How to Research an Agency’s Reputation
The first thing you should do when considering an agency is to call the state licensing office for each state in which the agency is licensed. Many agencies carry multiple state licenses. It is vital that you call each state. Ask the state licensing office if the agency has a current license; how long they have been licensed; if any complaints have been filed against them; and if they have ever been sanctioned or disciplined by the licensing office. You can find the numbers for the state licensing offices on the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse Website.
If an agency is not licensed, it is considered a facilitator, and families should carefully consider whether the facilitator has the staff, knowledge and expertise to arrange adoptions.
The next step is to contact the Better Business Bureau in the area the agency is located in to see if any complaints have been filed. It is also a good idea to do an Internet search on the agency. See if there are any complaints against the agency listed on family pages; pages that contain adoption agency ratings, or in the media. When checking websites which contain agency ratings, it is a good idea to see who runs the agency and if the website is connected to any particular agency, consortium of agencies, or other group which may be less than unbiased.
Third, families should seek out online email discussion groups for the countries they are interested in adopting from. There are groups for virtually every country, and multiple groups for some countries. One listing of groups is available at Yahoo Groups. More can be found at Comeunity.com Families should ask the group for their experiences, both positive and negative, with a certain agency. It is also VITAL to ask for experiences with the facilitator or in-country staff. Facilitators often work for many different agencies; and experiences of those who worked with the same facilitator, even if with a different agency, can be helpful. In addition, if an agency has had major problems in any country, not just the one you are interested in, be cautious. Such problems could be the sign of a program that is not well managed. However, it is possible to have problems with a particular in-country facilitator that would not necessarily be the fault of the agency itself.
While it is true that virtually any agency could have a complaint or two that was filed by a disgruntled client, one should be concerned if a pattern exists. Consider the severity of the complaint; the number of complaints; and perhaps most importantly, the agency’s response when you inquire about the complaint. Some agencies strictly warn against posting to Internet listservs for references. If an agency has nothing to hide, they shouldn’t be concerned if you ask questions.
Too, some families discount the stories they hear from other clients because they have talked to the agency and feel comfortable with them. Agencies may tell families that the other clients were difficult; or that there is no truth to the rumors about their facilitators. All of that may be true, but if there is a lot of smoke, perhaps there is a fire there somewhere. Families often spend much more time deciding what kind of car to buy than in deciding whom to use for an adoption. Take the time to choose carefully. Any agency can experience a problem or two; and agencies are sometimes involved in difficult situations through no fault of their own. The true test of an agency is not that they’ve never been involved in a conflict; it’s in how they handled the conflict. If they handled a previous difficult situation well, their previous clients will likely acknowledge that. Every family wants to think well of the agency that brought them their child. When they don’t it should be cause for concern. Ignoring red flags that arise in your search for an agency could be a recipe for disaster.
