[StorkWatcher]

If you live in a state that allows birthmother expenses, ask how they handle that.

Ask what fees are refundable, and at what points are they.

Ask what counseling they provide the adoptive couple to - both during the wait and after placement, and if these are free.

Ask if they have a support group for waiting parents.

Ask how many couples are currently waiting, how many expectant moms are currently planning to place, and the average annual number of placements plus the actual number for the past couple of years.

Average wait time.

Are you responsible for hiring/finding the attorney, or do they assist with that?

Also, how often and by what means do they prefer you check in to see how things are going? (email once a month? Call whenever you feel like it?)

What happens if you are matched, but the match fails either before or after baby's birth (but before placement)?

Ask how many of their placements are open/semi-open/ closed. We were also interested to learn the statistics of how many birthmoms had/were already parented/parenting and the average age of a birthmom.

Ask how you are matched - does the agency pick you? Is there a waiting list based on length of time? Or does the expectant mother/family get to choose the potential adoptive couple?