A happy family hugging together on a sofa

How to Prepare to Adopt and Choose an Ethical Agency

Ethical agencies acknowledge that unethical adoptions happen elsewhere in the industry, rather than pretending the problem doesn’t exist, and they don’t recruit birth mothers; situations come to them.

Written by Allie James, Senior Content Editor

Start Here

A counselor meeting with a married couple

How Do I Know an Adoption Agency Is Ethical?

Ethical agencies acknowledge that unethical adoptions happen elsewhere in the industry, rather than pretending the problem doesn’t exist, and they don’t recruit birth mothers; situations come to them.

Learn more
Grandparents and grandchildren looking through a photo album

How Do I Create an Adoption Profile That Connects With Birth Mothers?

A polished, regularly updated family profile matters more than a blog today, birth mothers often connect over one specific, authentic detail, like a family’s Halloween traditions, more than a polished narrative.

Learn more
A family sitting together on a couch in a cozy cabin

What Kinds of Adoptive Families Are Most Needed Right Now?

Flexible families willing to consider siblings, medically fragile newborns, or situations with unknowns are consistently in higher demand and often experience shorter waits.

Learn more
A mother and her daughters looking at a photo album

What Does Nature vs. Nurture Research Mean for Adoptive Families?

Modern research has moved past the old either-or nature-versus-nurture debate, brain imaging and twin studies now show a far more complex interaction between genetics and environment than earlier generations assumed.

Learn more
A couple reviewing documents with an adoption professional

How Do I Know an Adoption Agency Is Ethical?

Ethical agencies acknowledge that unethical adoptions happen elsewhere in the industry, rather than pretending the problem doesn’t exist, and they don’t recruit birth mothers; situations come to them.

We understand why adoption is problematic for some. Because there are unethical adoptions… We hate that unethical adoptions happen on any level.

Full details

How Do I Create an Adoption Profile That Connects With Birth Mothers?

A polished, regularly updated family profile matters more than a blog today, birth mothers often connect over one specific, authentic detail, like a family’s Halloween traditions, more than a polished narrative.

Recently, a birth mother chose a family simply because she saw their Halloween activities in their profile, she had loved Halloween since childhood, and that one snapshot helped her envision her child enjoying the same traditions.

Full details
A family looking through photos together
A family portrait of parents and children on a couch

What Kinds of Adoptive Families Are Most Needed Right Now?

Flexible families willing to consider siblings, medically fragile newborns, or situations with unknowns are consistently in higher demand and often experience shorter waits.

We need spontaneous and flexible adoptive families… A year ago, we got a call at 4 PM on a Friday. A mother had delivered tiny twin boys who were going to need a few weeks’ stay in the hospital’s NICU.

Full details

What Does Nature vs. Nurture Research Mean for Adoptive Families?

Modern research has moved past the old either-or nature-versus-nurture debate, brain imaging and twin studies now show a far more complex interaction between genetics and environment than earlier generations assumed.

A groundbreaking 2024 study led by Dr. Haeme Park at Neuroscience Research Australia used advanced brain imaging techniques to investigate cognitive and emotional development.

Full details
A family reading a storybook together

FAQ - Simple

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

It's a fair concern, asking directly how an agency handles this is one of the best ways to evaluate them.

They still have a place, but a well-written, regularly updated family profile now tends to matter more.

Often yes, families open to unpredictable or higher-need situations tend to match faster.

Recent research shows it's not either-or, the interaction between the two is more complex than either side of the old debate assumed.

Reviewed By

[Name]

Last reviewed: August 2026

Written by

Allie James

Senior Content Editor

Last Reviewed by: September 28, 2026

Comments