[Anu Subramanian]

Hi all,
Me and my husband are new to this forum. I have wanted to adopt since I was a kid. My husband and I are from India (now in the US, but not citizens yet). I can't wait for International adoption till we get our citizenship [img]images/icons/icon9.gif[/img] Does anyone know of an agency (you can PM me) that has South Asian children for adoption?
Thanks,
Anu

[sak9645]

Go to the website of the Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA), the Indian government bureau that deals with adoption. It has a list of American adoption agencies that are allowed to work in India.

The web address is http://www.cara.nic.in/carahome.html. Click on "Enlisted Foreign Agencies" at the top of the page. Then scroll down till you find agencies in the U.S.

Once you have gotten the list of accredited agencies, look each one up on its own website and read about it. Where you see an agency that interests you, send away for additional information.

Once you have identified four or five agencies that are "possibles", begin researching each. Do they belong to reputable adoption organizations like the Joint Council on International Children's Services? What does the licensure organization in the agency's state keep in the way of information on complaints about it? What does the Better Business Bureau in the agency's state have to say? And so on.

Then, start checking references. You can ask the agencies for a list of clients who have used it for a recent Indian adoption. They will be happy to provide one. By all means, call those people. However, recognize that the people identified by the agencies are likely to be their most satisfied clients.

So go beyond the lists from agencies. Go to your local adoption support group and see if you can find people who used an agency for the same country and in the recent past. (Remember that an agency can have a great program in one country, but a mediocre one in another, and that an agency's performance can change -- for better or worse -- over time.)

Then go on line to listservs, chats, and bulletin boards about Indian adoption. Post a question about the agencies you are considering and ask to be contacted by PRIVATE MESSAGE OR EMAIL. Do NOT expect responses directly on the site. Most listserv, chat, and board moderators don't allow agency discussions on line, for fear of lawsuits. And most parents and prospective parents don't like talking about agencies in a public forum.

I hope this helps.


Sharon