One of the first decisions a birth mother and adoptive family will need to make is to choose an adoption agency to support her/their adoption plan. Finding an adoption agency can be daunting and frustrating with so many agencies trying to get the attention of birth parents and adoptive families. It is important that a birth parent and adoptive family work with an agency where they feel comfortable and confident.
As birth parents research adoption agencies they should consider the following. An adoption agency should:
- Guarantee the birth parents that they have the right to make their own decisions regarding the placement of their child without influence.
- Educate the birth family regarding all their adoption options and parenting options.
- Allow and encourage the birth family to choose the adoptive family for their child (via meetings with prospective adoptive families or family profiles).
- Support the birth family and prospective adoptive family as they build a relationship (if wanted).
- Never influence or pressure the birth parent(s) into a decision.
- Help the birth family get a lawyer.
- Assist the birth family to get needed services (e.g. housing, maternity clothing, prenatal medical care, etc)
- Support the birth family’s emotional needs and provide counseling services (if wanted).
- Be available to provide emotional support to the birth parent’s extended family (if needed).
- Make sure that any agreed upon post-adoption contact is honored.
- Be available 24/7 to provide support to the birth family.
The right adoption agency is key to ensuring a positive and successful outcome for the birth mother, birth father (if involved), adoptive family and baby. Family Connections, Inc., an authorized New York State adoption agency, provides all the services needed to support birth parent(s) as they make an adoption plan for their child. All services are free. All communication is confidential.
As adoptive parents researching adoption agencies they should consider the following. An adoption agency should:
- Guarantee the adoptive parents that they have the right to make their own decisions regarding their plan of adoption without influence.
- Educate the adoptive family regarding all their adoption options.
- Have the expertise in the type of adoption the prospective adoptive parents wish to pursue (e.g. domestic, international, older child, children with special needs).
- Provide training specific to the needs of the family and their adoption plan (e.g. attachment, adopting an older child, trans-racial adoption, parenting a child with special needs, family transitions, open adoption relationships, etc).
- Complete home study investigations in a thorough and timely manner.
- Refer the adoptive family to attorneys specializing in adoption (if needed).
- In domestic adoption:
- Outreach to potential birth parents
- Assist with the matching of adoptive parents and birth parent(s)
- Support the prospective adoptive family and birth family as they build and maintain a relationship (if wanted)
- Place a child into their home
- Ensure any post adoption contact agreement is honored
- Provide post adoption support and supervision services
- In international adoption:
- Refer to international adoption placement agencies (if needed)
- Provide education and technical assistance regarding the international adoption process (e.g. dossier, immigration, citizenship, etc)
- Provide post adoption support and supervision services In international adoption:
- Support the adoptive family’s emotional needs as they proceed with their adoption plan.
The right adoption agency is key to ensuring a positive and successful outcome for the child and adoptive family. Family Connections, Inc., an authorized New York State adoption agency that has achieved Hague Accreditation from IAAME, provides all the services needed to support prospective adoptive families.
The staff at Family Connections would be honored to support your adoption plan. Please contact us at 607-756-6574 or info@adoptfamilyconnections.org. We provide services throughout New York - Cortland, Syracuse, Binghamton, Elmira, Watertown, Rochester, Albany, Ithaca, Long Island, New York City and all towns in between. We look forward to hearing from you.
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