Finding the right adoption match might be the most important step of your whole adoption journey. But, how do you go about this? We’re here to help.

You can always contact us online to get free adoption information now.

In the meantime, though, we’ve created this guide to help you weight your options when it comes to self-matching vs. working with a reputable adoption agency. Adoption is always an option, and you can either find an adoption match on your own or use the help of an adoption professional.

Still, you may be wondering what self-matching is, exactly. Below, we’ll go over some basic information about self-matching so that you have a better idea of what it entails.

Finding Your Own Adoption Match [What You Need to Know]

Whether you are a prospective birth mother or a hopeful adoptive parent, you have the option to self-match. This means that find a match in your adoption process without professional help. Self-matching cuts out any intermediary parties, including adoption agencies. So, you would need to pursue the adoption matching process alone.

Is this the best way to go? While it may seem appealing at first, there are plenty of potential pitfalls.

When you pursue a non-agency adoption, keep in mind that you still need to work with an adoption attorney to finalize the process. Through working with an adoption agency, your adoption professional will provide you with a trustworthy adoption attorney to ensure a fair, legal and ethical experience. Attorneys also don’t provide adoption screening services, so be mindful of this component if you are considering self-matching.

If you are debating waiting for an adoption match on your own vs. working with an adoption agency, we’ve provided a list of benefits for both cases. Consider the information below and make the decision that is best for your circumstances:

Benefits of the Adoption Matching Process [Without an Agency]

• There may be a lower cost. Although adoption is 100% free for prospective birth mothers, hopeful adoptive families may choose to self-match because of its lower costs. In this case, the only professional you’d be working with is an adoption attorney, which means self-matching isn’t quite as expensive. But, this is not a guarantee because many attorneys charge by the hour, so it could be more or less costly in the long run.
• You will have more privacy. When you find an adoption match by yourself, you’ll have more privacy than you would if you were working with an adoption agency. In particular, hopeful adoptive parents will decide how (and if) they’d like to get to know the prospective birth mother.
• There are not as many people involved. For people who self-match, there are fewer people involved in this form of the adoption matching process. Though this may seem simpler on paper, keep in mind that you will need to coordinate all necessary services by yourself. The only professional involved will be an adoption attorney.

Benefits of the Adoption Matching Process [With an Agency]

If you are curious about how adoption works with an adoption agency, then here’s what you need to know:

• Adoption agencies are licensed, regulated professionals that can help complete your adoption from start to finish.
• They can also refer you to other professionals, such as attorneys and counselors, throughout your journey.
• They are staffed by experienced professionals who provide important services to both prospective birth parents and hopeful adoptive parents.
• Agencies often give you the best chance at finding the right adoption match.

Many hopeful adoptive families who find an adoption match through an agency have dealt with infertility. This leads them to search for adoption agencies, which connect them with prospective birth mothers. Because of trustworthy adoption agencies, many families can realize their lifelong dreams of parenthood, and that is beautiful.

With the help of an adoption agency, you can find the perfect adoption match for your needs and preferences. Whether you are a hopeful adoptive parent or a prospective birth mother, working with an adoption agency could be the right decision for you. Here are some of the benefits to keep in mind:

• Guidance throughout the adoption matching process. When you work with an adoption agency, your professional can ensure that you find the right adoption match for you. If you’re a prospective birth mother, then they will show you profiles of hopeful adoptive families. You can choose a family for your baby based on what you want to make sure that it’s a great fit.
• Emotional support and counseling. There’s no doubt that adoption is an emotional journey with both rewards and challenges. To help you navigate the complex emotions of adoption, many adoption agencies offer free, 24/7 counseling for prospective birth mothers and hopeful adoptive parents alike. You are never alone in this life-changing journey.
• Thorough screening services. One of the benefits of working with an adoption agency is that they use adoption screening services. This lowers the chances that you become a victim of adoption fraud because screening ensures that all parties involved are 100% committed to adoption. Some agencies also offer financial protection so that hopeful adoptive parents don’t lose money they’ve already spent.
• Helping you get to know the other party. Another benefit of working with an agency for your adoption matching process is that they can mediate your contact with the other party. They can help prospective birth mothers get to know the adoptive parents and vice versa. Also, they can help dispel any nerves or tension and mediate your first conversation with each other. This is to ensure that everyone is comfortable and ready for adoption.
• Adoption financial assistance. For prospective birth mothers, adoption is always free. This is because of adoption financial assistance that the agency and the hopeful adoptive parents will provide. It will cover all your pregnancy- and adoption-related expenses. You are making a selfless, heroic and loving decision, so you shouldn’t have to worry about the finances.

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If you’re feeling confused about finding the right adoption match, then we can always help you. To get more adoption information now, you can fill out our online contact form at any time. We would love to hear from you and help out in any way that we can!