To be totally honest, we initially turned to IAC because we were "too young" for other agencies to consider us as adoptive parents (domestic adoption agencies as well as international agencies). We were 23 and 24 when we started the adoption process but had been together for over 8 years and were very established in our relationship, careers, and lives together. IAC was very open-minded about our ages and simply explained to us that they allow the birthparents to choose the adoptive parents so they (IAC) didn't discriminate based on age, race, religion, or marital status--there was no way to know what birthparents were looking for in adoptive parents. They were very up-front and honest about the fact that we were one of the youngest couples they had ever worked with and that could very well mean a longer wait than the "average" IAC couple. We understood that our wait time was largely out if IAC's hands, since the birthparents choose the family they want, and so we decided to wait as long as it took.
Our first contact was less than two weeks after going "on the books" and becoming available as an adoptive couple. We were very excited, however, IAC was able to quickly recognize some "red flags" and inform us that this so-called birthmother was unfortunately a scam (and not even actually pregnant). That was very difficult and emotional for us but at least we found out within a few days of first speaking with her rather than months (and lots of money!) down the road.
Our second contact was just a few days later, about three weeks after going "on the books", and this birthmother ended up ultimately being the one that we matched with and is now our son's birthmother. IAC provided the necessary counseling to our son's birthmother throughout the process and also offered it to his birthfather. We had thought we would use our home IAC office during the process but because our birthmother was from a different IAC state we had to use their office instead. Our counselor was usually pretty quick in getting back with us when we called or emailed with questions or "updates" on our situation, but there were a few times that we felt like it took her longer than necessary to respond to us.
Our counselor was available throughout the birthmother's pregnancy, during her hospital stay (although she didn't come to the hospital until the day our son and his birthmother were discharged...I guess that's standard procedure, though), during the wait for ICPC to clear, and still now over a year later. About a year after our son was born some legal issues arose that we needed IAC's help figuring out and they did all that they could in helping us. That was great, since technically they weren't obligated to help us sort it out at that point!
Overall we had a positive experience with IAC and if we ever decide to adopt again we will definitely use them again.
Having just completed a successful adoption through the IAC, I can only speak from our experience.
Adoption is not an easy process -- especially an open adoption. It's like dropping all your clothes and bending over so that the whole world can inspect your every nook and cranny.
But we went with our hearts, minds (and check book) open and found that the counselors at the IAC always had our best interest and those of our birthmother at heart.
We went to the introductory meeting in January 08, were in the book by the middle of May 08, matched in September 08, and on November 1st, 2008, were holding our baby bo,y bawling our eyes out.
Undoubtedly we were lucky, but I have to think the IAC and their counselors had a lot to do with improving our odds.
I wish all of you the best of luck and would recommend the IAC without reservation.
I had a great experience with the IAC. I thought the fees were reasonable, all the counselors were very on top of everything and we have a beautiful 2 year old son thanks to them. Our birthmother also had a good experience and was helped tremendously by the counselors that were available to her. I would definitely work with them again!!
Our experience at the IAC had been a very positive one. At no fault of the IACs our adoption journey to date has been pretty bumpy. Through out it all the IAC has counseled and guided us well. When there was risk they advised us and helped us to make the best possible decisions. One of the primary reasons we chose the IAC was because of the depth of their experience. We had hoped that we wouldn't need it, but as luck would have it we did and we are SO thankful that we made the choice to partner with the IAC.
We adopted twice with the support of the IAC and we relied upon their professionalism, warmth and guidance. Yes, you do pay upfront costs, but these can be paid over a period of time, which we did with both adoptions, and their costs cover everything except the legal finalization (approx $700 in CA, which has to be done by an atty). For a full-cost agency (which includes homestudy, web hosting, counseling for both adoptive family and birthparents), etc., their fees are much lower than others in CA. The support of the counselors made both adoptions possible and successful; we are sure that without the IAC, these adoptions would have fallen apart. We did lots of research both times and were pleased that both time, the IAC was our choice. We would ALWAYS refer to the IAC and write recommendations, always.
(I do want to add that I am offended that a previous poster questioned the positive responses. I am posting as a real adoptive mom who heard about this site from a friend and wanted to share our high recommendations. We are proud of the IAC's ground breaking work in open adoption and deeply pleased that we found the IAC when we first searched almost 12 years ago and then returned for our second adoption a few years ago. Both times we worked with the Pleasant Hill office, with a little help from the LA office and they were kind, helpful and great.)
Our experience adopting through IAC was amazing. Everything was very well organized and we always felt great confidence that our counselors were working hard for us and providing expert advice. IAC provides a great amount of support for the adoptive families throughout the process including direct contact with counselors, in person monthly support groups as well as online discussion boards. One thing that greatly impressed us and was a big factor in our choosing IAC for our adoption journey is that in addition to those resources provided above for adoptive families, birthmothers also have lifetime counseling with the IAC available to them.
We attended the intensive weekend in December 2004, were on the books in April 2005 and were contacted by our birthmom (and a few others) by May 2005. Our daughter was born in September 2005 and her adoption was finalized in December 2005.
IAC is simply amazing.
We signed our contract with IAC in August 2007, homestudy approved November 2007, in the books January 16th 2008 and our bm contact on February 21st. Our son came home with us on June 7th 2008. IAC went above and beyond to help our birthmother get out of a tough situation. They were in constant contact with us through out the process, and we appreciate their feedback every step of the way. We got our monies worth and would recommend them to anyone.
We worked with the IAC for 18 months before our little man joined our family. Through out that time we received a lot of support and advice. We found the team at IAC to be realistic and supportive, knowledgeable and friendly.
