[rbmcqueen]

I am looking for some info on an agency called adoption avenues , has anyone adopted with them or heard of them, WHERE can I get info on them..

[sak9645]

The first and best way to find out about agencies is to check references.

You should first get a list of references from the agency. These should be people who have used the agency in the past 1-2 years for adoption from your country of choice. (Remember that an agency can have a great program in one country, but a mediocre one in others.

But you should also go beyond this list, as the people referred by the agency are bound to be its most satisfied clients. If there is an adoption support group in your community, go to a meeting and ask if anyone has had experience with the agency.

Otherwise, go out on line and post questions on adoption related bulletin boards and listservs pertaining to your country of interest. Make sure that you ask people to email you privately, rather than posting to the board or list. One reason is that most moderators do not allow agency bashing, since the agency will not be available to rebut criticisms. Another is that many parents won't feel comfortable posting negative comments on a public list, especially if their adoptions are still in process.

When you check references, ask people very specific questions -- not just, "Did you have a good experience?" Remember that, even if an agency is honest and ethical in every way, it may be wrong given your specific concerns.

As an example, if you have never traveled overseas and are concerned about this aspect of adoption, be sure to ask people lots of questions about the level of "hand-holding" that the agency did while they were in-country. Or if you are easily boggled by paperwork, be sure to ask how much help the agency gave with dossier preparation.

Needless to say, you will also want to ask questions to be sure that there were no unpleasant financial "surprises", such as being asked for extra money by the overseas facilitator.

But there are also some other ways you can check on an agency. One way is to call the licensing bureau in the state or states where the agency is licensed. Ask the person there about whether the bureau tracks complaints against the agency, and how the agency has fared. Don't worry if you hear of one complaint; no agency is perfect. But if there are lots of complaints, or some very serious allegations, this should warn you away.

Also call the Better Business Bureau in the state or states where the agency is licensed, and ask the same questions. The BBB can usually tell you about complaints that have been filed, and their disposition.

Check to see whether the agency is a member of respected organizations that advocate for ethical adoption practices. The leading organization of this sort is the Joint Council on International Children's Services. You can see its membership list on its website at www.jcics.org.

A very large percentage of the licensed, 501(c)3 international adoption agencies in the U.S. belong to JCICS, which provides inservice education to adoption professionals and advocates for high ethical standards in adoption. To become a member, agencies must sign the organization's Standards of Practice. The organization is also in the process of developing a complaint registry, though I'm not sure if it's in place yet.

Other respected adoption organizations include the National Council for Adoption, the Child Welfare League of America, and the North American Council on Adoptable Children.

Besides seeing if an agency is a member of any of these organizations, check to see if some of its staff are presenters at the organizations' conferences. This usually shows that a presenter and his/her agency is well-respected in the adoption community.

You may want to check to see if the agency is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Services to Children and Families (COA). At present, COA accreditation is voluntary, and some agencies have chosen not to go through the expensive and time-consuming process, because they are worried that, when the Hague Convention is implemented in the U.S., a different accreditation process will be mandated. So it is not terrible if an agency is not yet COA-accredited -- but it is a definite plus if it IS COA-accredited.

Another thing you should do is to spend some time learning about the adoption requirements of the country of interest to you. Then read the agency's literature and website carefully. If its statements seem "too good to be true", they probably AREN'T true. For example, some agencies will talk about countries that are currently closed to adoption, or that have a very long time frame, as if you can easily adopt there.

You should always check the website of the U.S. State Department, at http://travel.state.gov, to see if there are any recent messages about conditions in your country of interest. As an example, you will learn on the website that Ukraine is currently not accepting any dossiers, except from families wanting children with severe medical problems, school aged children, or sibling groups.

The State Department website also presents, for certain countries, lists of the agencies accredited by the foreign country. As an example, Ethiopia allows only a few American agencies to place children from there. These agencies are listed on the website. If an agency isn't on the list, and you try to adopt through it, you could find that you cannot complete your adoption or immigrate your child.

You may also want to contact the U.S. Embassy in the foreign country that interests you. In some cases, MAY be able to find out if there have been cases where the agency, or its foreign facilitators, referred children who were not eligible for immigration or committed any other irregularities.

Of course, you should be aware of information such as how long the agency has been in business, and the adoption experience of its key staffers. In general, an agency that has been in business for years is preferable to a newer agency. However, some newer agencies can be good if they were founded by staff, or have hired staff, with lots of experience in placing children from your country of interest.

Be aware that an agency directed by a person who is a native of a particular country isn't necessarily a good agency, if he/she doesn't have professional adoption experience. And, likewise, be aware that an agency directed by a person who has adopted from a particular country isn't necessarily a good agency, if the person doesn't have professional adoption experience.

You should also try to see what you can find out about the in-country facilitators an agency uses, if it does not actually have its own staff in that country. Alas, there have been many adoption problems caused by foreign facilitators who are dishonest, or who are not familiar with the laws and ethical standards pertaining to American adoptions.

I hope this is helpful.

Sharon