subject: From Cary,huntley And Elgin,il...adoption Agencies And Psychological Evaluations-what You Must Know! [print this page] Adopting a child and exposing you, your spouse and your family to an unknown little person is a huge responsibility and can even be frightening. The adoption procedure and requirements can appear daunting if you've never been through them before.
This is the primary reason to do your adoption through a respected and credentialed adoption agency. A respected agency will literally escort you through the entire process step-by-step, so that your anxiety will be reduced and the expectations will be clear.
You will not have to experience many unpleasant surprises. There are public adoption agencies and private ones, as there are with other professional services.
Public adoption agencies usually rely primarily on government funding and label themselves as non-profit. However, some good agencies are owned and operated by private parties, as well.
They are funded by the fees you pay for their services. Remember, that both public and private adoption agencies can be good or bad.
While they provide identical services, some agencies are much better than others. The better agencies often require that you and your spouse undergo a psychological evaluation to qualify you to adopt.
They want to be sure you will be fit parents to the child. You must pay for the evaluation and, usually you will need to get it from either a social worker, counselor, psychiatrist or psychologist.
However, the psychologist is the most highly qualified professional to provide it. Because of this, his report would be immune to some of the challenges to which the other reports might be vulnerable.
When assessing an adoption agency's program be as certain as possible that you will be getting the highest quality services for the money that you spend. Make certain that the agencies you are considering have a record of satisfaction and high ethics with their former clients.
Plug the agency names into search engines and see if you can find reviews or critiques of their services from others. If possible, call them for fuller explanations of their comments.
Also, do not be shy about asking agency representatives for referrals to some of their former clients who have used them to adopt. Attempt to meet with these former clients and encourage them to discuss their experience with the agency-good, bad, or indifferent.
Remember, unscrupulous adoption personnel know that adopting a child is a very emotional event and some will even play on your feelings to victimize you financially or in some other way. Don't let that happen!
Most importantly, before you sign anything, thoroughly interview representatives of each agency and research their licenses, certifications and accreditations. Carefully study any contract presented to you by an adoption agency and get a copy of it to take home and study.
Remember, adopting a child is a major expense, not to be taken lightly. Note the fees and costs you were quoted and be sure they are identical to those listed in the contract.
In fact, do your own due diligence and have an adoption attorney evaluate the contract before you sign it. When attempting to adopt, most people are thinking with their feelings; psychologists call this emotional reasoning and it is a poor way to make a monumental decision.
Don't adopt that way! Use common sense, business sense and think with your head, not just your heart. Be open to the comments of an agency's former clients and the evaluation of a reputable adoption attorney.
