Placement

• How many children did you place last year?
• How many children did you place from each of the programs in which I am interested?
• How long have you been placing children from each of the countries I’m interested in?
• (For single parents) How many children did you place with a single parent? What types of children were placed with single parents?

Timing

• How soon after I apply will my home study begin? How long will it take to complete? When will I know if I have been approved?
• If I am not approved, can I find out why? Is there an appeal process?
• How long will it take from home study approval to the referral of a child? What happens if I don’t feel I can accept the child referred?
• (For international adoptions) Once I accept a referral, how long must I wait for the child to arrive or until I travel to adopt my child?

Costs

• What will be the total cost of adopting through each program? Do you supply a breakdown of fees in writing as well as a schedule of when payments are due?
• Does the fee cover the home study, all postplacement visits, fees to the placing agency (international or in-country), international processing, transportation and miscellaneous fees (visa, dossier preparation, notarization, medical exams, document translation, exit tax)?
• Do you have an annual report that demonstrates fiscal accountability? How does the agency spend leftover funds? What percentage of the funds is spent on administration?

International Programs

• Do you have more than one foreign adoption program? Could I switch my application to another country if regulations change or a moratorium is declared?
• Are the international agencies you work with licensed in their own countries? How long have you worked with them?
• Do you help prepare clients for the adoption trip? Do you help make travel arrangements?
• Do you have bilingual representatives respected by the authorities in each foreign country to obtain or assist with the referral of a child? Will they be there to assist me through the process when I arrive?
• Do you provide financial assistance to the orphanages from which you place children?

Other Pertinent Questions

• Do you give clients a copy of their rights with their application form? Do you provide a contract that spells out my responsibilities toward the adoption as well as what you are responsible for?
• Is there a written policy of quality assurance that will address my concerns during the process?
• What kinds of support services do you offer before, during and after placement?
• What if the adoption doesn’t work out?

Adapted from “Shopping for an Adoption Agency,” Adoption Information Service, Seattle, Washington

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