There are a lot of worried people in the Vietnamese adoption world that are unsure about how to really find out about an adoption agency. As I mentioned in my earlier post, some agencies have families who have been issued NOIDS (notice of intent to deny) and this has caused a sense of panic among PAPs (prospective adoptive parents.) It’s hard to know who to trust and which agencies are ethical, but we have the power to do as much research as possible and find answers to the tough questions. If you are researching or currently working with an adoption agency that you are unsure about, continue to dig for answers and follow your gut instincts.

Here are some ideas of questions you may wish to ask:

What is your take on the current state of Vietnamese adoptions? Have you been in touch with Vietnamese officials to get their take on the situation?

How many families are currently on your waiting list?

What provinces do you work in? Have there been any problems or issues we should know about in that province?

Have any families working with your agency been issued a NOID? If so, what was the reason for the investigation and the outcome? If so, how did you support the family?

What is your agency’s reputation in Viet Nam? How are your facilitators perceived by Vietnamese officials?

How do the children you refer come into your care? How do you insure that there is no living family able or willing to care for them?

Please describe the adoption process from start to finish. (keeping this request open ended allows for them to provide you with more truthful answers)

What are the names of your facilitators and staff? (research all names online)

I understand how murky things seem now, and the Viet Nam adoption forums, listservs and online groups are full of conflicting points of view. It’s hard to know who to trust, but we need to do the best we can to gather as much research as possibly before making a decision about an agency. It is not unheard of to switch agencies; families have switched agencies after finding out how their first choice handled adoptions. I wish I had more hard and fast answers about knowing who and what information to trust. It will all come down to personal decisions that must be made in the best interest of a PAPs’ future child and family.



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More Reading:
How to Research Viet Nam Adoption Agencies
How to Choose an Ethical Adoption Agency
Red Flags - What to Look For When Choosing an Adoption Agency
Beware of Agency Umbrellaing