Working with an Adoption Agency

• Author: Jeffrey Kasky; Robert Andrew Kasky
• Pages: 39-42

39

CHAPTER

6

Working with an Adoption

Agency

As a prospective adoptive parent, what can you expect when working with an adoption agency or attorney?

First, the significant legal issues associated with adoption should be covered in some detail both in

general and as they may relate to the family’s specific case. The prospective adoptive family should know

that adoption is a creature of state law and it is thus closely governed and regulated by the court and

legislative body of each state. Generally, complying with the law should not be difficult, but there is little

or no margin for error. One small slipup might result in anything from undue delay and additional costs

to the adoptive family all the way up to loss of the custody of the child. So, have a discussion about the

effect of the law of the state where you adopt as well as the law of the state where you reside, if different.

From your perspective as a prospective adoptive family, it is critical to feel comfortable with and

confident in the people to whom you are entrusting such a significant event in your life, not to mention a

significant amount of your financial resources. It has always been our agency’s policy to deliver an unvar-

nished full and fair discussion of the process from the time of the first meeting with the various parties to

the finalization of the adoption and beyond.

The prospective adoptive family should be informed as to the agency’s views toward families that

already have one or more children. Some agencies and birth parents are adverse to such placements, want-

ing the child to be the first child adopted by the family. Further, it is important to know if the agency will

consider the family’s preference of gender as to the child sought to be adopted.

The level and frequency of communication between the family and the agency is yet another impor-

tant discussion. Will the family be provided with initial and ongoing prenatal records, hospital reports,

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