Adoption Agencies and Support Groups

Adoption: Surviving Your Social Worker Most adopters are at least a little afraid of their social worker—whether they admit it or not. Most social workers are compassionate people who want adopters to succeed. But they are human, and they have...

Adoption: What You Need to Know About Home Studies Why do agencies perform home studies? For one thing, home studies are required by law in most states, whether you adopt your child through an adoption agency or with the assistance of an adoptio...

When You Are Turned Down as an Adoptive Parent Rejection doesn't happen much in adoption, because most families who think they might get rejected by an agency drop out of the home study process before it ends. But once in a while, a family is su...

Internet Adoption Scams In 2000, an adoption facilitator offered biracial twins for adoption on the Internet. Several families wanted to adopt the twins. The story is far too complicated to describe in all its details here, but basically, the tw...

Common Adoption Scams What kinds of bad things do scammers do to people who want to adopt? You want specifics? Okay. I warn you about major scams to avoid in the following sections. Money Manipulators Beware of any agency that asks for a lot of ...

Adoption Facilitators Some states, including California, allow people who are not agency social workers or attorneys to help people find birthmothers (for a fee). These people are called adoption facilitators or adoption consultants. Adopterms I...

Common Adoption Scams What kinds of bad things do scammers do to people who want to adopt? You want specifics? Okay. I warn you about major scams to avoid in the following sections. Money Manipulators Beware of any agency that asks for a lot of ...

When it comes to screen time and kids, it isn't all bad news. The American Academy of Pediatrics offers guidelines on how to make screen time healthy and educational.

State Government Adoption Agencies State agencies primarily place foster children for adoption when their biological parents' rights are terminated (or willingly given up). The children may have been physically or sexually abused, neglected, or ...

Finding an Adoption Agency How do you locate a reputable and competent adoption agency? Many people merely pick up the Yellow Pages and start dialing every number listed under “Adoption.” Not a good idea. The agency with the splashiest adver...

Adoptive Parent Groups Adopterms An adoptive parent group (sometimes called an adoptive parent support group) is a group of adoptive parents and prospective adoptive parents who meet to obtain information about adopting as well as to socialize a...

State Government Adoption Agencies State agencies primarily place foster children for adoption when their biological parents' rights are terminated (or willingly given up). The children may have been physically or sexually abused, neglected, or ...