Choosing an agency to work with can be one of the hardest parts of the entire adoption process. As I have touched on before, it is extremely important to ensure that the agency you ultimately choose practices ethically. This means that children are legally relinquished or legitimately abandoned and no biological family members could be found; timelines are in order with the country’s procedures; fees paid by adoptive parents are in order with what the country specifies, and the agency properly documents all stages of the adoption process.

Here are some signs that your agency is an ethical one:

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  They must be licensed by the Vietnamese Government. Some agencies are “umbrellaing” or working under the license of another agency. This should make you wonder why they are not licensed themselves. Please stick to only licensed agencies (although licensing alone does not guarantee ethical practices.)



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  They have a strong track record in Viet Nam and any other countries that they may work in. Be sure to reach out to families who have recently worked with them and ask for their opinions.



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• They are able to confidently and honestly answer all of your questions. They should be able to tell you about their Vietnamese staff, the baby centers they support, and the children in their care.




• They have no actions being taken against them (legal or otherwise.) Check with the Better Business Bureau and the many adoption lists to see if there is any negative talk spreading about said agency.




• They are not advertising that they have very young children available, short timeframes and low fees.




• When they refer a child, they provide the parents with all the information they have (including how they came to the center and medical reports.)

I cannot stress enough the importance of researching any and all agencies that you are considering. It may seem easy to ignore unethical warning signs because you want a tiny baby home NOW, but please think of the children and families who will be affected by your actions. If you have any questions at all, please leave a comment or email me at adoptvietnamblog@adoptionmail.com





Related Links:
Red Flags: What to Look out for When Choosing an Adoption Agency
Licensed Adoption Agencies in Viet Nam