Why an Adoption Agency is Safer than Adoption Consultants

As a family pursuing adoption, finding the right professional can be challenging. The organization you choose will make or break your experience.

If you’re asking:

• Do I use an adoption agency? 
• Is an adoption consultant or facilitator right for me? 
• Can I complete an adoption on my own? 

Then this guide is for you. Finding the right answer matters because nothing is more important than the future of your family.

Before you continue, you can always get trusted information on choosing the best adoption professional by clicking here to complete s free contact form.  

What is an Adoption Consultant? 

An adoption consultant is a type of adoption professional. They typically provide support and education to hopeful adoptive families. Consultants are only able to operate out of a handful of states because they are illegal in nearly all 50 states.

Unfortunately, the term “adoption professional” can be somewhat broad. What does that mean? How is this individual or organization a professional at completing adoptions? 

While an adoption consultant claims to offer you an adoption experience that’s fast and the most affordable, they may not give you complete transparency of the process and the costs. Since adoption consultants are unlicensed professionals, there’s no way of knowing if their claims are accurate. For you, that means the financial investment you make doesn’t account for the unknown and the potential for additional costs. 

Families have also reported that adoption consultants have misled them about their ability to quickly match you with a verified birth mother to lower your wait time.  

So, to help you avoid these types of professionals, here are the top 4 reasons why you should choose an adoption agency instead. 

Reason 1: Shorter Wait Times 

When searching for an adoption professional, even the “best” adoption consultants will give you wait times that sound amazing. Unfortunately, these wait times are often inaccurate.  

Why? Because they know that short wait times are one of the most important things to your family, and they want you to sign up as a client. 

Adoption consultants often promote a connection to an extensive network of adoption professionals. What they don’t tell you is the adoption professionals in these networks have minimal outreach to qualified and verified birth mothers. And, because they are unlicensed, there is no one out there who can check their wait time claims.

Instead, working with an adoption agency that has a large national reach to verified birth mothers not only means you lower your adoption wait time, but you’ll match with a birth mother that chooses you because they want you to parent their child.  

Are you ready to find an adoption agency that can give you the best chance at lowering your wait time? Then click here to find the right agency for your family. 

Reason 2: Transparency of Costs 

Adoption and finances go hand-in-hand, and as you might already know, adoption can be expensive. 

Because of this fact, family adoption consultants will promote lower costs. Appealing, right? But what does that actually mean? 

Unfortunately, an initial price from an adoption consultant is often a best-case scenario. It doesn’t include unexpected costs that can pop up along the way. So, the number you see at first glance is likely too good to be true. 

With an adoption agency, you may find higher up-front costs, but the transparency provided means you’ll know exactly what your costs include.  

Isn’t that better than being surprised by numerous additional costs throughout your journey? 

The best adoption agencies have a clear fee structure to prepare you for what’s ahead because they prioritize your experience and understand that finances play a significant role in the choice of adopting a child. 

Reason 3: Financial Protection

One of the top reasons to choose an adoption agency is financial protection. 

As mentioned before, knowing your overall costs is important. Taking that a step further, protecting your finances is even more crucial. 

A reality that most (if not all) adoption consultants will avoid talking about is the prospect of an adoption not working out, often referred to as a “disruption.”  

But here’s the truth: Nationally, 10-25% of adoptions don’t work out. When that happens, family adoption consultants typically do not have refund policies, leaving you in limbo without any control over the finances you’ve already committed. 

Imagine this scenario: 

• You commit a large amount of money for an adoption. 
• It doesn’t work out. 
• The money you’ve committed doesn’t come back to you. 
• An adoption consultant asks for more money to find a new match. 

Not only did your adoption not work out, but you’ve lost the investment you’ve made as well as your time. 

Legitimate adoption agencies prioritize the safety and security of your finances and offer protections in case something happens. 

For example, American Adoptions—one of the leading adoption agencies in the U.S.--offers a risk-sharing program that gives families confidence knowing the finances they’ve committed are secure, no matter what. 

It’s that kind of peace of mind that allows adoptive families like you to move forward in your pursuit of building your family without fear of losing money when something unexpected occurs.  

We know finances can be confusing, so we encourage you to click here to get connected to a professional who can provide additional information on how to keep your adoption finances secure through a reputable agency. 

Reason 4: Adoption Agencies are Licensed. Adoption Consultants are Not. 

In almost any circumstance, a licensed agency has undergone the requirements to be considered an expert in their field. 

That’s pretty important. When it comes to building a family through adoption, it’s invaluable. 

Each state has its own adoption laws. To protect the rights of everyone involved (and, most importantly, the child’s safety and wellbeing), licensed adoption professionals follow these laws and operate appropriately to preserve the integrity of every single adoption. 

Adoption consultants and facilitators are largely unlicensed and, in fact, illegal in nearly all 50 states. 

Google is a powerful tool. Searching for someone who can help you in your pursuits is the first step you’ve likely taken.

Maybe you’ve already found 2-3 adoption professionals you’re considering contacting. 

When you do, it’s important to ask questions.  

You can click here to find common questions to ask a professional before deciding. This will help you better understand who the person on the other side of the phone is and whether or not they are capable of safely helping you build your family through adoption. 

A Better Alternative to Adoption Consultants: An Adoption Agency 

Remember, your adoption journey is about you, the birth mother, and the child. 

You deserve to feel safe, confident and hopeful as you create your family, and you don’t have to go through the adoption journey with unlicensed professionals with a reputation for selling unrealistic expectations. 

This link will help you take the first step toward finding the right adoption agency and working with trusted individuals better suited to guide you through every step of the adoption process with complete transparency. 

Building your family through adoption is the most important thing you’ll ever do. Working with adoption consultants may sound appealing, but it can put the future of your family at risk. Instead, choose an adoption agency with a reputation for providing personal care, complete adoption services and a safe and secure experience.