About a month ago, Chris and I signed up for an Infertility and Adoption Conference named ” A Family of My Own” in DC. Now, your probably thinking, why are you posting this? I thought you are cleared for IVF. We are but here’s the thing about IVF versus Adoption. IVF is less than a 40-46% chance versus the 100% chance you will become a parent through adoption. We learned a ton of great info at this conference so if your interested there will be two more held this year in IL and TX. We first thought we would be walking into a scene of couples with looks of utter desperation, with brick walls of privacy shielded around them, but that wasn’t the case. I saw hope and brave people who wanted to share their stories and equally be a sponge for more information to help aid in the pursuit for a family. All of the speakers were full of great info and gave us more to add to the fertility arsenal. This is where we discovered the hidden secret world of adoption consultants. What the heck is that? So there are wedding planners right? Well they take the crazy, chaotic wedding planning stress off of the bride and groom and turn that would be crazed bridezilla into that sweet, calm, organized and stress-free blushing bride. That’s kinda what adoption consultants do, but for adoption.
We contacted one of the speakers we met at the conference, Nicole Wit, who provided us with a great description of her role, that of an adoption consultant, with a couple looking to adopt. So, without further ado, here is her description.
“The Adoption Consultancy works exclusively with and for pre-adoptive families to provide them with the education, information, and resources they need to safely adopt a newborn, usually within 3 to 12 months – something that many people don’t even realize is possible. We are an unbiased organization that always has our clients’ best interests at heart.
We’re not a child-placing agency nor are we facilitators. To put it simply, we’re like wedding planners for adoption, guiding people through the process step by step. Part of what we do is that we create a customization plan for each client with multiple agencies and attorneys. We have a nationwide network of agencies/attorneys who:
1) Are highly reputable so you don’t have to worry about doing all the research and leg work on them.
2) Tend to place babies quickly.
3) Work only in the safest states where birth parents cannot revoke their consent.
And 4) Charge very little, if anything, up front. We don’t work with the places that charge thousands of dollars upfront. Some of them actually charge nothing.
So the idea is that we create this customized plan for you, and then you sign up with 4, 5, 6, different agencies/attorneys and get exposure to 5 times as many birth moms. That, combined with having a great profile (Which is something that we work on extensively with our clients!), is how our clients tend to get selected quickly.
We also provide risk assessment on every opportunity as well as training and preparation for the interaction with the birth parents. We basically try to remove as much stress from the process as possible by holding your hand all the way through until you bring your baby home.”
Thanks!
Nicole
