Success. Some facilitators of infant adoption will continue working with a birth mother, even if they think she will ultimately change her mind about placing her child for adoption. They operate on wishful thinking and want to collect fees throughout the process. Non-profit adoption agencies are more interested in the well-being of the child than in collecting fees. For that reason, we will only match a birth mother with adoptive parents if we believe the birth mother will not change her mind. In fact, Nightlight is careful enough to prevent shattering the dreams of adoptive parents, that our domestic matches result in adoption 96% of the time.
Wise contracts. Some websites offer couples a place to connect and carry out their own embryo adoptions. But they often do this without a contract, or with an insufficient contract. Since Nightlight has helped with embryo adoptions for over a decade, we have crafted contracts that avoid pitfalls, disappointments, and future conflict.
Realistic promises. Some facilitators make unrealistic promises about the costs, time involved in adoption, and likelihood of placement. Obviously, they do this in order to win your business. But non-profit adoption agencies like Nightlight know that this is a bait-and-switch approach. False promises ultimately hurt the client and the reputation of the agency. We would rather risk losing a few potential clients than make unrealistic promises.
Thriving families. Adoption agencies are committed to life-long support and education for families. They do not simply complete an adoption but give resources to adoptive families and birth mothers, who keep coming back for advice and help in years to come. In addition, adoption agencies use decades of experience to assist in matching, as well in helping adoptive families make decisions about adoption that will help them thrive.
Convenience. Adoption agencies are a “one stop” place to complete an adoption. If you work without an agency, you will still need an agency to complete a home study, and to act as the “adoption service provider” to complete some necessary steps. But with an adoption agency, you do not need to work with any other party to complete the adoption.
Protect children. Adoption agencies incur stiff penalties if they do not comply with laws, such as the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC). These laws protect children from trafficking, and also prevent families from fraud. Since in most states facilitators are unregulated, they do not have the same level of regulation.
Experience. Many agencies have been working with adoptive parents for decades, and it is a rather recent utilization of a “loophole” that has allowed other parties to offer adoptive services. With an agency, you benefit from years of expertise.
Daniel Nehrbass, Ph.D. | President