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Adoption Agencies
What You Need to Know about Adoption Agencies
By Charlene Torkelson
David and Maureen Brown from Edina, Minn., made a decision to adopt but wondered, now what? How should they start the procedure? They began by interviewing four to five adoption agencies. Or, as Maureen puts it, "We interviewed them first; they interviewed us second."
The Browns selected The Children's Home Society for three reasons: First, with more than 100 years of experience, it was the most established. Second, the organization had personnel who lived in their child's birth country who knew the orphanages and that country's procedures. And third, they provided post-adoptive services.
They chose – or rather, were chosen by – China.
Maureen Brown says each country has its own criteria for adoptive parents, which may include age and religion, even height and weight, of the perspective parents. China seemed to be the best match for them. Although it took two years for the process, they found the agency to be excellent. They will be touring China through the agency in the future so their daughter is able to connect with her heritage.
Chris and Dennis Hansen from Chanhassen, Minn., used that same agency for both their adoptions. Although their oldest is now 18, they continue to support the post-adoptive programs serving as guest speakers, panel members and mentors.
Fraud is when an agency charges money for services it never provides or when a biological parent takes money from more than one prospective parent with no intention of following through with the adoption. There are other types of fraud, such as charging very high fees or being improperly staffed. "Wrongful adoption" is when parents are not given truthful reports about their adopted child's medical, emotional and physical background.
