Anonymous
08/02/2021 15:59
Subject: Has Anyone Used Adoptions Together?
We used Adoptions Together to form our family. During our experience with them they were helpful, responsive, ethical, thorough, and able to guide us through the process. This was over 10 years ago, so things may have changed. But we've also had various follow-up interactions with them over the years which were all also positive and helpful.
Anonymous
07/27/2021 20:28
Subject: Has Anyone Used Adoptions Together?
Anonymous wrote:JSSA is great as a home study agency. I used them when I adopted as a single mom by choice as did many single adopters I know. Datz had mixed reviews and JSSA was faster and a bit cheaper. My social worker was also an adopter.
We used JSSA too. They were good and easy for the home study and post placement visits but really weren't helpful ons how to adopt. I cannot remember whey we choose them over Datz. I think they were easier/more organized.
Anonymous
07/27/2021 19:06
Subject: Has Anyone Used Adoptions Together?
Anonymous wrote:Holt international is -- last time i researched it-- a Christian agency who only deals with straight, married couples unless the single female adopter agrees to adopt a child with disabilities. They are the agency that started international adoptions of Korean orphans in the 1950s.
I am a single woman, and adopted through Holt, but that was 20 years ago. And I am not a religious person, and got no pressure to pretend I was. Can't speak to their current policies.
Anonymous
07/25/2021 20:34
Subject: Has Anyone Used Adoptions Together?
JSSA is great as a home study agency. I used them when I adopted as a single mom by choice as did many single adopters I know. Datz had mixed reviews and JSSA was faster and a bit cheaper. My social worker was also an adopter.
Anonymous
07/25/2021 20:32
Subject: Has Anyone Used Adoptions Together?
Holt international is -- last time i researched it-- a Christian agency who only deals with straight, married couples unless the single female adopter agrees to adopt a child with disabilities. They are the agency that started international adoptions of Korean orphans in the 1950s.
Anonymous
07/25/2021 15:23
Subject: Re:Has Anyone Used Adoptions Together?
Yes- they are great and totally recommend them. Adopted DD a couple years ago and they were so wonderful to work with. We have other friends who adopted through there as well. And there were many couples (and single people) off all ages, incomes and backgrounds at the trainings. Ignore PP that said you have to be “YOUNG.”
Anonymous
07/23/2021 21:43
Subject: Has Anyone Used Adoptions Together?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:are you considering them for infant adoption or adoption from foster care? They are better at the former than the latter.
We were considering foster care. Would you not recommend them for that?
I was not impressed with the person they had doing the homestudies (a ton of factual and grammatical errors, and it took a long time), they were not familiar with DC (how to get a kid on DC Medicaid, the DC school lottery process, they told me to apply for LISS not knowing that's only a MD thing, and their therapists could not bill DC Medicaid), and they had a lot of staff transition. I don't think anyone from my orientation group successfully adopted a child--they also didn't have any staff who had adopted from foster care. It might be better if you live in MD than DC.
Some of it, I think, was that kids' workers tend to gloss over really hard stuff in order to get a kid placed. But kids who a state is willing to place out of state in a "waiting child" adoption all have really tough issues--to the point that their extended families, foster parents, and other local foster parents have all said no to adopting them. They have been through more moves than most foster kids and often been in care longer. The type of parent who is capable of handling that is really rare. I think AT should probably dissuade more people from taking placement of kids, really help scrutinize what prospective parents are being told by the kids' workers, and/or give a LOT more support. My experience is a few years old though so hopefully it has changed. I would ask them what percentage of people who completed the training and homestudy with them in the past 5 or 10 years have a child placed, what percentage of those placements result in adoption, what percentage of the kids placed require hospitalization and/or institutional care in the first couple years of placement, and how many of the adoptions were disrupted after being finalized.
If you are someone who can handle adoption of a waiting child that is fantastic and I wish you all the best--it is desperately needed and as much as I hoped I could do it, I couldn't.
Very good advice but for all agencies to ask how many placements vs. waiting families and how many families never adopted.
Anonymous
07/23/2021 15:04
Subject: Has Anyone Used Adoptions Together?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:are you considering them for infant adoption or adoption from foster care? They are better at the former than the latter.
We were considering foster care. Would you not recommend them for that?
