Articles How to Choose an Adoption Agency

Written by: Laura Rubin | Published on: November 05, 2025

How to Choose an Adoption Agency

Understanding Your Adoption Goals

Embarking on your adoption journey is sure to involve a mix of nerves and excitement. Before you jump into the process of choosing an adoption agency, it’s important to sit down and figure out your overall hopes for your adoption. Not only will this give you a general roadmap, it can also help you avoid frustration and wasted time and effort when picking an agency.

Domestic vs. International Adoption

One of the first points to consider is whether you wish to pursue domestic adoption—where birth parents and adoptive parents are residents of the same country—or international adoption—where each are residents of different countries.

Both options have the same goal of building families through adoption, but there are key differences.

	Domestic Adoption	International Adoption
Overseen By	Individual states	US State Department and The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-Operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Convention)
Age of Child	Private domestic adoptions typically involve newborns while adoptions through foster care involve older infants and children.	International adoptions usually involve children over the age of 1.
Process	After your family chooses an agency and completes a home study, an expectant mother will choose you based on your profile.	After finding a Hague-accredited agency, the exact process will vary, but generally includes a home study, immigration applications, a dossier with your family’s information, and any other steps required by your state and/or the child’s origin country.
Timeline	1.5 to 2.5 years	1 to 5 years (1)
Cost	Foster: Often free (or reimbursed)Private agency: $30,000 – $60,000Independent: $25,000 – $45,000	$20,000 – $50,000 (2)

Newborn vs. Foster Care Adoption

If you decide that domestic adoption is the right fit for your family, your next choice is whether you hope to adopt a newborn through private adoption or an older child or sibling group through the public foster care system.

Adoption through a private agency is a good fit for families hoping to grow their family with a newborn baby. Every adoption is unique, but the process for a private adoption usually involves working with an agency to complete an application and home study and then the creation of a family profile. Expectant mothers will review your profile and choose you if your family feels like a good fit.

Adoption through foster care is also a beautiful way to grow your family if you wish to adopt an older infant or child. The goal of foster care is family reunification, and when that isn’t possible, adoption becomes an option for children in the foster care system.

The process for foster adoption is less straightforward than for private adoption. To get started, you can either work with a private agency that partners with public state agencies or contact your state’s child welfare agency directly.

The average age (3) for children adopted from foster care is around 8, and keeping siblings together is usually a priority. There is more potential for past trauma among children who are adopted from foster care, but there are many resources available for adoptive families like counseling and support groups.

Level of Openness You’re Comfortable With

Another point to consider is the level of openness, or amount of contact, you would like to have with your child’s birth family. It may be worth thinking into the future and visualizing what type of contact feels right as your child grows up.

In general, open adoptions (4) are more common in private domestic adoptions, somewhat less common in foster adoptions, and rare in international adoptions.

Open Adoption	Semi-Open Adoption	Closed Adoption
The specifics within open adoptions vary, but in general, your family and the expectant mother will create a communication plan before the child is born. The plan will lay out details for how often and how you will communicate (e.g. regular calls) and guidance on in-person visits. In an open adoption, birth mothers and prospective adoptive parents know one another from the beginning.	In a semi-open adoption, your family and the expectant mother share information through a third party mediator, like an agency caseworker or an adoption attorney. You may or may not know identifying details about the expectant mother, but you might send photos and/or updates as your child grows up.	In a closed adoption, there is no information exchanged between the expectant mother and the prospective adoptive parents. For a variety of reasons—including laws in other countries, language barriers, and lack of birth family information—international adoptions are often closed.

Types of Adoption Agencies

Once your adoption goals are laid out, you’re ready to identify the type of adoption agency that will work best for you. The main types of adoption agencies include private agencies and public agencies, and it’s also important to distinguish between licensed and unlicensed agencies and/or facilitators.

Private Adoption Agencies

Private adoption agencies typically manage domestic newborn adoptions, and they work directly with expectant mothers and adoptive families. These agencies are privately funded, but they are licensed by individual states and must follow each state’s adoption laws and regulations.

Some private agencies also manage international adoptions, and they can contract with the state government to facilitate foster adoptions.

Public Adoption Agencies (Foster Care)

Public adoption agencies are run by state governments and facilitate adoptions from the foster care system. Sometimes referred to as child welfare agencies, they are usually part of a state’s human services or social services department. The main goal of a public adoption agency is to find permanent homes for children that are in state custody.

Licensed vs. Unlicensed Agencies and Facilitators

One of the most important factors to pay attention to is whether an agency or professional is licensed or unlicensed. While states have different adoption laws and regulations, state licensing does guarantee that an agency has to follow specific rules, which makes the process safer for birth mothers, children, and adoptive families.

Unlicensed adoption facilitators and consultants are becoming increasingly common. While they may offer guidance about the adoption process, it’s important to note that because they aren’t licensed, there is more risk if anything goes wrong with your adoption.

Adoption Agency Examples

To get you started in your search, we have included some example agencies below and noted the types of adoptions they offer.

