Adoption Match — With vs. Without an Agency

You’ve decided that adoption is the right path for you. You are making a selfless, heroic and beautiful decision that will change your life forever.

Because this is such a significant journey, you’ll want to make sure you find the perfect match. As a prospective birth mother, you’ll search for the right adoptive family.

As hopeful adoptive parents, there are specific services you need to have the best experience possible and increase your chance of success.

To get free adoption information now, contact us online at any time.

In the meantime, though, we’ve created this thorough guide that weighs the pros and cons of finding your own adoption match vs. working with a trusted adoption agency.

What Is Self-Matching? [The Adoption Matching Process by Yourself]

Self-matching is when you pursue the adoption matching process without the help of an agency. If you are a prospective birth mother, then you’ll look for adoptive parents yourself. As adoptive parents, you’ll look for a child on your own. In other words, this is when you find, choose and build a relationship with the other party without any help.

So, what is right for your situation? Waiting for an adoption match can be a stressful process for prospective birth parents and hopeful adoptive families alike. In many cases, going through this process without professional support can make things even more stressful.

But, you may feel that self-matching in adoption could be right for you. That’s why we’ve assembled some pros and cons of self-matching to help you make the best decision for your circumstances.

Cons of Self-Matching

• It can be a much riskier process. Adoption agencies are licensed and regulated, and they must also abide by local adoption laws. National adoption agencies also have large teams with plenty of experience in the field, so it can be much safer to work with an agency rather than tackling adoption all by yourself.
• It means you won’t have any helpful services. One of the greatest benefits of working with an adoption agency is that you’ll have access to quite a few perks. For instance, prospective birth mothers will have free, 24/7 emotional support. Hopeful adoptive families can work with a reputable adoption attorney to ensure a fair, legal and ethical experience. On top of these services, adoption agencies can also complete all necessary matching and screening processes for everyone involved.
• It can lead to long waiting times. The adoption matching process can take quite a while when you self-match. But, when you work with a trustworthy adoption agency, waiting times decrease for prospective birth mothers and hopeful adoptive parents alike. In particular, national adoption professionals have a wider outreach, meaning they have a national pool of birth parents and adoptive families to select from. This gives you the best chance possible of finding the right adoption match for your situation.
• It lacks any kind of support. When you pursue the adoption matching process without an agency, there isn’t any kind of support for you. Adoption is an emotional journey that comes with many highs and lows, so having that support system is crucial.
• It may not be possible in all 50 states. No two adoption journeys are the same. Everyone experiences unique rewards and challenges, and your local area may have laws against self-matching. This means that self-matching may or may not be a viable option in your state. On the other hand, adoption is always an option when you work with a credible, licensed national adoption agency.

Pros of Self-Matching

• It could be less expensive than working with some adoption professionals. It’s important to note that when placing a child for adoption, there are never any costs. In fact, you can receive financial assistance to help with pregnancy-related expenses. Although there are plenty of inexpensive adoption agencies, it might be cheaper to self-match. Keep in mind that this depends on where you live, as this can alter the cost of adoption.
• It may require less of hopeful adoptive families. Depending on what adoption agency you’re considering working with, hopeful adoptive parents may need to meet certain requirements. In the case of national adoption agencies, adoptive families may also need to travel.
• It allows you to build a direct relationship. When you find an adoption match without an agency’s help, you will work much more closely with the other party. In other words, you can foster a one-on-one relationship without an intermediary party. However, it should be noted, that the same can be accomplished through an agency-assisted open adoption.

The information above should give you a solid grasp of whether self-matching is a good fit for you or not. If you’ve read these pros and cons and decided that self-matching isn’t for you, then you may be curious about adoption agencies.

You never have to find an adoption match alone, and there are plenty of trusted adoption professionals who would love to help you complete your journey from start to finish.

If working with an adoption agency seems like the right path for you, then we’ve provided some of the basics to help get you started.

Who Works with Adoption Agencies? [The Adoption Matching Process with a Professional]

Hopeful adoptive families and prospective birth parents alike have unique reasons for working with an adoption agency. For the most part, people work with an adoption agency because they:

• Have shorter waiting times than waiting for an adoption match without an agency
• Can provide prospective birth mothers with adoption financial assistance
• Can ensure as smooth and stress-free of an adoption process as possible
• Help you create an adoption plan that outlines all your preferences and needs throughout your journey
• Can show you their proven track record and successful experiences with prospective birth mothers and hopeful adoptive parents just like you

Although these are not all the reasons that people decide to work with an adoption agency, these should provide you with a general idea of why people choose this path. You may feel that finding an adoption match through an agency is the best option for you.

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This can be a lot of information to wrap your head around at once. So, we understand if you have some more questions about self-matching and the adoption matching process in general. That’s why you can always fill out our online contact form to get more adoption information now. We’re looking forward to hearing from you! We would love to help you get started on this beautiful journey.