I was not impressed with the person they had doing the homestudies (a ton of factual and grammatical errors, and it took a long time), they were not familiar with DC (how to get a kid on DC Medicaid, the DC school lottery process, they told me to apply for LISS not knowing that's only a MD thing, and their therapists could not bill DC Medicaid), and they had a lot of staff transition. I don't think anyone from my orientation group successfully adopted a child--they also didn't have any staff who had adopted from foster care. It might be better if you live in MD than DC.
Some of it, I think, was that kids' workers tend to gloss over really hard stuff in order to get a kid placed. But kids who a state is willing to place out of state in a "waiting child" adoption all have really tough issues--to the point that their extended families, foster parents, and other local foster parents have all said no to adopting them. They have been through more moves than most foster kids and often been in care longer. The type of parent who is capable of handling that is really rare. I think AT should probably dissuade more people from taking placement of kids, really help scrutinize what prospective parents are being told by the kids' workers, and/or give a LOT more support. My experience is a few years old though so hopefully it has changed. I would ask them what percentage of people who completed the training and homestudy with them in the past 5 or 10 years have a child placed, what percentage of those placements result in adoption, what percentage of the kids placed require hospitalization and/or institutional care in the first couple years of placement, and how many of the adoptions were disrupted after being finalized.
If you are someone who can handle adoption of a waiting child that is fantastic and I wish you all the best--it is desperately needed and as much as I hoped I could do it, I couldn't.
Anonymous
07/23/2021 13:43
Subject: Has Anyone Used Adoptions Together?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:not true. We adopted when I was 40 ( thru Adoptions Together)Anonymous wrote:One real problem with all agencies is age. They want you to be YOUNG and most DC professionals try infertility first then some years go by and you are not young.
It depends on the agency and birthparents. But, agree not true at all.
Many countries set a maximum number of years that cannot be exceeded between the age of the child and youngest parent. Makes sense to me.
I think fertility doctors should inform parents if their adoption window is closing, but that is not in their best interest I guess.
Anonymous
07/22/2021 21:14
Subject: Re:Has Anyone Used Adoptions Together?
We did our home study through Datz Foundation and adopted through American Adoptions. Happy with both.
Anonymous
07/22/2021 21:01
Subject: Has Anyone Used Adoptions Together?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:are you considering them for infant adoption or adoption from foster care? They are better at the former than the latter.
We were considering foster care. Would you not recommend them for that?
Go directly to the county agency as the kids who are in foster care in MD through private agencies are generally because other placements failed or hard to place. If you foster to adopt and take a very at risk placement your chances are better.
Anonymous
07/22/2021 21:00
Subject: Has Anyone Used Adoptions Together?
Anonymous wrote:I am the PP that recommended them. We filled in many many forms that were very specific to our comfort level with specific illnesses and disabilities. Assuming you filled this in and we’re truthful I’m not sure why they offered you children that didn’t match your paperwork.Anonymous wrote:I worked with them long ago. Offered me very ill child after very ill child and then got very angry when I said no thanks. Would not recommend.
This is pretty common. We had that with a facilitator who it was clear it wasn't a good match tried to push us into the match. Same with a social worker/therapist who was working directly with the birth family.
Anonymous
07/22/2021 20:58
Subject: Has Anyone Used Adoptions Together?
Anonymous wrote:not true. We adopted when I was 40 ( thru Adoptions Together)Anonymous wrote:One real problem with all agencies is age. They want you to be YOUNG and most DC professionals try infertility first then some years go by and you are not young.
It depends on the agency and birthparents. But, agree not true at all.
Anonymous
07/22/2021 20:54
Subject: Has Anyone Used Adoptions Together?
I am the PP that recommended them. We filled in many many forms that were very specific to our comfort level with specific illnesses and disabilities. Assuming you filled this in and we’re truthful I’m not sure why they offered you children that didn’t match your paperwork.Anonymous wrote:I worked with them long ago. Offered me very ill child after very ill child and then got very angry when I said no thanks. Would not recommend.
Anonymous
07/22/2021 20:52
Subject: Has Anyone Used Adoptions Together?
not true. We adopted when I was 40 ( thru Adoptions Together)Anonymous wrote:One real problem with all agencies is age. They want you to be YOUNG and most DC professionals try infertility first then some years go by and you are not young.