Are you considering adoption? Looking for an agency? I’d love to talk to you more about our own. And, I have a piece posted on We Are Grafted In today with a list of questions to ask adoption agencies when you are trying to decide which agency to use for an international adoption. Go check it out, and let me know here or there what you think. Are there any other questions you would add to the list?
This is a great piece to write Kelly. I would add “How good are they at returning phone calls?”.
I have a very close friend who contacted a well known adoption agency about a child on their specific special needs list (she already sponsors this child through her foster home) and she didn’t get a call back. A few days later she left 2 more messages and still no one called back. So we decided that this child was probably already placed.
My friend who feels like God really laid this child on her heart then made the decision to try and make a sizable donation to help pay for the adoption of the little one. She called twice and left messages saying she wanted to help fund this adoption and would you believe that NO ONE CALLED HER BACK! This is a well know agency and I wouldn’t recommend them to anyone. I also feel bad for the person this baby was placed with because their agencies poor management skills kept them from receiving a large amount of money towards their adoption and contact with someone who has pictures and artwork from their daughter that she wanted to give them.
Thanks for the place to share. I felt like that needed to get out there. Not all agencies run their business the same and you want to make sure that yours is good administratively.
Great post – and such an extensive list of questions. I had to LOL – normally I’m the researcher and the information gather-er and the referral seeker. But when we found our agency, it was an instant settling in our heart – no in-depth research, just the Spirit moving on what was already two primed and pumped hearts seeking His plan.
So while I am the first to advocate research, research, research, I will also say that we learned first hand with that first journey that sometimes going into a conversation with no expectations and letting the Holy Spirit speak works pretty well too :)
I totally wigged out my hubby when I said through my own tears of surrender, “This is our agency” before he even could finish crying his own tears. :)
I was going to add what Ginny said – our agency had a 24 hour return call/email policy. This is VERY important to someone with NO patience ;) Which, i think can happen to us all when we are waiting! So, truly, I would ask up front what their return call policy is. if there isn’t one – I’d move on.
As recently as last year, I did not receive a call back (and several emails) from a well-known agency for 3 months. Bummer. While I wouldn’t discourage someone from using them had they felt led – I certainly would NOT recommend them. Christian agency too ;(
Kelly, THANK YOU for leading us to LHAA … actually I suppose it was God working THROUGH you to lead us to Living Hope. We have been so happy and are now anxiously awaiting our referral. I’m so glad you are a part of our lives!