4 Kinds of Adoption Agencies in Indiana
You may find yourself wondering which method of adoption you should pursue. Each adoption journey is different, thanks in part to the different types of adoption agencies you can choose to work with.
By the end of this guide we’ll have gone over different types of adoption agencies and the benefits and drawbacks of each type. This will give you the tools you need to decide what kind of agency you want to work with.
Reach out to us for more information about how to move forward with your adoption process.
What is an Adoption Agency?
Adoption agencies are organizations that connect prospective adoptive families with women experiencing unwanted pregnancies. These agencies often provide services to support adoptive parents and birth mothers.
An important feature of adoption agencies are the licensing requirements. An organization must be licensed per state to operate as an adoption agency. These licenses mean the state government is able to monitor the agencies and make sure everything going on is ethically and legally sound.
Learn more about the differences between adoption agencies and other adoption organizations.
Types of Adoption Agencies
Adoption agencies aren’t all the same. Let’s get into the differences between a few kinds of agencies:
Private Adoption Agencies
Private adoption agencies go by many names. You may have heard them referred to as newborn adoption agencies, infant adoption agencies, or domestic adoption agencies. All of these refer to the same kind of organization.
Private adoption agencies focus on keeping children out of the foster care system by matching adoptive families and prospective birth mother before the child is born. Most agencies also provide essential services throughout the adoption process, and support open adoption relationships for years afterward.
Public Adoption Agencies
Public adoption is commonly referred to as adoption through foster care. Foster care is typically run by state agencies. While some adoptions do begin as foster care relationships, the aim of foster care is to reunite foster children with their biological parents, not to facilitate adoption.
If you do get the rare chance to adopt through foster care, you can look for help with the legal proceedings from adoption attorneys or organizations specializing in public adoption.
Because of the nature of foster care adoptions, these professionals tend to offer less support than private agencies.
Local Indianan Adoption Agencies
The term local adoption agency refers to a licensed private agency which focuses its attention on a specific region of the country, sometimes as small as a few counties, but more often a single state.
These agencies can be highly desirable because of the experience of working with them. Local agencies are often integrated into local communities to a high degree, trusted by community members, and may be able to provide attentive, personable, one-on-one service.
There are also downsides to working with local agencies. Because of their narrow reach, local agencies often aren’t able to provide essential adoption services. This also keeps wait times at local agencies relatively high.
National Adoption Agencies
The term national adoption agency refers to a licensed private agency which operates in multiple states across the country. No agency is currently licensed in all 50 states; however, some maintain a presence in all 50 states as adoption advisors or adoption specialists. You can read more about the differences here.
These agencies are often able to provide the best support through the adoption process. Their reach and wide contact base allows them to run support programs for adoptive families and prospective birth mothers. This wide contact base also allows national agencies to keep wait times short.
Being a national organization does have its drawbacks. National agencies sometimes can’t provide the personalized, one-on-one service local agencies offer. They also may not be meaningfully connected to the communities they serve.
Adoption Agencies Near Me [Indiana]
Our offices in Brownsburg and Indianapolis are staffed with local adoption specialists. Though we are a national agency, we act locally. We leverage the strength of our national network to keep wait times low and provide you useful services.
Indianapolis Office
Indianapolis, IN 46240
+1 (800) 236-7846
Brownsburg Office
Brownsburg, IN 46112
+1 (800) 236-7846
We are also known and active in the greater Indiana community, and guarantee you a dedicated adoption specialist, one-on-one personalized support and a 24/7 help line. Contact us for more information on adopting with American Adoptions of Indiana.
Benefits of Private Adoption Agencies
Adoption is possible without the support of adoption agency; however, working with an agency removes many roadblocks, and provides structured support throughout the adoption process.
The largest adoption agencies are able to provide many benefits to families and birth mothers that agencies with more restricted resources may not be able to.
For example, we offer full financial risk protection for every family that works with us. This means that if something interrupts your adoption process, you retain control of your finances.
We also offer birth mothers scholarships, so that they have an opportunity to continue their education. We hope this will help birth mothers reach a place in their life where they feel purposeful and ready to respond to challenging situations.
Contact an Adoption Agency Today
You can contact American Adoptions of Indiana by filling out a form or calling our local offices. We are licensed home study provider in every county in Indianapolis, and can provide support through every part of your adoption process. Call or fill out our form to get in touch today.
Disclaimer
Information available through these links is the sole property of the companies and organizations listed therein. American Adoptions provides this information as a courtesy and is in no way responsible for its content or accuracy.