Using an Adoption Consultant, Facilitator, or Attorney

Adopting a baby in the US can be confusing. Where do you find a child to adopt? How long does it take? Should you use an adoption consultant, adoption facilitator, or adoption attorney. What is the difference and will is cost more or less and will it be faster? Host Dawn Davenport, Exec. Director of Creating a Family, the national adoption & infertility education and support organization, interviewed guests Jim Thompson, an adoption attorney in South Carolina, and fellow of the American Academy of Adoption Attorney; Nicole Witt, with The Adoption Consultancy; and Lisa Sweet, a licensed California facilitator with Sweet Beginnings Adoptions.

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Let’s begin with the basics of what exactly is an adoption consultant, adoption facilitator, and adoption attorney.
Consultant
- Do adoption consultants work with agencies and attorneys?
- How do adoption consultants help families?
- Do all adoption agencies allow their families to also work with a consultant?
- Do all adoption agencies allow their adoptive families to apply to more than one agency?
- Why hire a consultant if you are already working with an attorney or agency.
- If you aren’t already working with an attorney or agency, do you need to be in order to adopt?
- Do consultants have anything to do with providing the home study?
- What additional services do adoption consultants typically offer: help with preparing adoptive parent profile, “advertising” plan to find expectant women or couples, adoption education,
Facilitator
- How do facilitators differ from an adoption agency?
- How do adoption facilitators help families?
- Can you work with families in all states?
- How do facilitators find expectant women who may be considering adoption?
- What additional services do adoption facilitators typically offer: help with preparing adoptive parent profile, adoption education,
- When using an adoption facilitator, do adoptive families still need a separate home study agency?
Attorney
- Explain the diversity in the different approaches that people might find in the services offered by adoption attorneys.
- Can all attorneys match expectant moms with adoptive parents?
- Who is your client—expectant parent or adoptive parent?
- How does adopting through an adoption attorney differ from adopting through an adoption agency?
- Can adoption attorneys work with families in all states?
What is the range of costs for adoption consultants?
What is the range of costs for adoption facilitators?
What is the range of costs for adoption attorneys?
What was the average wait of adoptive families using your services in 2014.
What are the legalities of using an adoption consultant, facilitator, or attorney? Can people in all states freely use any of these options?