First, you want to be sure that you can use a facilitator in your state. In many states, such as Virginia where we live, it's illegal to pay anyone to 'connect' you with a birth family. You can only pay for your home study, legal fees, counseling and post placement supervision. These must all be provided by licensed professionals.
Many facilitators will tell you how to 'get around' these issues. Ultimately, it is your adoption that is at risk if the state finds that there were illegal activities and voids the adoption as a result (and yes, this can and does happen at times).
Also, very few states have any kind of criteria for who can call themselves a 'facilitator' - I think California may be the only state that requires that facilitators meet any kind of standard. So you get the good, the bad and the very very ugly (think JoElla Kern or Renee Hariston). So, if you do proceed, be VERY careful, check references, boards and the BBB.
Finding good adoption professionals can be a challenge. Have you asked your OB/GYN, family doctor, religious leader (priest/minister/rabbi/oman, etc.), checked for area support groups on adoption? If you've gotten an attorney already, they may be able to recommend also.
For us, we used an agency recommended to us by my OBGYN, attorney and our own time to search for DS. We connected with his birth family 4 months after we started searching, he was born 7 months later. If you'd like, I;ll be happy to send our search tips. Email me
tobeafamily@excite.com.
HTH,
Regina