From the moment we walked through the door for the information session we knew that they had the birth families interests at heart and that is ultimately why we chose to sign up with them.
The support offered to our birthmother and to us when baby was born was amazing. Our social worker went way beyond what was expected and \that made the whole experience of our son being born less stressful and way more enjoyable.
There have been some changes at the agency in the last two years and things just keep getting better and better. We are looking forward to working with IAC again soon for adoption number 2.
Our experience with the IAC was a very positive one. We had a lot of support in the application process, and with creating our Dear Birthmother letter. Amazingly, we were contacted by our birthmother less than a month after we went into circulation and a month after that, we had our daughter. We adopted out of a non-IAC state and they were great at facilitating the paperwork and communication that needed to be done, especially with getting ICPC taken care of quickly.
Hands down, the IAC is fabulous. The staff members are willing to go the extra mile for you and help every step of the way.
Adoption is a stressful experience. The IAC’s knowledge and experience in open adoption shines through as they help their families through this process. . A portion of the help IAC offers includes counseling for the Adoptive and Birth families. It is the individual(s) choice if they want to take advantage of it. The IAC is honest and upfront with your thoughts, questions, and concerns.
Some families do wait long; others hardly have a wait. But you have to remember, the choice of picking the right family is up to the birthparents and NOT the agency. For the families that wait longer, services are offered in hopes of having them adopt sooner than the “newer” families. Some of these services include: help with revising the family’s “Dear Birthmother” letter, the Last Minute Hospital List and the Top 50 List. If you are a family who adopts quickly, the IAC is very professional and efficient in all of the legal paperwork, communicating with the hospital staff, birthparents, and if needed, other agencies and attorneys.
The IAC is definitely an adoption agency I recommend. I have dealt with other agencies and lawyers through personal and professional experiences and have not found one of them to be better than the IAC.
My wife and I used the IAC when we adopted our son Jake. We began the process in June of 2006 by attending the weekend conference at their office in North Carolina. From the very beginning they were honest and upfront and we left that meeting knowing the amount of work we would need to accomplish with the IAC providing the support and guidance. We completed our home study, background check, birthmother letter, website and were 'in the book" at the end of August 2007. We took placement of our son Jake in Dec 07 and our adoption was finalized in Sep of 08. The IAC staff provided outstanding support from start to finish and we would use the service again without question. I get the feeling after reading some of the negative reviews on this site that some of these people expected the agency to do everything for them while they sat by the phone and waited to get a call to pick up their new baby.
So,... I'm really not sure if this is ethical or not. Actually, I don't blame the IAC for doing this, but wanted to let the community decide.
There was a comment about recent posts being very positive and all coming from the same IP address. I'm not that resourceful to figure out the IP addresses, but was suspicious about the recent all-positive posts.
So, on the IAC forums, I found this ALERT post that generated some very good responses on their forum:
Hello everyone,
It has recently come to our attention that a website (adoptionagencyratings.com) has ranked the IAC as one of the bottom 20 adoption agencies in the United States (though one positive rating has just recently pulled us out of that category). Based on 4 negative ratings, we have been unjustly and inaccurately represented on this particular website that appears to have a substantial public audience.
This being said, it is our hope that our supporters will help us provide a more viable representation of the Independent Adoption Center. If you would like to write a review about your experience with the IAC, please visit:
Thank you so much for your time and consideration.
Warm Regards,
The IAC
Anyhow, I'm not sure on the ethics of them for the original ALERT on their forum, or me for that matter for re-posting it, but I'm a big believer in transparent knowledge (more than one or two data points), to make decisions. But, it does seem that unlike the general situations... "the squeakiest wheels get the grease" and "only negative voices are heard on the internet," there are now some positive voices out there, which is good.. best to have the good and the bad, right.. and hopefully IAC doesn't come after me for this post.
After reading your post I have to smile; your bitterness at not being chosen as an adoptive parent is obvious. I strongly imagine the reason you weren't chosen is because of your negative attitude. The IAC has been an excellent experience and your misleading review filled with inaccuracies only hurts the chances of the many, not hundreds, of families who are waiting to adopt a child. Adoption is not a race so no one needs 'an edge.' The process of adoption is a roller coaster ride for sure and the IAC has been there for us every step of the way.
I agree with mommy3, I also am sorry your experience was so sad, but you get what you put into it. With a 100% placement rate with IAC I think it's obvious the problem lies with you and not the adoption agency.
Hey Shari, I posted about my experience with the IAC, but with that said I have never dealt with their North Carolina office. Since you are in a non-IAC state, there are some possibilities you should know about.
First, you will need to hire an in-state organization to do your home study. The IAC might have some partners in your local area, but be sure you do some checking first to make sure you are getting the best service at the lowest possible price.
Second, if you find a birthmother in a non-IAC state you will need to hire a local agency to perform the pre and post adoption counseling in most cases. Typically agencies that offer home studies also do this counseling. Try to find a one-stop-shop that does it all in your state to minimize on paperwork transfer time and miscommunications.
Third, if you match with a birthmother in a non-IAC state you don't need the IAC anymore at all. There is no need to pay the $1,500 match fee or the $1,000 finalization fee if you can get it all done by an agency in the birthmother's state. The IAC would simply outsource to a local provider in the state where your birthmother is to facilitate the process anyway. You can do this yourself and save time and money.
Remember that when you hire the IAC you are not hiring an agency that is designed to find your a birthmother. You are hiring an agency that is designed to educate you on the process and provide limited networking opportunities where a birthmother might be. Use them and their ground game outside your immediate area if you have the money to spend, but the best chance for success lies in your own efforts.
We paid the Independent Adoption Center more than $15,000 dollars over the course of a year. After suffering some extremely unprofessional conduct in the San Fransisco office, we called the Indiana Office to complain.
