Open adoptions. Closed adoptions. Traveling to China or Europe to give an unwanted child a home and family. Adoptions have gotten complicated over time. It's no longer a matter of visiting an orphanage that looks straight out of a Dickens novel to choose a youngster, so if you're committed to helping couples understand and unravel the complexities of adoption by starting this type of business, congratulations. You're going to have a long road to travel but the rewards will be priceless.
Instructions
1. Explore your state's regulations, licensing requirements, legal and municipal laws and sanctions governing the launch of an adoption business in your area. Knowing the adoption industry, market, laws and officials like the back of your hand will give you a giant leg up as you plan your enterprise. Obtain a copy of the "Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children" (ICPC) regulations. Understand the interstate compact on adoption medical assistance facets of the ICPC for out-of-state agencies should you plan to venture outside your state to match up children with adoptive parents.
2. Write business and marketing plans for your adoption business based on research undertaken when you investigated the foundations of establishing an agency in Step #1. Include financial statements and projections plus strategies for finding kids eligible for adoption and potential parents. Conceive policies outlining the types of adoption services you plan to offer (e.g., open, closed, domestic, overseas) and research your fee structure so you don't wind up with a service menu that offers no cushion should administrative costs increase.
3. Develop a comprehensive list of social workers, public and private agencies, state officials and other resources to which you can turn once your agency is up and running. Meet with as many people as possible to gain a clear understanding of adoption trends. Order literature on starting an adoption service from such prestigious resources as the Child Welfare League of America, National Resource Center for Special Needs Adoption, Adoption Quarterly, Adoption Studies Institute, North American Council on Adoptable Children and Adoptive Families of America.
4. Make certain your academic credentials--or those of a business partner or employee--are valid and up-to-date since at least one person associated with your adoption agency will have to hold a master's degree in a discipline such as social work, psychology with an emphasis on child welfare or counseling. Partner with an attorney whose credentials and experience in the adoption field are solid, so you can feel confident that no legal aspects of the adoption cases you're facilitating will fall through the cracks.
5. Expect to oversee court dates as adoptions move from aspiration to reality. Affiliate with professional organizations devoted to helping adoption agency owners keep their businesses on track. Use their resources to obtain future training, certification, networking and other benefits and you'll enjoy plenty of success as a person admired for their passion for creating families.
Tags: adoption agency, adoption business, your adoption, your state