Agency	Types of Adoption Offered
Gladney Center for Adoption	Domestic, international, foster
Adoptions From The Heart	Domestic, international
Family Network Adoption Center	Domestic
AdoptHelp	Domestic
A Bond of Love	Domestic

Key Qualities to Look for in an Agency

Now that your goals are identified and you know what type of agency to pursue, you can start narrowing down your list of possible agencies based on other important characteristics. Think of the following as a “quality checklist” you can use to identify the right agency for your family.

Licensing and Accreditation

When choosing an adoption agency, you’ll first want to make sure that the agency has the correct licensing and/or accreditation. Any agency that you work with should be licensed in your state, guaranteeing that the agency will follow state adoption policies and meet specific minimum requirements around staff education and training, record storage, and services like counseling.

If you’re pursuing international adoption, make sure you identify an agency that is Hague-accredited. The Hague Convention (4) on Protection of Children and Co-Operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Convention) is an international treaty aimed at ensuring international adoptions are completed ethically and in the best interest of the child.

Transparency in Fees and Timelines

When speaking to different agencies, be sure to ask questions about their fee structure, any variable costs, and estimated wait times. This information is vital to your adoption journey, and it’s a red flag if an agency is not up front about costs.

Comprehensive Support and Counseling

Adoption is emotional for everyone involved. That’s why high-quality adoption agencies offer counseling and other types of support for adoptive parents, expectant mothers, and children. It’s important to note that an agency should provide tailored support for expectant mothers that is separate from what is provided to adoptive parents.

Experience and Reputation

An agency’s experience and reputation can give you an idea of what it would be like to work with them. Check how long an agency has been in operation and if they have managed the type of adoption you are pursuing. It’s also worth asking an agency to provide testimonials or references from other adoptive families to inform your decision.

Your Step-by-Step Vetting Process

Once you have a better idea of what you’re looking for in an adoption agency, it can be helpful to have a step-by-step plan for researching and evaluating potential agencies.

Step 1: Create a Shortlist of Local and National Agencies

At the beginning of your search, you’ll want to focus on narrowing down to a list of three to five agencies that fit your adoption goals. Start by using online search tools, like the Child Welfare Information Gateway National Adoption Directory or an online directory such as adoptiondirectory.com, and look at agencies licensed in your state. You can evaluate agencies based on the type(s) of adoptions they manage and what services they provide.

Step 2: Research Their Online Presence (Website, Reviews, Social Media)

Once you have a short list of agencies, you can research your options further by taking a look at their online presence. You can also get a sense of an agency’s approach, tone, and professionalism by looking at how they present themselves online. Start with the agency’s website, and then look into reviews and social media. It’s a good idea to look for independent reviews to make sure you’re getting a full picture.

Step 3: Attend an Informational Session or Webinar

Most agencies offer some sort of free informational meeting or webinar. View or attend as many as you’d like so you can get a sense for each agency’s style, approach, and way of communicating. These sessions should also provide more insight into the general process each agency follows.

Step 4: Schedule an Initial Consultation

When your research has led you to a few possible agencies, schedule an initial consultation with one or two. This will be your chance to meet with someone from the agency face-to-face and ask any questions you may have.

Critical Questions to Ask an Adoption Agency

Before your consultation, sit down and make a list of questions you’d like to ask. Below are some common ones to get you started.

Questions About Costs and Fees

What fees are adoptive parents responsible for?
What is the structure and timeline for payments?
What happens to our funds if a placement falls through?
Are expenses capped for birth mothers?
Are there any fees that vary or are all fees fixed?

Questions About the Process

What is the general process for an adoption, and is there a typical timeline?
How many families are you currently working with?
Who will be our primary point of contact?
How do you typically communicate with prospective adoptive parents?
Who will we work with for our home study?

Questions About Support for Birth Mothers

What services do you offer to birth mothers?
Do you provide pre-adoption education for birth mothers?
How do you ensure her decision is not coerced?
Is counseling available to the birth mother for life?
Is support tailored to birth mothers and separate from support for adoptive families?

Red Flags to Watch Out For

There are certain practices that should raise an immediate red flag for you and cross an agency off your list.

High-Pressure Tactics

An adoption agency should be as committed to a good fit as you are. Any agency that makes you feel pressured is not worth pursuing. Tactics like asking you to sign a contract or pay significant fees at the first meeting are not typical and should be a sign to walk away.

Vague Answers About Fees

Agencies should be able to give you a clear and detailed fee schedule. Vague or incomplete information is a red flag and might indicate poor management or unethical practices.

Lack of Support for Birth Parents

It’s vital that the agency you choose provides support for birth parents. Avoid any agency that doesn’t provide support services for birth parents, speaks poorly of them, or minimizes their role.

Poor Communication

If you experience poor communication from an agency during the vetting process, it’s likely an indication of how they will communicate with you if you work with them. Keep an eye out for things like lack of responsiveness or vague answers.

Making Your Final Decision

Choosing an adoption agency is an exciting and critical part of growing your family through adoption. Understanding your adoption goals is the first step before deciding what type of agency you want to pursue. Pay attention to qualities like licensing, transparency, support, and reputation while creating your shortlist, and look at online presence and reviews in your research. Finally, meet with your list of agencies and ask as many questions as you need.

In the end, trust your intuition, and choose an agency that makes you feel supported, respected, and confident in your adoption journey.

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