An attendant in the SF office told a birthmother in a match meeting that she should match with us "Because we have a lot of money."
Then after taking our $1,500 match fee the counselor immediately called CPS and had the birthmom's other child removed form her custody. I understand looking out for the welfare of a child, but top take our $1,500 and then TELL the birthmother that her conduct in the match meeting was the grounds for the removal of her daughter was way over the line.
After listening to our complaints, the Indiana Office told us that given how emotional we were about the situation we should probably come out of the book (i.e. stop trying to adopt through the IAC) until we worked through our anger.
So our choices were to stop complaining and play ball to stay in the book or press the issue and lose the best possibility we had for finding a baby (at the time) as well as the $15,000 we had already paid (no refunds).
We ditched the IAC and took over for ourselves. This was our first adoption experience and we were able to out-perform the IAC in online networking easily. Within WEEKS we had adopted our son through Open Adoption in Nebraska. I posted the entire story complete with links to the books we used to replace the IAC as well as examples of the Independent Adoption Center's poor online networking advice.
(Noy sure what the ratings on this comment really show. . .) but I wanted to post as well, having posted a general comment but also wanted to respond to this one as well. I, like other adoptive parents, wanted to add my comments to the reviews. I am offended that just because negative reviews were followed by positive ones, doesn't mean that the positive ones (or the negative ones) are fake. We each make our own opinions about our needs in adoption -- and have our own experiences. My biggest recommendation is to read comments, listen to them all, throw out the outliers (the far negative and positive ones) and do your own homework on this site, other sites, person-to-person and most of all IN person. Meet with any agency and make an informed decision. The IAC was much more reasonable cost-wise for us both times than any other full-service agency (and much cheaper than a close friend's private adoption via attorney where SHE found the birthmom herself), but that was OUR experience -- the IAC provided us what we were looking for, but that might not be true for someone else. Just because there are negative (or positive comments) here, shouldn't make you go WITH or AGAINST the IAC, but it should provide a chapter in your research. All that being said, adoption is a minefield and the journey is a challenge. Still, for us, pregnancy was a journey of losses (and one perfect pregnancy) and if we wanted to grow our family, adoption was our choice and the IAC gave us the power. We now have two younger children in our family thanks to the IAC but the journey, yes, was difficult at times. I don't fault the IAC for those challeges; they simply come with the territory in adoption waiting. I'm dismayed that this poster has decided that just because some of us chose to post positive reviews, then we were deemed fakes. I for one am very real!
My husband and I chose the IAC because we believed that working with an agency with offices across the nation would allow us to cast a larger net in our search for a child. We also strongly believed in open adoption and felt this agency, as a pioneer in open adoptions, would be the best match.
We attend a 2 day seminar and began paying out a thousand + dollars a month for 9 long months. All agency fees were required before "going live" and we were literally paying more to the agency than our mortgage company during those months.
The agency did give us great feedback on our "Dear Birthparent" letter but we did have to pay for the printing and in the end only a few of our letters were sent. After 5 months we brought home our baby, but not because of the IAC, because of our own advertising efforts.
Here are the problems we personally encountered with the agency:
Where are all of the dollars going? To recruit new adoptive families not to providing services to "natural mothers"or advertising to locate expectant parents.
The IAC made a huge deal about their website and yet it was a huge waste of adoptive parent resources. The SEO on the website was non-existant and the traffic to the website during that time was dismal. I can see that they have rectified that situation since our child's adoption. The new website has helpful content and looks nice and seems to have decent SEO efforts.
Lack of respect. During a "match meeting" at the Pleasant Hill office we overheard an intake counselor tell a potential birth parent on the phone "you want to be matched with them, they have a lot of money." That statement was not only unethical but also showed a complete lack of respect for that young woman as well as the waiting families. When we spoke to our home office about the incident we were TOLD that we "misheard, and maybe the stress of your failed match is too much and we should considering going off the books for awhile." We felt threatened and actually considering filing a lawsuit but decided it would be a waste of our resources to do so given the lawyers associated with the agency.
Lack of screening for emotional and legal risk with birthparents before a "match" is made.
We spoke on the phone with expectant parents and flew to San Francisco to have a "match meeting" with them. Proper expectant parent screening would have reveled a host of emotional and legal issues which we were not warned about until during that meeting. We were told later that screening and counseling do not happen until after a match is made and adoptive parents have paid their "match fee".
Lack of service and communication. After paying all of our agency fees we waiting an additional 6 weeks before "going live" because our home office was closed for the holidays and our counselor had a death in the family. Other counselors in the office should have stepped up and provided better service.
Also, the agency called child protective services on an expectant parent we were matched with, which of course caused her to break off her relationship with the agency and us. We had no warning that this was going to happen and spent weeks happily thinking we were going to take home a baby soon. A simple phone call would have spared us serious heartache.
Months after our failed match we were contacted by an expectant parent who need considerable assistance with expenses. We did not feel comfortable and decided not to match, we were met with hostility and considerable pressure from our home office for not choosing to provide financial assistance.
In the end our child's mother found us through independent means and we used an attorney to complete our adoption.
The IAC offices are pretty, their marketing is great, but we felt betrayed and would never recommend them to any couples considering adoption, adoptive or expectant.
They're going to tell you to do your own "networking", and that's a great idea but you don't need to pay the IAC so you can located an expectant parent on your own! The IAC will tell you to wait patiently and if you wait long they'll tell you to rewrite your profile and charge you $200 to update it.
If you state allows you to do so, hire a reputable attorney and advertise on your own. You'll be putting your money to good use elsewhere (like your child's college fund) and you'll find a stronger and more meaningful connection to your child's natural family. In reality, the choice with less risk is actually adopting independently.
