Adoption Consultants or Adoption Agencies? [5 Questions to Ask]

There are distinct differences between adoption consultants and adoption agencies, and the adoption professional you choose will make or break your experience. Before deciding, you can ask several important questions to help determine which option is best for your family. 

Like most adoptive parents, you hope to have the best experience possible, resulting in the newest addition to your family coming home. 

You deserve that. Sadly, many families in your position end up working with professionals that overpromise and underdeliver.  

So, what can you do to ensure that you’re working with adoption professionals that provide transparency, honesty and prioritize your needs? 

First, you can click here to connect with a trusted professional and learn more about safely adopting a child in your state with an adoption agency. 

Second, continue reading for the 5 important questions to ask yourself if you are choosing between an adoption agency and an adoption consultant.  

1. How Can I Safely and Legally Adopt a Child? 

Every state has its own adoption laws. Included in those laws are the requirements of: 

• Using a licensed professional 
• Completing a home study with a licensed professional
• Completing the legal adoption process

Did you know that most (if not all) adoption consultants are unlicensed and completely illegal in nearly all 50 states? 

There are a small handful of states where adoption consultants can operate. But, even in these states, they are not licensed agencies. Why does that matter?

Because it means that family adoption consultants are able to sell families on unrealistic wait times, an exaggerated network of adoption professionals and adoption costs that are too good to be true — all without consequence. 

The only way to know your adoption is safe and legal is by working with a reputable and licensed adoption agency. 

These organizations are made up of trusted and experienced professionals capable of handling every aspect of the adoption process. They are regularly reviewed, which means their costs and wait times are accurate.  

Are you ready to find the right adoption agency for your family? Click here to complete this free information form and connect with a professional today. 

2. How Can I Lower My Wait Time? 

Something you’ll commonly see with adoption consultants is an extremely low wait time. They’ll promote a network of professionals and a strong web presence to make you feel like a match is right around the corner. 

In reality, the network of professionals they claim to have is limited and has minimal reach to verified birth mothers. 

Even though you may initially think you have a good chance of completing an adoption quickly, the truth is that you risk doubling or tripling your wait time. 

Adoption agencies, however, strive to protect you against this by providing clarity about the number of prospective birth mothers they are currently working with, giving you a more realistic wait time. 

Transparency, clarity and honesty are the pillars of an adoption experience. You deserve to work with professionals that care and have the resources to lower your wait time and give you the best chance at more adoption opportunities. 

3. How Do I Know My Adoption Costs are Accurate? 

Unfortunately, when you work with family adoption consultants, you don’t. 

Because adoption consultants are not regularly reviewed through licensing, they are able to sell you on the lowest possible costs to complete an adoption. The initial number an adoptive family sees can be appealing, but it’s often misleading. 

What it doesn’t take into account is unexpected costs during the process. Also, because adoption consultants don’t provide services for the entire adoption process, you end up paying multiple professionals. 

Conversely, adoption agencies give you a complete and clear breakdown of your costs so that you can prepare for what’s ahead without unnecessary surprises. 

The cost of adoption is an important topic. We encourage you to complete this online form to connect with an adoption professional to get more information and ensure that you know exactly what to expect in your financial investment. 

4. How Can I Protect My Financial Investment? 

In adoption, things sometimes don’t work out. It’s also known as a “disruption.” According to the Children’s Bureau, 10-25% of all adoptions don’t work out.

There are varying reasons why this may happen, but the reality is that it happens. 

When you work with an adoption consultant and an adoption falls through, your money doesn’t come back. In fact, you not only risk losing what you’ve already financially committed but you’re usually required to pay more to match with a new birth mother. 

There are some adoption agencies, on the other hand, that ensure your finances are protected. Take, for example, American Adoptions—one of the leading national adoption agencies—which offers a risk-sharing program that protects what you’ve already invested in the event your adoption doesn’t work out.  

Your money doesn’t disappear, and you can move forward knowing your investment is protected while you find a new adoption opportunity.  

The peace of mind you get when working with a reputable adoption agency is crucial to your overall adoption experience. 

Want to learn more about how an adoption agency protects your finances? Connect with an adoption professionals here to get valuable information on adoption costs and risk protection. 

5. How Do I Know I Have the Resources Needed to Complete an Adoption? 

As we mentioned previously, adoption agencies operate by following strict adoption laws, ensuring your entire experience is safe and legal. 

The resources you need include can include general support, adoption advertising, help with completing a home study and more. 

Take the home study, for example. For an adoptive family like you, the home study is a vital step in your beautiful new baby becoming a permanent member of your family. 

Adoption agencies often provide home study services and support to help you prepare and pass this requirement with flying colors. 

In the event they don’t offer home study services in your state, the best adoption agencies in the U.S. can help you locate licensed home study professionals in your area. 

Either way, you can feel confident knowing you are prepared and ready to parent your child. 

Do adoption consultants help you pass a home study? While they may have educational materials, they cannot provide home study services. 

Working with an adoption consultant can seem appealing, but they are unable to provide the necessary services. Instead, they will send you to find multiple additional professionals—increasing your costs—to complete the various adoption process steps. 

Ultimately, the only way you can guarantee that your adoption journey is handled with care, personal attention, transparency and honesty is to work with an adoption agency. The future of your family is important, so we strongly encourage you to click here and complete this free contact form to find the right adoption agency for your family.