Oct 22

Oct 22 Top 10 Questions To Ask A Prospective Foster/Adoption Agency

Michelle Carter is a lover of music, mystical sounds and connector of the emotional magic of sound in film. She and her husband, Ben, are the adoptive parents to Baby Z, whom they affectionately refer to as The Wizard. Michelle will take you down the road - ups, down, the passion and frustration of their two year journey to adoption with the help of Aviva Family and Children’s Services. You can find the beginning of the adoption series here and here and inclusive toys & books here.

Aviva is a nonprofit, non-sectarian 501(c)(3) organization that believes that every child and every family in our Los Angeles community deserves the chance for a brighter future.

Finding the agency that’s right for you and your family is worth the research. Here are 10 things that we found helpful in our search that lead us to our adoption agency, Aviva.

1. Location: How close are you to the agency for trainings and meetings. How far are you willing to travel?

2. Timelines for a. trainings and b. adoptions:

a. Training timelines are fairly straight forward because each agency has a fairly detailed protocol for their trainings set by the state that allows you to become certified foster/adoptive parent(s). Some training is quicker because they are consolidated and some are more drawn out. You can choose which is a better fit for your family’s schedule.

b. Adoption timelines are harder to predict, because every situation is so different and you won’t even know that info until you are ready to accept a placement of a child.

3. Reviews: Look to see what other foster/adoptive parents have to say. Check out online review forums for a plethora of useful information from others experiences, but be ready to take everything with a grain of salt!

4. What does the agency provide with training?

Do they provide in-house CPR training or do you need to schedule that elsewhere?
Do they provide weekend or evening training?
Can they come to you?
Ask questions that pertain to your situation (and Covid safety) and don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you have... this is a big decision, as you will be closely connected to your agency for potentially years.

5. How are they responding to your questions? Responsive? Friendly? Patient? I had a million questions and Aviva was always quick to respond and always kind and patient with me.

6. How do you feel when you talk with them? This is a huge, exciting and terrifying beginning to a new adventure you are choosing embark on. Trust your gut when you are interviewing agencies.

7. Don’t be afraid or too impatient to shop around. We all want different things. The straight forward, realist approach might be perfect for you... or maybe you need a lot of empathy and support. I believe there is a right agency and team for everyone but it’s up to you to be clear of what you want and try not to rush the process too much.

8. What kind of support do they offer for foster/adoptive parents. At the beginning it’s hard to know what you will need as this process goes along (that’s why again I will go back to trust your gut), but heres a few to consider asking about:

Do they offer support groups?
Family activities?
At-home support?
Counseling?
Would your social worker/counselor be willing to come over at 9pm and set up a crib with you if you were placed with a new baby just hours before? (Yes, this happens!)

9. What is their current case load? Will your social workers be able to give you the time and attention you need?

10. Physically visit the agency location.

Is it clean?
How do people interact with each other...
Is there parking?

Keep an eye out for anything that’s important to you.

After interviewing several agencies, we visited Aviva, we immediately knew it was for us! Everything felt right for our needs. There are many wonderful agencies with amazing caring professional social workers and staff. Do your research, trust your gut and you will find that perfect fit for growing your family.

- Michelle

For families that are interested in learning more about fostering, adopting, volunteering, donating, or any of our other services with Aviva, please call (323) 876-0550.