As the IAC stresses (as does everyone else) every adoption is different. Your mileage may vary.
We completed an adoption through IAC, and of course are thrilled to be parents. Our child is wonderful, and the relationship with the birthparents is pretty good.
That being said, there were a number of things that bothered us about the process and follow-through of the IAC. The claims of "lifetime counseling" for the birthmom seems great, but the reality is the quality of the counseling delivered is pretty weak, and we think in our case the birthmom could benefit from counseling. Thankfully, the birthfather is in the picture, and is a real rock of strength, although he's certainly not a professional counselor, just a darn good friend and person.
Additionally, our adoption took a long while, and there were parts where we could have really used some help that the IAC should have been able to provide, but they weren't willing to provide it. I'm not talking complicated stuff, either, just some things that for the money we sort of expected. Looking back with 20/20 hindsight, I feel like we should have done more to push them to act, but with all the complications of adoption, that is a lot to ask of adoptive parents.
So all in all, good outcome, not so great experience.
We were sold by their commitment to open adoption, their long track record, and their promised aggressive wait times. But, a year later, we were still waiting and doing a TON of leg work ourselves, i.e, costly advertising. It was like what ttjg said above.. they take the money, the family does ALL the work.
In the mean time we had contacted a local family lawyer that brought more opportunities than IAC did in half the time. And he was up front that he only does at most 6 adoptions / year and to not be hopeful.
Anyhow, we've seen several families wait and wait and wait, some over 5 years and getting little or no support. Their forms are full of happy successful people while those unhappy just don't post or will email privately as I had found on multiple occasions. After a year, when our home study was due (we're not in an IAC state, so that costs extra), we decided to put our case on hold and of course we couldn't get a refund. We most likely won't reactivate and will loose all the monies put forth.. ~ 12 K. BUMMER! Very costly mistake that we are writing off as a donation (not seriously any IRS folks).
On another note, we did contact Kirsch & Kirsch, didn't sign up with them, but thought they were great!
Like the title says.. they were probably great a decade ago or so when Tim Rappaport was still in charge, but now, don't believe their commitment to you. They'll take your monies and then you're on your own.
We tried to adopt through IAC for years and quit them when we moved. As mentioned in other reviews, they don't do much to help you find adoption situations. The website with the hundreds of waiting families should be a red flag. Two friends of mine who had adopted through IAC for their first child DID NOT use them for their second adoption. At support meetings and functions, I met people who had been waiting for four and five years. Finally they give up. I don't think that these people are counted in their misleading statistics.
The rosy pictures painted at their sales pitch and training were not at all typical of what I saw at their support group meetings. I saw lots of people who paid IAC lots and then after waiting for a year or years paid a facilitator (extra $10k+) to find them a homeless or incarcerated birth mother. Others had to fight with social services to be able to adopt a baby born addicted. Our IAC worker suggested that we consider opening our drug preferences to include meth. If you are open to adopting a child addicted to heroin or meth, you can get that situation for free with better training and even financial support, locally through social services.
We liked the idea of open adoption. While IAC was a pioneer, really all agencies at least offer open adoption now, and this is not a big advantage in terms of them bringing in natural mothers.
If you are in your 40's, don't bother unless you are very appealing due to fabulous looks or wealth or both. You will not be picked.
If you are a young hip hetero couple, single, or a gay couple, this agency might work for you because it looked to me like these were the people who were getting matches.
Adoptions of all sorts are down. Guatamala has closed and China is now an incredibly long wait. The competition is fierce. You need an edge. You won't get it from IAC.
We were both 28 when we started the process and had our son- a newborn- home within the year. But no thanks to the IAC.
They sold us on the benefits of open adoption.
They did a fine job with the homestudy (which they outsourced to a local social worker).
They helped us write our Dear Birthmother letter.
They collected lots and lots (and lots) of money. I'm still not sure where it all went.
And then they left us hanging.
When we called after hours because our birthmother was in labor- they scolded us for "bothering" them. We had to actually request a new social worker because the one assigned was so rude and upsetting. They never helped us conduct a meeting with our son's birthmother to negotiate the "open" agreement and didn't really contact us once we had officially matched. They permitted us to work with two birthmothers at once (because neither had committed); then, when both "picked us" within days, instead of allowing us to talk to the birthmother we opted not to work with, they called her and told her we didn't want her (how HORRIBLE!). Luckily, I was able to patch things up with her.
After we returned home from out of state (where they were no help with the Interstate Compact problems we encountered), we had to drive out of our way so the social worker could do monthly updates. They incorrectly completed our adoption paperwork- with wrong names and addresses, which messed things up when we went to finalize.
The social workers were nice, but they are just too darn big. What a money-making machine. I'd never recommend them to anyone I like- or even to people I don't.
Funny how within 2 days there are four 5 star ratings for this adoption agency. I also notice they will allow many screen names under the same IP address...Hmmm wonder who is putting these reviews up. LOL
Truth be known that they are one of the worst agencies to work with and love to play with couples emotions. STAY AWAY FROM THIS ORGANIZATION... ESPECIALLY PLEASANT HILL, CA OFFICE!!!!!
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Reviews
Overall great experience
To be totally honest, we initially turned to IAC because we were "too young" for other agencies to consider us as adoptive parents (domestic adoption agencies as well as international agencies). We were 23 and 24 when we started the adoption process but had been together for over 8 years and were very established in our relationship, careers, and lives together. IAC was very open-minded about our ages and simply explained to us that they allow the birthparents to choose the adoptive parents so they (IAC) didn't discriminate based on age, race, religion, or marital status--there was no way to know what birthparents were looking for in adoptive parents. They were very up-front and honest about the fact that we were one of the youngest couples they had ever worked with and that could very well mean a longer wait than the "average" IAC couple. We understood that our wait time was largely out if IAC's hands, since the birthparents choose the family they want, and so we decided to wait as long as it took.
