The adoption agency you work with should be one of your greatest supporters throughout the entire adoption process. Helping prospective birth mothers and hopeful adoptive families alike, your adoption professional will guide you in every step of this difficult process from beginning to end.

But reliable and reputable adoption agencies can be hard to find.

Top agencies, like American Adoptions of Arkansas, have many things in common and rank high in adoption agency searches like, “How to find an adoption agency in Arkansas?” because of key features, like:

• 24/7 support and guidance

• Financial transparency

• Full-service and fully licensed

• And more

Finding the right agency is one of the biggest, most important steps a family will take in the adoption process.

If you have any further questions about how to choose an adoption agency in Arkansas along the way, adoption specialists at American Adoptions are ready to answer. You can speak to one today for free or you can call us at 1-800-ADOPTION.

In the meantime, this guide will show you how to find an adoption agency in Arkansas and 5 ways to tell you picked the right one.

1. Fully Licensed and Full-Service                      

Licensed adoption agencies are reviewed by the government from each state the agency is licensed in. This typically adds a layer of security and protection for adoptive families, prospective birth mothers and children. However, it’s the best adoption agencies that are both fully licensed and full service.

A full‐service adoption agency has everything you need for your adoption all in one organization. With other adoption professionals, such as adoption consultants, adoption law firms and facilitators, you’ll only receive partial help with necessary adoption services.

A full‐service adoption agency will be dedicated to helping both prospective birth parents and adoptive families every step of the way, and American Adoptions of Arkansas can be that full-service agency for you.

2. Counseling and Support 24/7

The adoption process can be challenging for both adoptive families and prospective birth mothers but knowing how to find an adoption agency in Arkansas that is right for you can be so rewarding in the end.

There will be times along the way when you need to talk to your social worker at a moment’s notice, only it may be outside normal business hours. American Adoptions of Arkansas, like the other best adoption agencies, realize this, which is why they have 24/7 availability.

Beyond being there for the needs of adoptive families and prospective birth mothers during time-sensitive moments like the hospital stay, reliable adoption agencies offer 24/7 counseling and support as well.

It is not a good feeling to be on the receiving end of an emotionless, automated message when making an important phone call. That is why the top adoption agencies are always there for birth mothers in distress or just looking for someone to talk to.

Whether you are just starting to consider adoption or far along in the adoption process, this kind of counseling and availability is a crucial part of what will make your experience a great one with American Adoptions of Arkansas.

3. Nationwide Advertising

The process of showing adoptive family profiles to prospective birth mothers and finding adoption opportunities for adoptive families is knowns as “adoption advertising.”

While some agencies only advertise locally (and with a minimal budget, at that), the best adoption agencies invest significantly in advertising and can typically advertise across the country. This can trim down waiting periods, which is a common concern for people when they ask, “How to find an adoption agency in Arkansas?”

One birth mother, Randi, began her search for an adoption agency and was drawn to American Adoptions because it was “easy-going,” and the adoption process was “really up to what you wanted.” Randi was especially excited to share what she wanted in an adoptive family and to get to pick them for herself. Randi chose Matthew and Katheryn.

“When we got matched with them, it was like an instant connection,” she said.

American Adoptions can provide the most successful adoption advertising services you’ll find out there by getting prospective birth mothers the information they need and by working with a variety of families across the U.S.

4. Financial Transparency

If you are a prospective birth parent, the adoption process is completely free for you.

However, the cost of adoption is often an adoptive family’s biggest concern. The process can be expensive. Reliable adoption agencies should be transparent and honest with you, and will give you their cost of services up‐front before you make any decision to commit to them.

Doing plenty of your own research about costs and what you should expect to pay can help you with how to choose an adoption agency in Arkansas.

Cost estimates from top-rated adoption agencies should include the total estimated living, medical, legal and administrative expenses. Also, watch out for hidden fees or agency fees that increase as the adoption goes on. Reputable adoption agencies will give you the complete picture up-front when it comes to the cost associated with adoption.

5. Financial Protection for Adoptive Families

Adoptive families can experience adoption disruptions for a variety of reasons. While this is not incredibly common, it is possible. Some women pursuing adoption change their minds and decide to parent, sometimes after an adoptive family has already invested considerable money into the adoption.

Along with being respectful of the birth mother’s choice, good adoption agencies will protect the financial investment of hopeful adoptive families.

The best adoption agencies, like American Adoptions, have a comprehensive risk-sharing program that protects these families by refunding any money invested in the adoption, including living expenses, medical expenses, termination expenses and agency fees. This money is returned directly to the adoptive family, so they can decide if and when to pursue another adoption.

There is an emotional loss when an adoption disruption occurs. But, depending on the adoption agency, there doesn’t have to be a financial loss.

There are many other qualities to look for when searching how to find an adoption agency in Arkansas, but these five factors are a good place to start. If you have more questions about finding top-rated adoption agencies, or about the benefits of working with American Adoptions, you can request free information about adoption.

Questions to Ask an Adoption Agency [Knowing They Are the Right One]

Of course, some questions can be answered online nowadays, but for something this important, you should speak with a professional. Make a list of your top options after researching potential adoption agencies online, and contact those agencies.

When you call, ask the agency all the questions as you can think of. Don’t leave anything unanswered. To get started, you could ask questions like:

• How will you support my family and the prospective birth mother throughout this adoption process?

• What is your estimated cost of adoption, and what is included in that cost?

• How is your agency licensed?

• How do you prevent adoption disruptions, and how do you protect families if a disruption does occur?

• What kind of pre-adoption education and training do you provide? What kind of support do you offer prospective birth mothers and women considering adoption?

• What kind of adoption advertising do you do?

When you have questions to ask adoption agencies in Arkansas, whether you’re in person or on the phone, you should get a clear understanding if they are the right fit for you. Look for things like:

• Transparency: An adoption agency should be open and honest about what the cost of adoption will be, as well as what services are included in that cost.

• Compassion: Adoption is a personal, emotional process. Responses shouldn’t feel cold or scripted but genuine and caring.

• Clarity: An agency should have record of short wait time estimates. Make sure they are giving you clear and accurate answers.

• Professionalism: Any adoption agency worth working with will be fully licensed and have staff members who are certified experts in their field.

If you feel this has made you ready to reach out to a professional and learn more about how to find an adoption agency in Arkansas right for you, call us at 1-800-ADOPTION, or visit our online contact forms for prospective birth mothers and hopeful adoptive parents.

Disclaimer
Information available through these links is the sole property of the companies and organizations listed therein. American Adoptions provides this information as a courtesy and is in no way responsible for its content or accuracy.