When trying to plan your adoption, you may feel overwhelmed and confused — which is okay. But there are resources out there that seek to help adoptive parents navigate the world of adoption, and many parents may find their help useful. One of those resources is the adoption facilitator. Whether or not an adoption facilitator is right for you is an important question, and we are here to help you find an answer! But first, let’s cover what adoption facilitators do.
What Adoption Facilitators Do
Adoption facilitators help prospective families find a birthmother that they approve of. The initial connection between the two parties is the sole responsibility of the adoption facilitator, who will then require a fee to cover the cost of making that connection.
A Specific Focus
Adoption facilitators aren’t required to be licensed in most states. Not having a license reduces what all a facilitator can do. Because of this though, adoption facilitators are able to focus on one specific area of the adoption process. They will often have a vast network of contacts and birthmothers and know the right questions to ask to make sure the birthmother and family are a good match for one another.
Difference From an Adoption Agency
Adoption facilitators are often quicker at making the initial connection with the birthmother than an adoption agency would be because agencies have smaller client bases. However, because facilitators are not licensed to handle the entire adoption process, once a connection has been established with a birthmother, families will need to consult an adoption agency or adoption attorney to work through the rest of the process. Adoption agencies are equipped and licensed to handle the entire adoption process, from start to finish.
So why hire a facilitator? Well, some prospective parents really appreciate the wider array of connections and networks with birthparents that facilitators have, which can hopefully make a more agreeable connection in a shorter amount of time.
Is a facilitator right for me?
This is a question that you will have to answer on your own. Consider the pros and cons of an adoption agency, facilitator, and attorney to decide which is best for you. These options will not only vary in cost, but in the services that they can provide you. For more information on adoption agencies, check out some more articles on our website.
It’s also important to note that adoption facilitators are not legal in every state, because they do not need a license to do their work. These states allow adoption facilitators: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington DC, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, Washington and Wyoming.
However, laws are subject to change, so we recommend that you speak with an adoption attorney to make sure that using an adoption facilitator is legal in your state.
We also recommend that you talk to any facilitator you are planning on using before enlisting his or her services. Discuss price and what he or she can offer to you. Feel free to reach out to someone who has used the services of an adoption facilitator in the past to hear their opinion.