Our first contact was less than two weeks after going "on the books" and becoming available as an adoptive couple. We were very excited, however, IAC was able to quickly recognize some "red flags" and inform us that this so-called birthmother was unfortunately a scam (and not even actually pregnant). That was very difficult and emotional for us but at least we found out within a few days of first speaking with her rather than months (and lots of money!) down the road.
Our second contact was just a few days later, about three weeks after going "on the books", and this birthmother ended up ultimately being the one that we matched with and is now our son's birthmother. IAC provided the necessary counseling to our son's birthmother throughout the process and also offered it to his birthfather. We had thought we would use our home IAC office during the process but because our birthmother was from a different IAC state we had to use their office instead. Our counselor was usually pretty quick in getting back with us when we called or emailed with questions or "updates" on our situation, but there were a few times that we felt like it took her longer than necessary to respond to us.
Our counselor was available throughout the birthmother's pregnancy, during her hospital stay (although she didn't come to the hospital until the day our son and his birthmother were discharged...I guess that's standard procedure, though), during the wait for ICPC to clear, and still now over a year later. About a year after our son was born some legal issues arose that we needed IAC's help figuring out and they did all that they could in helping us. That was great, since technically they weren't obligated to help us sort it out at that point!
Overall we had a positive experience with IAC and if we ever decide to adopt again we will definitely use them again.
IAC Worked Great For Us
Having just completed a successful adoption through the IAC, I can only speak from our experience.
Adoption is not an easy process -- especially an open adoption. It's like dropping all your clothes and bending over so that the whole world can inspect your every nook and cranny.
But we went with our hearts, minds (and check book) open and found that the counselors at the IAC always had our best interest and those of our birthmother at heart.
We went to the introductory meeting in January 08, were in the book by the middle of May 08, matched in September 08, and on November 1st, 2008, were holding our baby bo,y bawling our eyes out.
Undoubtedly we were lucky, but I have to think the IAC and their counselors had a lot to do with improving our odds.
I wish all of you the best of luck and would recommend the IAC without reservation.
Great experience!
I had a great experience with the IAC. I thought the fees were reasonable, all the counselors were very on top of everything and we have a beautiful 2 year old son thanks to them. Our birthmother also had a good experience and was helped tremendously by the counselors that were available to her. I would definitely work with them again!!
IAC - Good experience
Our experience at the IAC had been a very positive one. At no fault of the IACs our adoption journey to date has been pretty bumpy. Through out it all the IAC has counseled and guided us well. When there was risk they advised us and helped us to make the best possible decisions. One of the primary reasons we chose the IAC was because of the depth of their experience. We had hoped that we wouldn't need it, but as luck would have it we did and we are SO thankful that we made the choice to partner with the IAC.
Adopted twice via IAC and they were great
We adopted twice with the support of the IAC and we relied upon their professionalism, warmth and guidance. Yes, you do pay upfront costs, but these can be paid over a period of time, which we did with both adoptions, and their costs cover everything except the legal finalization (approx $700 in CA, which has to be done by an atty). For a full-cost agency (which includes homestudy, web hosting, counseling for both adoptive family and birthparents), etc., their fees are much lower than others in CA. The support of the counselors made both adoptions possible and successful; we are sure that without the IAC, these adoptions would have fallen apart. We did lots of research both times and were pleased that both time, the IAC was our choice. We would ALWAYS refer to the IAC and write recommendations, always.
(I do want to add that I am offended that a previous poster questioned the positive responses. I am posting as a real adoptive mom who heard about this site from a friend and wanted to share our high recommendations. We are proud of the IAC's ground breaking work in open adoption and deeply pleased that we found the IAC when we first searched almost 12 years ago and then returned for our second adoption a few years ago. Both times we worked with the Pleasant Hill office, with a little help from the LA office and they were kind, helpful and great.)
Knowledgeable, Hardworking, Fast!
Our experience adopting through IAC was amazing. Everything was very well organized and we always felt great confidence that our counselors were working hard for us and providing expert advice. IAC provides a great amount of support for the adoptive families throughout the process including direct contact with counselors, in person monthly support groups as well as online discussion boards. One thing that greatly impressed us and was a big factor in our choosing IAC for our adoption journey is that in addition to those resources provided above for adoptive families, birthmothers also have lifetime counseling with the IAC available to them.
We attended the intensive weekend in December 2004, were on the books in April 2005 and were contacted by our birthmom (and a few others) by May 2005. Our daughter was born in September 2005 and her adoption was finalized in December 2005.
IAC is simply amazing.
Above and Beyond
We signed our contract with IAC in August 2007, homestudy approved November 2007, in the books January 16th 2008 and our bm contact on February 21st. Our son came home with us on June 7th 2008. IAC went above and beyond to help our birthmother get out of a tough situation. They were in constant contact with us through out the process, and we appreciate their feedback every step of the way. We got our monies worth and would recommend them to anyone.
Fantastic agency - would work with them again!
We worked with the IAC for 18 months before our little man joined our family. Through out that time we received a lot of support and advice. We found the team at IAC to be realistic and supportive, knowledgeable and friendly.
From the moment we walked through the door for the information session we knew that they had the birth families interests at heart and that is ultimately why we chose to sign up with them.
The support offered to our birthmother and to us when baby was born was amazing. Our social worker went way beyond what was expected and \that made the whole experience of our son being born less stressful and way more enjoyable.
