Link: International Adoption :: International Adoption Agency.
Adoption is one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted things in parenthood. Bad press, like corrupt social services, media that has the motto “if it bleeds, it leads,” and people that feel like having adopted children is like being a second class citizen. Recently our county, city, and state governments are facing this very stipulation from a handful of greedy politicians and immature social workers. I don’t want to talk much about that here, because I don’t want to highlight it any more than the press has already done. But, when we saw this, our hearts were broken and our minds baffled by the circumstances.
The thing that I want to focus on is our wonderful agency, Children’s Hope International. I know that there are several great agencies out there but we chose CHI. So my experience with agencies is a little one sided. My vote is for CHI
Some things that will help you make the proper decisions when seeking out an agency to use for adoption. I will list what I believe to be the top 3 things to look for when considering an agency: (all of these we felt strongly characterized our agency and their staff.)
3. Understanding/explaining the process. When you attend the informational seminar (which you should do b4 making any decision) the agency should be able to answer every question you can think of related to the process of adoption and how they will help you. They should be able to clearly define and explain the costs involved and the payment expectations and work with you on seeking individual solutions for financing, and or affording adoption. If the person giving the seminar isn’t “the expert” on the countries policies and procedures you are considering, they should put you in touch with someone from their agency who is, ASAP.
2. Accredited Programs. Any agency you choose should have a valid up to date accreditations in their entire program. They should also have up to date accreditations in the specific country you consider adopting from. A symbol that is important to me also is the ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability), this symbol represents trust and accountability with the agencies accounting practices. Knowledge of and adherence to The Hague rules and regulations is also important.
1. Shared Value System with Wonderful Staff. The agency staff has to be friendly and gentle. Their Values must align with your value system. You don’t want to be getting advice from those whose value system you don’t share when you are at times emotionally taxed and looking for support and answers.
You will need to feel treated like a person and like you are the only one that matters. Punctuality in response, knowledge of questions, and reassurance are all important. As you proceed through the process they will be the ones you call with “urgent” questions about the paperwork process. They need to be calm under pressure and above all they need to treat you like you really, really matter.