Adoption Agencies? (Herndon, Vienna, Falls Church: attorney, homes, friendly)

[AmyinNOVA]

Hi there, does anyone know of a good adoption agency in northern VA? I don't really know anybody that has adopted and I can't seem to find anything reputable on the internet. I'm afraid to pick one of these ones that I find on google.

My other problem is that all of them seem to be religious and won't help you if you're not a member of a church or don't believe... cause non religious people can't adopt kids or something? :P

We are looking to adopt a baby and preferably one domestically. I know that's a tall order but hoping someone out there has worked with or knows someone else that has worked with a good agency.

Thanks!

[mlv311]

You can always have a homestudy prepared by a local agency and use a nationwide agency for placement. American Adoptions is probably one of the largest agencies for domestic adoption, but there are others that are reputable. It might be helpful to focus your search for agencies in adoption-friendly states (e.g., Florida). Another alternative is to work with an adoption attorney and pursue an independent adoption. If you are looking for an agency recommendation for a homestudy, I suggest you check out JSSA: http://www.jssa.org/services/childteenfam/adoption . They are knowledgeable, professional and timely.

[michgc]

I adopted from China 6 years ago. We used an out-of-state agency, although a Virginia agency for our homestudy. They were called Forever Families, and they are in Middleburg. They used to primarily specialize in China, but do most places now, I believe. They were great! Home Page

There is also an adoption agency in Vienna called Datz, that I believe my friend used to assist her in her domestic adoption. http://www.datzfoundation.org/

I've also always heard of Barker, but I don't know if they are good or not. They are in Falls Church. They may be Christian: IN THE BARKER SPOTLIGHT | The Barker Foundation | Pregnancy Counseling, Domestic & International Adoption Programs

[slduvall]

I also adopted from China, using Cradle of Hope out of Silver Spring, MD. They found a VA homestudy agency for me. They don't have a huge domestic program, but I think it is growing, with the slowdown of international.

[HEATHER72]

We used Barker as our home study agency a couple of years ago. They are not a religion based adoption agency. We also attended an informational meeting that Datz held.

[Denton56]

Barker has been around forever and are very well respected. I would start with them.

BTW, Congratulations on looking to adopt. I think adoptions are wonderful!

[Yankeesfan]

Originally Posted by AmyinNOVA

My other problem is that all of them seem to be religious and won't help you if you're not a member of a church or don't believe... cause non religious people can't adopt kids or something? :P

Birth mothers often have a preference for a child to be raised in a particular religious faith, leading them to choose an agency that honors that.

Another option is to adopt through the foster care system. This can be emotionally challenging, of course, since the child may end up reunited with the birth parent(s), so there is potential for heartbreak. But in a traditional adoption a birth mother may change her mind either before or after the child is placed. (Does anyone know what the time period for this is in Virginia? Just wondering. It's probably a shorter time frame than what may happen in foster care.) But I do know some people who have adopted foster children placed with them as newborns, and also as toddlers.

Good luck to you! I wish it wasn't such a long process but it will be well worthwhile once you have your child or children.

[AmyinNOVA]

Thanks, we are strongly considering it now as I'm infertile and its been about 5 years with no luck. Appreciate all the advice!

[cdmurphy]

I adopted domestically through Adoptions Together. Their main office is in Silver Spring but they have smaller offices in Herndon and Baltimore as well. They are great, and I'd recommend them unless you do not support gay adoption (AT promotes families of all kinds, which is one if the reasons we chose them, but occasionally I 'd run into other waiting families at support group meetings who seemed uncomfortable with the gay couples in the program). My children were born in Maryland, so we were subject to revocation rules there (30 days, opposed to 15 in Virginia) and had to stay with them in Maryland after they were born until interstate compact agreements were finalized (8 days, but it could have been weeks, it just depends on the state agencies involved). We also finalized in Maryland.

Please feel free to message me if you have other questions. It was a challenging but rewarding experience.