There have been some changes at the agency in the last two years and things just keep getting better and better. We are looking forward to working with IAC again soon for adoption number 2.
SP
Bay Area, CA
Very fast
Our experience with the IAC was a very positive one. We had a lot of support in the application process, and with creating our Dear Birthmother letter. Amazingly, we were contacted by our birthmother less than a month after we went into circulation and a month after that, we had our daughter. We adopted out of a non-IAC state and they were great at facilitating the paperwork and communication that needed to be done, especially with getting ICPC taken care of quickly.
IAC Makes Family Dreams Come True
Hands down, the IAC is fabulous. The staff members are willing to go the extra mile for you and help every step of the way.
Adoption is a stressful experience. The IAC’s knowledge and experience in open adoption shines through as they help their families through this process. . A portion of the help IAC offers includes counseling for the Adoptive and Birth families. It is the individual(s) choice if they want to take advantage of it. The IAC is honest and upfront with your thoughts, questions, and concerns.
Some families do wait long; others hardly have a wait. But you have to remember, the choice of picking the right family is up to the birthparents and NOT the agency. For the families that wait longer, services are offered in hopes of having them adopt sooner than the “newer” families. Some of these services include: help with revising the family’s “Dear Birthmother” letter, the Last Minute Hospital List and the Top 50 List. If you are a family who adopts quickly, the IAC is very professional and efficient in all of the legal paperwork, communicating with the hospital staff, birthparents, and if needed, other agencies and attorneys.
The IAC is definitely an adoption agency I recommend. I have dealt with other agencies and lawyers through personal and professional experiences and have not found one of them to be better than the IAC.
JH
Plymouth, IN
Independent Adoption Agency (IAC)
My wife and I used the IAC when we adopted our son Jake. We began the process in June of 2006 by attending the weekend conference at their office in North Carolina. From the very beginning they were honest and upfront and we left that meeting knowing the amount of work we would need to accomplish with the IAC providing the support and guidance. We completed our home study, background check, birthmother letter, website and were 'in the book" at the end of August 2007. We took placement of our son Jake in Dec 07 and our adoption was finalized in Sep of 08. The IAC staff provided outstanding support from start to finish and we would use the service again without question. I get the feeling after reading some of the negative reviews on this site that some of these people expected the agency to do everything for them while they sat by the phone and waited to get a call to pick up their new baby.
J Parker
Virginia
J Parker
Call for positive posts
So,... I'm really not sure if this is ethical or not. Actually, I don't blame the IAC for doing this, but wanted to let the community decide.
There was a comment about recent posts being very positive and all coming from the same IP address. I'm not that resourceful to figure out the IP addresses, but was suspicious about the recent all-positive posts.
So, on the IAC forums, I found this ALERT post that generated some very good responses on their forum:
Hello everyone,
It has recently come to our attention that a website (adoptionagencyratings.com) has ranked the IAC as one of the bottom 20 adoption agencies in the United States (though one positive rating has just recently pulled us out of that category). Based on 4 negative ratings, we have been unjustly and inaccurately represented on this particular website that appears to have a substantial public audience.
This being said, it is our hope that our supporters will help us provide a more viable representation of the Independent Adoption Center. If you would like to write a review about your experience with the IAC, please visit:
http://www.adoptionagencyratings.com/
Thank you so much for your time and consideration.
Warm Regards,
The IAC
Anyhow, I'm not sure on the ethics of them for the original ALERT on their forum, or me for that matter for re-posting it, but I'm a big believer in transparent knowledge (more than one or two data points), to make decisions. But, it does seem that unlike the general situations... "the squeakiest wheels get the grease" and "only negative voices are heard on the internet," there are now some positive voices out there, which is good.. best to have the good and the bad, right.. and hopefully IAC doesn't come after me for this post.
Another response to "misleading statistics"
After reading your post I have to smile; your bitterness at not being chosen as an adoptive parent is obvious. I strongly imagine the reason you weren't chosen is because of your negative attitude. The IAC has been an excellent experience and your misleading review filled with inaccuracies only hurts the chances of the many, not hundreds, of families who are waiting to adopt a child. Adoption is not a race so no one needs 'an edge.' The process of adoption is a roller coaster ride for sure and the IAC has been there for us every step of the way.
I agree with mommy3, I also am sorry your experience was so sad, but you get what you put into it. With a 100% placement rate with IAC I think it's obvious the problem lies with you and not the adoption agency.
Good luck.
Cost Saving when Adopting through the IAC in a non IAC State
Hey Shari, I posted about my experience with the IAC, but with that said I have never dealt with their North Carolina office. Since you are in a non-IAC state, there are some possibilities you should know about.
First, you will need to hire an in-state organization to do your home study. The IAC might have some partners in your local area, but be sure you do some checking first to make sure you are getting the best service at the lowest possible price.
Second, if you find a birthmother in a non-IAC state you will need to hire a local agency to perform the pre and post adoption counseling in most cases. Typically agencies that offer home studies also do this counseling. Try to find a one-stop-shop that does it all in your state to minimize on paperwork transfer time and miscommunications.
Third, if you match with a birthmother in a non-IAC state you don't need the IAC anymore at all. There is no need to pay the $1,500 match fee or the $1,000 finalization fee if you can get it all done by an agency in the birthmother's state. The IAC would simply outsource to a local provider in the state where your birthmother is to facilitate the process anyway. You can do this yourself and save time and money.
Remember that when you hire the IAC you are not hiring an agency that is designed to find your a birthmother. You are hiring an agency that is designed to educate you on the process and provide limited networking opportunities where a birthmother might be. Use them and their ground game outside your immediate area if you have the money to spend, but the best chance for success lies in your own efforts.
