I know what you are going through. You just finished years of fertility treatments. You’re exhausted and discouraged. The idea of adopting is something you are considering, but having to navigate this new path seems quite overwhelming!

rg-adoption-consulting-use-adoption-consultantAdoption is a beautiful way to build your family…with the right education, a good strategy and an open heart. There are many paths to choose and the task of trying to figure that out can seem daunting and confusing. The good news is that there IS an easy button…or at least easiER!

Adoption Consultants are becoming more popular, saving prospective parents time, money and a lot of stress and aggravation when it comes to navigating your adoption journey. The adoption world is getting more competitive as fall-through rates are increasing and more people have turned to domestic infant adoption with international decreasing.

Think of an adoption consultant as a tour guide in a foreign country, helping to guide and prepare you for each stop along your journey. And trust me, the adoption process feels very much like a foreign country!

These are the four stops along your infant adoption quest and how a consultant can help:

The first stop is education. Before jumping in fully, you should know a little bit about where you are going, what you can expect and what the possible risks are. A consultant should teach you what you’ll need to prepare for your home study and finding the right place to get it done, how to assess risky situations; how to be a great agency client, when you’ll need an attorney and so much more. Besides, adoption agencies love when a client comes in educated about the adoption process. Leave that to your consultant.

Second stop is putting together your adoption profile. A profile is essentially a storybook of your life with pictures, stories and letters, which will give an expectant mother a clear picture of who you are and how her baby will fit into your life. The profile is a crucial piece for adoption matching as it is often the sole tool used is getting “chosen” by an expectant mother. A consultant will work closely with you in putting together a profile that you are proud of and that will get the attention of an expectant mother.

The third stop in your journey is to choose the adoption agencies you will work with. Let me start by asking you a question.

If you went to a financial planner with $250,000 to invest (wouldn’t that be nice), would he/she advise you to invest all of it into one stock?

I hope not. Why? Because it’s very risky and likely wouldn’t be the best use of your money. What do you think your financial advisor would tell you?

Right…DIVERSIFY!rg-adoption-consulting-adoption-consultant-and-clients

That’s the same strategy most adoption consultants take as well. A consultant is well networked with various agencies across the country. Typically, the model of an adoption consultant is to have prospective parents work with multiple agencies with low up front fees. In addition, because of our relationships, we will often have agencies and attorneys reaching out to consultants they work with, to help them find families to present for various adoption situations. We can then share those with our clients. A combination of these strategies, in most cases, leads to a much quicker adoption.

Do you agree that this makes more sense than putting all of your eggs in one basket?

Last stop, but certainly not least, is the support and resources you will receive from your consultant, someone who is there solely for YOU, every step of your journey. I’ve heard many people complain that they don’t feel supported by their agencies. Many agencies focus mainly on their expectant mothers. This makes sense because while families are easy to find, without expectant mothers, they wouldn’t have a business and you wouldn’t want to work with them. That said, YOU are the ones paying A LOT of money and still need support as well!  I’ve never met a perfect adoption situation or agency, so this support is invaluable as you try to navigate your adoption experience. Part of that support includes helping you to mitigate your risks by reviewing adoption situations with you to make sure you are asking the right questions and making the best decision for you and your family.

There are many routes you can go when exploring adoption. You want to make sure to weigh your options to see which feels best for you. Perhaps an adoption consultant can help you get that clarity and reduce some of that added stress you are feeling…and may help lead you to your baby pretty quickly.

Here’s to your dreams!

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