- Do Some Homework
Start by reading the Guatemala Adoptive Families Network's excellent online guide, Choosing an Agency for Guatemala Adoption for initial guidance and ideas. You'll also want to check out The Adoption Agency Checklist.
- Check With the Better Business Bureau
You'll want to do a Better Business Bureau in all the areas where the agencies you are considering have offices. For example, one agency doing adoptions in Guatemala is Commonwealth Adoptions Int'l, Inc. The agency has main offices, located in Florida, Arizona and Pennsylvania, and you can read Better Business Bureau Reports for all three areas. Better Business Bureau Report on CAI in Arizona, Better Business Bureau Report on CAI in Florida, Better Business Bureau Report on CAI in Pennsylvania.
All you need is the name, and city/state or phone number for the agency, and you can do a Better Business Bureau search.
- Check at Ethica's Web Site
This organization promotes ethical adoption, and to that end, they periodically flag particular agencies, attorneys and facilitators who are under investigation or facing various administrative, civil or legal problems. For example:
- Review the Agency's Financial Records
If the agency has non-profit status, you can see their Form 990 IRS filings, for free, online, at Guidestar.org
- Search the Web
A search of websites will turn up a variety of reports on agencies, for example:
-
Alamo Adoptions in Texas / Adoption Agency Gives Up License -- 3/17/2005
- Beware of BBAS/Building Blocks Adoptions --
- Napa adoption firm (Yunona) closes under fire (Note: Yunona, which has been closed, and whose owners have been arrested, has operated in the U.S. and abroad under numerous names, including: YunonaUSA, Yunona Adoption Group, Yunona Adoption Relief Fund Other names: Adorable Adop., Eastern Europe Adop., Adop. with Love, Adop. Abroad, Asia-Europe Adop., AdoptionAngels, Angels Adop., Adoption Overseas, and with web aliases that include: AdoptionAbroad.com, AdoptionAdoption.com, AdoptionAgency.info, AdoptionInRussia.com, AdoptionKazakhstan.com, AdoptionLawGuide.com,
Adoption-Photolisting.net, AdoptionSE.com, AdoptionUkraine.org, AdoptWithLove.com, AdorableAdoption.com,
AllaAdoption.com Asia, AngelsAdoption.com, AsiaAdoption.org, AsiaEuropeAdoption.com, Boysadoption.com,
ChildAdoptionHelp.com, ChildrenAdoption.com, EasternEuropeAdoption.com, EuropeAdoption.com, Girlsadoption.com,
GuatemalaAdoption.info, HomeStudy.com, OlderChildrenAdoption.com, ParentsWanted.com, SiblingsAdoption.com)
SEARCH NOW FOR AGENCY INFORMATION
- Talk to Present and Former Clients
One of the best sources of information are parents who have used the agency, attorney or facilitator you're considering, or
families who are currently using them. Ask for recommendations of who they like, who they recommend, or you can ask
for specific experiences with particular agencies or individuals.
WARNING RE: PARENTS WHO ALSO WORK FOR AGENCIES!
When you get a recommendation, you absolutely MUST ask the following question, whether it's on a list, or forum, or by private email:
Are you now, or have you ever worked in a paid or volunteer capacity with this agency?
The reason you need to do this is that there are armies of agency clients out there who end up working for the agencies they adopted with, working as "dossier coordinators" for example. Part of the job of these people is to spread positive information about their agencies, recommend their agencies, and try to squelch negative discussion. Of additional concern are agencies who have staffers who actually operate under fake names, and who will respond to inquiries with long stories "selling" their particular agency, telling you how great it is.
It is sometimes hard to tell the "real" endorsements from among the sales pitches, so read carefully, and ask at numerous sources. Pay close attention to negative reports, because any agency can have cheerleaders (and staff posing as happy clients), but how an agency handles problems, and resolves disputes -- as revealed in the stories from its unhappier clients -- will tell you a great deal about the agency and whether you want to work with them.
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Also, note that some agencies have "Contract Gag Clauses that prohibit any negative discussion about the agency in a public forum or publicly on a listserv. If you ask about one of these agencies, and several "well-known, large" agencies have them, you will have to ask people to privately contact you, and be sure you mention that you are willing to respect their privacy.
The Guatemala-Adopt List also known as the "Biglist" (and
sometimes referred to as the "St. John's list", because it used to be hosted on their servers) is the largest list on
Guatemalan adoption. With several thousand members, this is a heavily-trafficked list, and it permits open negative or
positive discussion about agencies, attorneys or facilitators. This list also talks about Guatemala politics and culture,
international adoption policies, and post-adoption life raising a child of Guatemalan origin.
The Guatemala-Adopt list also maintains years of detailed archives, featuring every post. This is a WEALTH of information
on agencies, attorneys and facilitators. You need to login to get a free password to review the archives.
One place to find parents willing to share their experiences it at the supportive Soul of Adoption Guatemala forum. This forum allows open discussion of agencies, requires disclosure of any agency staff or volunteer affiliations, and features two key threads you'll want to review:
The Adoption Agency
Research list at Yahoo Groups is a list focused on discussing agencies for international adoption from all countries,
not just Guatemala. This list permits open discussion -- positive and negative -- about agencies, attorneys or facilitators.
The Guatemala Adoption list at
Yahoo Groups is a list focused on Guatemalan adoption. This list does NOT permit open discussion about the pros and cons of agencies, attorneys or facilitators.
WARNING/NOTE RE ADOPTION.COM: The Adoption.com Guatemala Forum does not allow public discussion of agencies. The forum also does not require agency staff people to disclose themselves when recommending agencies, therefore, positive recommendations from some of the members of this forum are not genuine -- they are advertising/marketing from agency staff. This site also actively discriminates against single parents, and gay parents, and works to discourage their ability to adopt, and prevents them from using the site's services. (Adoption.com is NOT recommended.)
- Find Out if the Agency is Licensed
Is the agency licensed? Find out by doing a search at this Federal Government adoption agency database.
- Use Other Resources That May Help
For example:
If you live outside the U.S., you might want to review this list of
Agencies Able to Place with U.S. Citizens Living Abroad
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