.S. can also consider foster care adoption. Most children adopted through foster care are older, which is good for some families and a hindrance for others. Additionally, many families find the cost associated with foster care adoption (which is very low) to be a big advantage. If you are interested in foster care adoption, you should contact several Tacoma adoption and foster care agencies.
International Adoption Agencies in Tacoma
Adopting a child from outside the U.S. is another option for hopeful parents. International adoption has been declining amongst American families for over a decade, but is still a viable option for many. International adoption agencies in Tacoma can assist you in completing this type of adoption.
How to Find the Best Adoption Agencies in Tacoma
Each person or family will approach adoption with unique needs. This means that there isn’t a clear cut “best” adoption agency in Tacoma. With that being said, there are some character traits that all of the best adoption agencies in Tacoma will share.
When researching and talking to agencies, look for these things:
- Honesty: Are they beating around the bush in response to tough questions? Can you not get a straight response when you ask about adoption costs? If it feels like an agency is hiding something, they probably are, and you should probably look elsewhere.
- Experience: How long has the agency been operating? How many placements do they complete each year? The more experience an agency has, the more complicated situations it has navigated. An agency with decades of experience is more likely to be prepared for anything that might come up during the process.
- Accountability: Some adoption professionals are not licensed or regulated by the state. Who are they accountable to? Only their own internal standards. Find a fully licensed agency so that you can trust their work.
- Availability: You are going to have pressing needs during adoption outside of the typical workday. Does the agency have specialists available 24/7, or just from 9–5? For faster responses and better services, look for broader availability.
Adoption Agencies in Tacoma
To get started, here are several adoption agencies in Tacoma you can consider work with:
- American Adoptions (private)
- Northwest Adoption Exchange (foster care)
- Faith International Adoptions (international)
- Agape Adoptions (international)
- Bethany Christian Services (private)
Next Steps for Your Adoption
When you feel ready, you can begin researching specific adoption agencies and reaching out to them via email or phone call. Look at several agencies and take your time with this decision. Once you have chosen an agency, you are on your way to a successful adoption.