Unprofessional, Focused on Finding New Clients - Not Birthmoms
We paid the Independent Adoption Center more than $15,000 dollars over the course of a year. After suffering some extremely unprofessional conduct in the San Fransisco office, we called the Indiana Office to complain.
An attendant in the SF office told a birthmother in a match meeting that she should match with us "Because we have a lot of money."
Then after taking our $1,500 match fee the counselor immediately called CPS and had the birthmom's other child removed form her custody. I understand looking out for the welfare of a child, but top take our $1,500 and then TELL the birthmother that her conduct in the match meeting was the grounds for the removal of her daughter was way over the line.
After listening to our complaints, the Indiana Office told us that given how emotional we were about the situation we should probably come out of the book (i.e. stop trying to adopt through the IAC) until we worked through our anger.
So our choices were to stop complaining and play ball to stay in the book or press the issue and lose the best possibility we had for finding a baby (at the time) as well as the $15,000 we had already paid (no refunds).
We ditched the IAC and took over for ourselves. This was our first adoption experience and we were able to out-perform the IAC in online networking easily. Within WEEKS we had adopted our son through Open Adoption in Nebraska. I posted the entire story complete with links to the books we used to replace the IAC as well as examples of the Independent Adoption Center's poor online networking advice.
Nothing fishy - just concerned families
(Noy sure what the ratings on this comment really show. . .) but I wanted to post as well, having posted a general comment but also wanted to respond to this one as well. I, like other adoptive parents, wanted to add my comments to the reviews. I am offended that just because negative reviews were followed by positive ones, doesn't mean that the positive ones (or the negative ones) are fake. We each make our own opinions about our needs in adoption -- and have our own experiences. My biggest recommendation is to read comments, listen to them all, throw out the outliers (the far negative and positive ones) and do your own homework on this site, other sites, person-to-person and most of all IN person. Meet with any agency and make an informed decision. The IAC was much more reasonable cost-wise for us both times than any other full-service agency (and much cheaper than a close friend's private adoption via attorney where SHE found the birthmom herself), but that was OUR experience -- the IAC provided us what we were looking for, but that might not be true for someone else. Just because there are negative (or positive comments) here, shouldn't make you go WITH or AGAINST the IAC, but it should provide a chapter in your research. All that being said, adoption is a minefield and the journey is a challenge. Still, for us, pregnancy was a journey of losses (and one perfect pregnancy) and if we wanted to grow our family, adoption was our choice and the IAC gave us the power. We now have two younger children in our family thanks to the IAC but the journey, yes, was difficult at times. I don't fault the IAC for those challeges; they simply come with the territory in adoption waiting. I'm dismayed that this poster has decided that just because some of us chose to post positive reviews, then we were deemed fakes. I for one am very real!
IAC -- A honest review (like it or not)
My husband and I chose the IAC because we believed that working with an agency with offices across the nation would allow us to cast a larger net in our search for a child. We also strongly believed in open adoption and felt this agency, as a pioneer in open adoptions, would be the best match.
We attend a 2 day seminar and began paying out a thousand + dollars a month for 9 long months. All agency fees were required before "going live" and we were literally paying more to the agency than our mortgage company during those months.
The agency did give us great feedback on our "Dear Birthparent" letter but we did have to pay for the printing and in the end only a few of our letters were sent. After 5 months we brought home our baby, but not because of the IAC, because of our own advertising efforts.
Here are the problems we personally encountered with the agency:
Where are all of the dollars going? To recruit new adoptive families not to providing services to "natural mothers"or advertising to locate expectant parents.
The IAC made a huge deal about their website and yet it was a huge waste of adoptive parent resources. The SEO on the website was non-existant and the traffic to the website during that time was dismal. I can see that they have rectified that situation since our child's adoption. The new website has helpful content and looks nice and seems to have decent SEO efforts.
Lack of respect. During a "match meeting" at the Pleasant Hill office we overheard an intake counselor tell a potential birth parent on the phone "you want to be matched with them, they have a lot of money." That statement was not only unethical but also showed a complete lack of respect for that young woman as well as the waiting families. When we spoke to our home office about the incident we were TOLD that we "misheard, and maybe the stress of your failed match is too much and we should considering going off the books for awhile." We felt threatened and actually considering filing a lawsuit but decided it would be a waste of our resources to do so given the lawyers associated with the agency.
Lack of screening for emotional and legal risk with birthparents before a "match" is made.
We spoke on the phone with expectant parents and flew to San Francisco to have a "match meeting" with them. Proper expectant parent screening would have reveled a host of emotional and legal issues which we were not warned about until during that meeting. We were told later that screening and counseling do not happen until after a match is made and adoptive parents have paid their "match fee".
Lack of service and communication. After paying all of our agency fees we waiting an additional 6 weeks before "going live" because our home office was closed for the holidays and our counselor had a death in the family. Other counselors in the office should have stepped up and provided better service.
Also, the agency called child protective services on an expectant parent we were matched with, which of course caused her to break off her relationship with the agency and us. We had no warning that this was going to happen and spent weeks happily thinking we were going to take home a baby soon. A simple phone call would have spared us serious heartache.
Months after our failed match we were contacted by an expectant parent who need considerable assistance with expenses. We did not feel comfortable and decided not to match, we were met with hostility and considerable pressure from our home office for not choosing to provide financial assistance.
In the end our child's mother found us through independent means and we used an attorney to complete our adoption.
The IAC offices are pretty, their marketing is great, but we felt betrayed and would never recommend them to any couples considering adoption, adoptive or expectant.
