Questions to ask an adoption professional:

- How long have you been in operation?

- Where do your operating funds come from?

- Are you licensed by the state? (If you’re interviewing a facilitator, ask them if they work with reputable agencies. You should also get the names of the agencies and contact them.l).

- Has there been or is there presently any litigation pending against your business?

- How extensive is the training that your staff members receive?

- How much experience in adoption services do you require of your staff members?

- Can I speak with some of your former clients?

- How much pre-adoption counseling is provided for adoptive parents?

- What kind of post-adoption counseling is provided for adoptive parents?

- If no post-adoption counseling is provided, can you refer me to other competent professional services for post-placement followup?

- What is the nature of the adoption counseling provided for prospective birth parents? Does the counseling give them the freedom to choose parenting, or does it steer them toward adoption?

- What steps do you take to forge relationships that will be healthy and natural for both the adoptive family and the birth parents 10 years down the road?

- What steps do you take to make sure that the rights of all parties are protected?

- What kinds of glitches have you experienced during your facilitation of adoptions and how have you dealt with them?

Questions to ask a potential birth mother:

- When is your baby due?

- When did you start thinking about adoption?

- Are you working with an agency or attorney? (If you have not met her through either of those.)

- Are you feeling all right?

-How does the birth father feel about the pregnancy? How does he feel about adoption?

- How do your parents feel about the pregnancy?

- How did you choose this agency/attorney/facilitator?

- Do you have a plan for your life, after the baby is born, either job-wise or educationally?

- What do you like to do in your spare time?

- Do you know anybody who placed a baby for adoption? Do you know any adopted people?