Once we had decided which country we wanted to adopt from, then next step was the endless search for an agency. This endeavor was akin to choosing a car from an auto mall; the salesmen will follow you endlessly, the choices and features are never ending, and the prices....well, they all run very high !
First, narrow down the agencies to 5 that participate in your country of choice. Then, if you make a chart (this is where Joe says my rainman abilities pay off) and lay out the pros and cons of each agency. Price, Dossier assitance, Location, years in service, years in country of choice, BBB ratings, and responsiveness. This will help narrow down your choices to three. From those three try your darndest to get personal experiences from APs (Adoptive Parents). Nothing beats personal experiences!!
It's at this point in the journey that some PAP (potential Adoptive Parents) already have completed a Home Study, haven't completed a Home Study, or have no idea what a Home Study is. We chose our agency first, then chose a Home Study Agency in our State since our Adoption Agency Choice was not in our home state.
Our Final Choices were Frank Adoption Center in Raleigh , NC for our adoption agency and our Home Study Agency was Golden Cradle Adoptions in Cherry Hill, NJ.
Both very reputable, long adoption histories, good ratings, standard pricing, accredited in Russia (VERY IMPORTANT !!) and responsive and polite.