They're going to tell you to do your own "networking", and that's a great idea but you don't need to pay the IAC so you can located an expectant parent on your own! The IAC will tell you to wait patiently and if you wait long they'll tell you to rewrite your profile and charge you $200 to update it.
If you state allows you to do so, hire a reputable attorney and advertise on your own. You'll be putting your money to good use elsewhere (like your child's college fund) and you'll find a stronger and more meaningful connection to your child's natural family. In reality, the choice with less risk is actually adopting independently.
Good outcome, not so good experience
As the IAC stresses (as does everyone else) every adoption is different. Your mileage may vary.
We completed an adoption through IAC, and of course are thrilled to be parents. Our child is wonderful, and the relationship with the birthparents is pretty good.
That being said, there were a number of things that bothered us about the process and follow-through of the IAC. The claims of "lifetime counseling" for the birthmom seems great, but the reality is the quality of the counseling delivered is pretty weak, and we think in our case the birthmom could benefit from counseling. Thankfully, the birthfather is in the picture, and is a real rock of strength, although he's certainly not a professional counselor, just a darn good friend and person.
Additionally, our adoption took a long while, and there were parts where we could have really used some help that the IAC should have been able to provide, but they weren't willing to provide it. I'm not talking complicated stuff, either, just some things that for the money we sort of expected. Looking back with 20/20 hindsight, I feel like we should have done more to push them to act, but with all the complications of adoption, that is a lot to ask of adoptive parents.
So all in all, good outcome, not so great experience.
probably much better a decade ago
We were sold by their commitment to open adoption, their long track record, and their promised aggressive wait times. But, a year later, we were still waiting and doing a TON of leg work ourselves, i.e, costly advertising. It was like what ttjg said above.. they take the money, the family does ALL the work.
In the mean time we had contacted a local family lawyer that brought more opportunities than IAC did in half the time. And he was up front that he only does at most 6 adoptions / year and to not be hopeful.
Anyhow, we've seen several families wait and wait and wait, some over 5 years and getting little or no support. Their forms are full of happy successful people while those unhappy just don't post or will email privately as I had found on multiple occasions. After a year, when our home study was due (we're not in an IAC state, so that costs extra), we decided to put our case on hold and of course we couldn't get a refund. We most likely won't reactivate and will loose all the monies put forth.. ~ 12 K. BUMMER! Very costly mistake that we are writing off as a donation (not seriously any IRS folks).
On another note, we did contact Kirsch & Kirsch, didn't sign up with them, but thought they were great!
Like the title says.. they were probably great a decade ago or so when Tim Rappaport was still in charge, but now, don't believe their commitment to you. They'll take your monies and then you're on your own.
Misleading statistics, wasted years
We tried to adopt through IAC for years and quit them when we moved. As mentioned in other reviews, they don't do much to help you find adoption situations. The website with the hundreds of waiting families should be a red flag. Two friends of mine who had adopted through IAC for their first child DID NOT use them for their second adoption. At support meetings and functions, I met people who had been waiting for four and five years. Finally they give up. I don't think that these people are counted in their misleading statistics.
The rosy pictures painted at their sales pitch and training were not at all typical of what I saw at their support group meetings. I saw lots of people who paid IAC lots and then after waiting for a year or years paid a facilitator (extra $10k+) to find them a homeless or incarcerated birth mother. Others had to fight with social services to be able to adopt a baby born addicted. Our IAC worker suggested that we consider opening our drug preferences to include meth. If you are open to adopting a child addicted to heroin or meth, you can get that situation for free with better training and even financial support, locally through social services.
We liked the idea of open adoption. While IAC was a pioneer, really all agencies at least offer open adoption now, and this is not a big advantage in terms of them bringing in natural mothers.
If you are in your 40's, don't bother unless you are very appealing due to fabulous looks or wealth or both. You will not be picked.
If you are a young hip hetero couple, single, or a gay couple, this agency might work for you because it looked to me like these were the people who were getting matches.
Adoptions of all sorts are down. Guatamala has closed and China is now an incredibly long wait. The competition is fierce. You need an edge. You won't get it from IAC.
TERRIBLE- I wouldn't use them again!
If I could give them less than a star, I would.
We were both 28 when we started the process and had our son- a newborn- home within the year. But no thanks to the IAC.
They sold us on the benefits of open adoption.
They did a fine job with the homestudy (which they outsourced to a local social worker).
They helped us write our Dear Birthmother letter.
They collected lots and lots (and lots) of money. I'm still not sure where it all went.
And then they left us hanging.
When we called after hours because our birthmother was in labor- they scolded us for "bothering" them. We had to actually request a new social worker because the one assigned was so rude and upsetting. They never helped us conduct a meeting with our son's birthmother to negotiate the "open" agreement and didn't really contact us once we had officially matched. They permitted us to work with two birthmothers at once (because neither had committed); then, when both "picked us" within days, instead of allowing us to talk to the birthmother we opted not to work with, they called her and told her we didn't want her (how HORRIBLE!). Luckily, I was able to patch things up with her.
After we returned home from out of state (where they were no help with the Interstate Compact problems we encountered), we had to drive out of our way so the social worker could do monthly updates. They incorrectly completed our adoption paperwork- with wrong names and addresses, which messed things up when we went to finalize.
The social workers were nice, but they are just too darn big. What a money-making machine. I'd never recommend them to anyone I like- or even to people I don't.
Seems a little fishy
Funny how within 2 days there are four 5 star ratings for this adoption agency. I also notice they will allow many screen names under the same IP address...Hmmm wonder who is putting these reviews up. LOL
Truth be known that they are one of the worst agencies to work with and love to play with couples emotions. STAY AWAY FROM THIS ORGANIZATION... ESPECIALLY PLEASANT HILL, CA OFFICE!!!!!