In the comments on my post How to Determine if an Adoption Agency is Ethical, davidk posted a link to a website called The Adoption Agency Checklist. I checked out the site to determine if it was legitimate, and I found quite the treasure trove of advice for avoiding adoption fraud, particularly for international adoptions.

The owner of the website is a man named David, who was the victim of international adoption fraud. Here is his introductory paragraph from his home page:

Hello to my guests and visitors and welcome. My name is David and I was a victim of International Adoption Fraud. Our adoption took six years from start to finish, cost more than twice what it was supposed to, and involved 22 families and a federal court case. It took three years to legalize my daughter's adoption status and another half year to legalize her immigration status.

– The Adoption Agency Checklist

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In my experience, people who have been burned generally have the best advice for avoiding the same pitfalls.

The most useful part of the website for people who are starting out their adoption journeys is the checklist itself. I have condensed and summarized his advice here to provide you with the highlights, but you can read the full version at his site. (Because I condensed his advice, my numbers do not match the numbers on his website. However, I have listed the advice in the same order.)

1. Contact references.


2. Affiliate with local and internet adoptive parent support groups.


3. Investigate the adoption professionals with both the licensing authority and Attorney General’s office in their home state.


4. Review complaints and ratings on various websites. (The site provides several links.)


5. Investigate the adoption agency with the consulates in both countries.


6. Hire a local experienced and reputable adoption attorney to protect your interests.


7. Research the adoption rules and regulations for the child’s country with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) and the State Department.


8. Be wary of any referral before your home study has been approved.


9. Do not sign a blank or multi-page Power of Attorney.


10. Do not pay non-refundable fees until you research all third parties who will be involved in your adoption.


11. Inquire about how the Hague Treaty might affect the agency’s procedures.


12. If the agency is a one-man operation, inquire about the back-up plan if that person cannot complete the adoption.


13. Request the agency's audited financial statement.


14. Choose an agency with a flat fee versus a contingency fee.


15. Review an itemized list of fees for payments to the other country.


16. Inquire about counseling and support for the birthmother.


17. Only work with agencies that provide medical information about the child and educate you about parenting a child with any special needs.

I have simply hit the highlights here. This site provides more detailed information on most of these points. If you are considering adopting (particularly internationally), this site is a wonderful resource for helping you to avoid adoption fraud.

Related Topics:

• How to Determine if an Adoption Agency is Ethical



• Avoiding adoption fraud