If you are pregnant and considering adoption, odds are, you have many different questions about the process and where to begin. Did you know that choosing an adoption professional is one of the first and most important decisions you will make during your adoption?

Your choice of adoption agency and other professionals involved throughout your adoption will impact your overall experience. Because finding the right adoption agency is such an important step in the adoption process, you will want to take your time and research your options. Whether it’s through online resources, or by contacting adoption professionals, prospective birth mothers are able to find information about adoption agencies and what services they are able provide.

But what is the best way to find information from birth mothers who actually worked with a specific adoption agency?

Adoption agency reviews are a great place to start.  Through these reviews, you can read comments from birth mothers who have used the services of a specific agency and learn from their experiences. But where do you find reviews of adoption agencies, and can you trust them?This guide explores the advantages of using birth mother reviews of adoption agencies as you research adoption professionals, as well as how to find the best adoption agencies reviews and more.

Adoption Agency Reviews: What to Look for

Adoption agencies exist to provide beneficial services to hopeful adoptive parents and pregnant women considering adoption. Because each adoption situation is unique, and a service is being provided, clients of adoption agencies will have different experiences and opinions. How, if and where they decide to voice their opinions will vary.

The goal of adoption agency reviews is to provide information on the pros and cons of working with specific agencies. With adoptions having such a personal and emotional impact, reviews are much more likely to be written in a subjective nature, some positive, some negative.

Honest reviews of adoption agencies are a helpful tool as you’re researching and deciding which adoption professional you may choose for your adoption. Knowing how to interpret the good, bad and neutral reviews can be difficult. Here are some things to keep in mind when reading reviews of adoption professionals.

Negative Adoption Agency Reviews

In general, people are more likely to write a negative review than to post a positive experience. People get more satisfaction out of venting and leaving an angry comment, as opposed to sharing a positive experience. Unfortunately, the same can said about adoption agency reviews, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Even through negativity, you can find positive information.

For instance, if you notice a common trend throughout the negative reviews and comments, most of which mentioning a specific service, employee or action, it may be a sign that the agency consistently lacks in providing the appropriate level of care and service the complaint refers to. This will help you in your decision making when weighing your pros and cons.

Not Everyone Leaves Reviews

No matter the level or type of service received, not everyone feels inclined to leave a review. An article in the New York Time shows approximately 5 percent of people leave reviews, with the majority of reviews only representing exceptional or very poor service. This remains true for adoption services reviews as well.

It is not just that the overall norm is to not leave reviews. The confidential nature and emotional aspects of adoption can also deter birth parents from writing reviews. This means that, for prospective birth mothers hoping to get a feel for an agency through reviews of adoption agencies, in many cases, the limited sample size of reviews does not truly represent the services and experience an agency provides.

This can be frustrating. While reading domestic adoption agency reviews, keeping this information in mind will help you remain levelheaded. Understanding that the reviews available are just a small representation of the actual experiences and services provided will help you explore your options for an adoption professional.

Keeping an Open Mind

When reading adoption agency reviews, it is important to keep an open mind. As previously mentioned, not everyone who uses the services will leave a review, and the majority of people who do, only leave negative reviews. This does not represent the numerous adoptions that took place without any issues, or the birth parents who received great service and had a wonderful experience.

This is why it’s so important to fully research adoption professionals prior to making any decisions.

Keeping an open mind will not only help as you read through reviews, but during your research in general as well. Being open to the fact that there may not be an absolutely perfect adoption agency, more so one that is best for you, is a great place to start. You will find that each agency will have its own list of pros and cons, with some agencies’ lists being smaller or larger than others. Determining which adoption professional best matches up with your needs and wants will help make your decision process much less complicated.

Where to Find Adoption Agency Ratings and Reviews

Reading reviews from birth parents who have worked with an agency can be very useful as you research adoption professionals. But where do you find the best adoption agencies reviews?

One of the most common places to start is through a search engine such as Google. When you search for an agency, Google results will provide information such as the agency’s location, means of contact, a website and more. Here, you will have the ability to read reviews left from birth parents and adoptive families who have used the professional’s services.

Social media, adoption websites, blogs and adoption forums are just some of the other great places to find reviews. For more detailed and specific information about an agency’s services, you can also contact them directly to ask for other means of reviews and testimonials.

Fake Reviews of Adoption Agencies

As you are probably aware, not everything on the internet is true or can be trusted. This applies to online reviews as well. Although it is not overly common, there are some organizations that write false reviews or pay for reviews, all for their own personal gain. This can include an agency falsifying positive reviews about its own services, or writing complaints and negative reviews for their competition.

Determining which reviews are real or fake can be a challenge. Fake reviews do exist, but it is a very rare occurrence. Some of the red flags to look for include any overly vague or overly specific details, over-the-top reviews that either praise or bash an agency, etc.

Essentially, use caution and common sense when reading reviews. If something seems off, or you notice a common trend in an adoption agency’s reviews, there is a good chance the reviews are fake. Although reviews can be a very useful in gaining insight, it is important that reviews are not your only tool in making a decision.

Other Resources for Finding an Adoption Agency

Reviews of adoption agencies provide you with first-person experiences others have had when working with a specific agency. They are a great tool to get a glimpse of actual interactions, but by no means are they the only way get a better feel and understanding for the type of service an agency provides.

Adoption is a life-changing decision, and you want to make sure you have the best experience with the best agency possible. One of the first things a prospective birth mother should do is make a list of needs and wants for her adoption.

Determining what you consider the most important qualities and services will help guide you through your research. Services like adoption planning,  24/7 support for prospective birth parents or financial support may be services you consider more important than others. By creating a list of what is most important to you, it will not only help you discuss your needs, but also to determine the best agency available.

During your research process, contact the adoption agencies you are interested in and speak with a professional employed there. This will essentially be an interview of each professional you talk to, so you are encouraged to be prepared. Have a list of questions, concerns, and maybe even mention comparisons with other agencies you’ve spoken to.

By asking detailed questions about a professional’s processes, services, benefits and more, you will get a better feel for the experience and service level they are able to offer. This will help eliminate any confusion about the process or your expectations. During your conversation, you may consider asking for referrals from past clients and testimonials from previous birth parents who have used the services of that agency.

Although we have already touched on it, in addition to speaking with the agency and reading adoption agency reviews, you will want to explore the agency website to the fullest. Determine your list of wants and needs and compare it to the services they offer on their webpage. Does their tone seem welcoming and caring? Does their webpage match what they told you over the phone?

These may sound like simple questions, but any discrepancy between what they tell you and what you may be looking for can be a red flag when trying to find the best agency to for your adoption needs.

Adoption is a selfless and brave decision. An unplanned pregnancy can be a very emotional and difficult time, and nobody should have to experience this alone. The services of an adoption agency confirm you don’t have to.

Using adoption agency reviews to help determine the best agencies for you and your baby is a great place to start, but ultimately you will want to speak with a professional before any decisions are made.