The Adoption Agency Research Group was formed to help prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) in their research and selection of an international adoption agency. If you have already completed an adoption, please share your experience with us!

Over the past decade, international adoption has grown to a billion dollar industry, yet few safeguards exist for adoptive parents. State agencies provide some oversight and, even with U.S. implementation of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, PAPs must still do their research when it comes to choosing the best agency for their adoption!

The prospect of easy profits has proven too much for some adoption providers, costing some PAPs heartache and tens of thousands of dollars. Other parents have experienced unethical adoption practices, including misinformation and unexpected charges.

While selection of an adoption agency is highly personal -- one agency's program requirements or level of service may suit you better than another's -- every agency should respond to your inquires in a timely manner, provide a transparent process, follow ethical business practices, respect all local and foreign laws, take responsibility for everyone involved in your adoption (both here and abroad), offer a clear and easy process for resolving disputes, and provide a complete itemization with receipts for all monies involved.

Agencies that place more children have the potential for more complaints. HOW an agency handles problems is more important than whether an agency has had complaints. The best way to reduce your risk is to do your homework. Remember, you are about to give someone you really don't know an average of $30,000!

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