[Shells90]

This is a strange situation we were working with an agency and choosen by a birthmother of whom we have a wonderful realationship with the due date is very close! A few days ago our agent or sw called and said she no longer was involved with the agency and that to complete the adoption we would have to go private so I immediately went to a lawyer paid the fee and got things started since she could deliver at any time. My question is this our social worker (agent) is still going to be their to take the relinquishement and guide us through the process. The fee will be discussed later. We have paid for the homestudy already and so that is taken care of what we would be paying for is the time she has invested in meeting with the birthmother setting up the appointments ect and further counseling if the birthmother and father were to need it. My lawyer gave me a ball park figure of around $2000 to $3000. I know we are not leagally required to pay for her work done under the agency but I do not want to be stingy and am happy to pay the $2000 yet I do not want to be taken advantage of either.
A side note this is the second time this social worker has changed agency etc on us. We are not able to continue with the agency because they have no one to take her place and the birthparents are fine with the change to indpendent I just do not want to pay an unreasonable amount out of guilt or a sense of loyalty to our agent. Please let me know your experience for reasonable fees so that I have a guide when we discuss what to pay.

Thank You

[MollyinSD]

Well our situation was a little different. We had to pay a social worker to counsel and inform the birthmother of her rights. To be there when she signed the relinguishment papers and such. We had to pay for her travel expenses and time. I think it came out close to 1000, but not more. But that was her only job was dealing with our son's birthmother.

[redhedded]

shells, I feel as though I must have misunderstood your post; otherwise, this is, well, insanely strange. A social worker is, under no circumstances, able to complete an agency adoption. That must be done by an agency that, in order to maintain current state licensure, must meet minimum requirements, at all times. If the agency had a social worker and that worker opted to leave, even quickly without notice, they would, quickly I assume, attempt to/hire another LCSW to take her place. The agency, generally speaking, would not permit an employed (or even privately contracted SW) to take their "clients;" unless of course, this were, twice now, happening without their knowledge. All work that she has already performed would have been provided by her at the agency expense; because this was originally an agency adoption, her salary (or fees) are paid by them for any services already provided.

If this is now an independent adoption, the attorney would be the one to complete consent process, maybe with SW as a witness. I think her leaving two agencies is a big red flag of something being amiss.

As for any future counseling, I would presume that a safer bet would be to set up an account and permit her to use a licensed counselor.

I hope that I am confused by your post and my response is an irrevelant and misguided one. Best of luck to you.

[sugarbabysmommy]

I agree, this is confusing to say the least. If this even remotely possible, another thing to consider are the laws governing agency and private(independent) adoptions. They are not the same in some states, for example subtle differences about when and how relinquishments can be signed, the reclaim period after signing, etc. I fail to understand why the agency is unable to assign another SW even on an emergency basis if the due date is eminent. How were the agency fees handled, or did you only pay the SW for her time? Is the SW holding onto your homestudy, is that why she's saying she needs to complete your adoption? Do you have a contract with this agency? I'm very confused, can you tell. I can only imagine how you feel.

[Shells90]

The agency was just liscenced to start domestic adoptions with this sw as the head contact running the division. They still provide international adoptions and the domestic adoptions was a new area, we have not signed a contract because we were their first adoption (they were still working those areas out the birthmother just came along very quickly before their were set up in some areas) we did not pay any money that was to happen at placement. The meeting (birthparents)and choosing processs happened during their liscencing stage. We paid for the homestudy only - of which we have a copy.

Our lawyer filed papers with the court to appoint our SW to take relinquishment (he said he could do it himself yet the birthmother lives two hours away and since the sw has handled everything as the agent up until this point we did not want to disrupt that relationship with the birthmother plus this is our first adoption and we have never been through the process before and it will be nice to have her guiddence.).

I hope this clears things up basically she will be appointed by the court to take relinquishment and she will be at the hospital throughout the delivery and do the one post placement visit and any counseling needed. My question was what is the reasonable fee for this since we will be discussing it I would like some knowledge of what others have paid so that I have a guideline.

Thank You for your responses the $1000 seems reasonable and much like our situation although it is an unusual one I am sure that some people have had independent social workers which follow the adoption and become an advocate for everyone involved who is knowledgeable of the adoption laws and will assist us with all of the "details" you do not know about. I know we could complete this without our sw yet I feel she has made an extra effort for us although their have been problems with the stabilities of the programs we have been guided to I do know she cares about all of the parties involved and it is not my nature to abandon someone who has worked diligently for us (one of the reasons we continued with her after the first agency closed their program due to low numbers of birthmothers limiting the adoptions to very few a year).

I hope this clears everything up I know it is an unusual situation but it is how this whole process has gone for us. A sidenote is that we choose to go this route also because of the number of birthmothers brought into the state for relinquishment for a majority of the adoptions yet this agency was the only one which practiced only placing true resident birthmothers so that their would be no issues with out of state laws or birthmothers who were away from their families and friends while making the biggest decision of their lives. Although the wait is much longer it was the only option we were comfortable with.

Thank You