From our Forum: International to Domestic Adoption

AdoptingEster has a few questions for our forum members as she and her husband are switching from international adoption to domestic.

"1) From a birth mother's perspective, are there any legitimate open adoption agencies out there that provide and encourage you to keep your child? Neither one of us wants to parent a child who can be raised by their birth parent(s).(Remember we don't know and aren't passing judgment we're just beginning our search) Our concern is that they really seem to us "major marketing gimmicks" on both sides of the search.

2) From an adoptive parent's perspective did you choose independent or go with an agency, or wait for an expectant mother to pick the agency?

3) From an adoptee's perspective if you were our child, what is the most important thing we can do to help you grow and develop? In your opinion, what is the biggest mistake adoptive parents make?"

I applaud AdoptingEster for attempting to see adoption from all sides of the adoption triad. I am also impressed by how she is trying to learn all she can from those of us who have "been there" before adopting.

Can you help answer her questions as she and her husband work to make a decision on adoption?