22 Questions to Ask your Adoption Agency

November 6, 2020

By Erin Quick, PairTree Founder

We had a pretty incredible week-long visit with Ashely Mitchell, Founder of The Lifetime Healing Foundation, birth mom and outspoken advocate for birth moms.

Did you miss Ashley Mitchell’s LIVE with PairTree Founder, Erin Quick, on our Instagram from last month’s office hours? Head to @bigtoughgirl’s IGTV channel to re-watch and learn from what she shares with our community.

One of the very important topics we went over is how to find an adoption agency that is ethical. (Fun fact: 50% of PairTree families are working with adoption agencies.)

The Lifetime Healing Foundation’s website has an incredible amount of free resources, which is a treasure-trove of information. Find all of those resources here.

One of those resources, Back to Basics: Adoptive Parents Role in Ethical Adoption guide with Kelly Treadway put together the comprehensive list below of questions to ask your agency:

1. Do the expectant parents have separate legal representation from the hopeful adoptive parents?
2. What help and services are being offered to expectant mothers in the hospital?
3. Did the expectant mother get to choose her own doctor?
4. Do you fly expectant parents to another state to place their child?
5. Were both parents notified of the pregnancy? If so, how were they notified?
6. Are both parents choosing adoption? If not, why?
7. Have expectant parents been given education and resources to parent if they choose?
8. Are expectant parents receiving counseling services prior to placing?
9. Are there post-placement services and support in place for biological parents?
10. What post-placement services are offered and are these services free? For how long?
11. Do you facilitate open adoption agreements?
12. Do you encourage open adoption with all parties?
13. May I have a detailed break down of adoption expenses? Will you break down what is covered in the agency fee?
14. If there is a matching fee, why is there a matching fee?
15. How much of the money I pay is “at risk” if a mother or father chooses to parent?
16. Are medical expenses being covered by Medicaid or insurance?
17. What medical expenses will I be responsible for?
18. How much is being spent on expectant parent expenses?
19. How are expectant parent expenses paid?
20. Are the expectant parents given a lump sum in cash or check at any point?
21. Do you require educational classes for hopeful adoptive parents?
22. What resources are available for me to learn more about open adoption relationships?

It’s a lot of questions, but they are essential to raising the ethical bar in adoption.