What Pregnant Women Should Look for When Choosing Adoption Agencies in Missouri

Choosing adoption can be full of tough calls and hard decisions. Not only is choosing adoption a huge decision in and of itself, but you also have to decide what type of adoption you would like, look through family profiles and pick out an adoptive family, and choose a doctor and make a hospital birth plan for when you go into labor. But before any of that can even begin, you have to be able to pick which adoption agency you would like to use.

Think about your needs and what you are looking for in an adoption agency. How qualified are they? What kind of services do they offer? What types of adoption do they offer? Will they value your needs as a birth mother above all else or do they put the adoptive family first? Are they religious or non-denominational? How well will you be represented? It is vital that you address these and any other concerns you may have when choosing an adoption agency in Missouri.

The Top 5 Criteria to Look for When Choosing Adoption Agencies in Missouri

• Whether they are fully licensed. Perhaps the most important criteria, whether or not an adoption agency is licensed determines their legitimacy. An unqualified agency won’t be prepared to meet your needs or hold a consistent standard of care. A licensed adoption agency guarantees that whatever adoptive family you choose will be top-notch no matter what, because they will all come from a list of pre-approved and qualified families.
• What kinds of services are offered. Different adoption agencies offer different degrees of services. These services can and should cover anything from financial and medical aid to mental health and counseling services. Your focus should be on staying healthy and happy for the baby, not worrying about how to keep the lights on, a load of hospital bills piling up, or the grief and anxiety that are sure to come in the wake of such a huge decision. These aspects should all be taken care of for you so that you can stay as stress-free as possible throughout your pregnancy.
• Different types of adoption. Are you simply looking for an adoption agency that provides closed adoption, or is it important to you to find an agency that also provides open or semi-open adoptions? What type of adoption you pick determines what level of involvement you will have after your baby is placed for adoption. If staying connected with your baby and being included in his or her life after the placement process is completed is important to you, then make sure that the adoption agency you pick offers open adoption.

• Whether they are birth-mother oriented. It is very important that you make sure that the adoption agency you pick will work with you and put your decisions before all else. Your adoption agency should be committed to serving your needs as the birth mother. Please understand that every step of the adoption process is ultimately your decision, and you should never feel pressured to make a decision you do not agree with. Your needs and legal rights as a birth mother should always be protected.

• Inclusive and non-discriminatory practices. Just as there are so many religious adoption agencies, there are plenty of non-denominational adoption agencies who welcome clients from all walks of life. Your adoption agency should cherish the differences that make you the unique individual you are, no matter where you are coming from or where you are going.

Some Popular Adoption Agencies in Missouri to Start Your Search With

All four of the adoption agencies listed below meet almost all of the criteria listed above and are all licensed by the state of Missouri. Please note that this is simply a list of several popular licensed adoption agencies widely available in Missouri, and that we do not necessarily endorse or support any of these organizations or their views.

• American Adoptions. American Adoptions is one of the largest domestic adoption agencies in the U.S. They pride themselves on being a fully licensed not-for-profit agency. They are a national agency, but their headquarters are locally located in Kansas City.

• Adoption Option Inc. Adoption Option Inc. is a licensed non-profit adoption agency that provides domestic adoption and foster care services. They offer foster care licensing in addition to family preservation services.

• Adoptions and Beyond. Adoptions and Beyond is another licensed, not-for-profit agency. They offer free, no-obligation office consultations to get you started. This means that even if you decide against adoption or using their adoption agency, you can still set up a consultation to check out their services at no cost to you.

• Adoption Choices of Missouri. Adoption Choices of Missouri is a licensed, full-service agency who proudly specializes in local, domestic infant adoptions. We heavily prioritize our commitment to our birth mothers and open, non-discriminatory practices. We provide adoption services in Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, Columbia, and Independence. We also have a network of options that extend to surrounding states, including but not limited to: Kansas, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. Adoption Choices of Missouri offers many services including safe housing, financial support, medical care, support counseling, and legal representation for birth mothers.

Whatever Your Adoption Needs are, Licensed Adoption Agencies in Missouri are Ready and Here for You

No matter what criteria are important to you, there are plenty of adoption agencies in Missouri who are all here to serve you. Just please remember to make sure that the adoption agency you choose is licensed and can provide all of the services that you require. Your race, creed, sexual orientation, gender, age, veteran status, or any disabilities you may or may not have should not bear any weight on how your adoption agency treats you. You should feel included, protected, and well-cared for by whichever agency you choose, all the way throughout the adoption process and after.

Adoption Choices of Missouri serves birth parents statewide and beyond, please call us or text us to learn more! Call us toll free at 877-903-4488 or, in Missouri call or text us at 1-816-527-9800

Meet the Author: Kelly Felix is a graduate from the University of New Orleans. She holds a BA in English as well as a BA in Sociology. Her English concentration is in journalism, and her specialties in sociology are gender studies and environmental sociology.

When she isn’t voraciously guzzling coffee or devouring books, Kelly can be found either bent over a canvas working on her art or at her computer playing video games. She has hands-on classroom teaching experience from her time working as a substitute teacher for Kelly Services. Kelly also completed an in-house editorial internship at Pelican Publishing Company, and she finished the goal internship program at Green Light New Orleans. Kelly generally exists in a state of suspended disbelief, but when she’s not there she resides in New Orleans.