As a technology provider to adoption agencies, we tend to keep our finger on the pulse of what is happening in both industries. If we fail to adjust to shifts in either industry, we run the risk of becoming irrelevant, losing market share and fading into the history books.

The way that adoption agencies interact with hopeful adoptive parents is currently going through a major shift. From what we’ve seen, hopeful adoptive parents are demanding more customer service and a more hands-on approach from the adoption agency they ultimately choose. If these needs are not met, agencies who finalize between 10-100 adoptions/year will be the first to feel an impact. As an agency of that size, recognizing that shift and adjusting your processes will determine how financially fit you will be in the next few years.

Why is this shift happening? Over the course of the last two years, we have noticed that there are more and more non-licensed organizations working hand-in-hand with hopeful adoptive parents. By reaching these parents before the agencies, they’ve been able to quickly turn traditional adoption agencies into their service providers – only needing their assistance when it comes to actual legal work.

Do you really want an organization to determine how much you make and who you work with? If you answered, “no,” then consider these observations:

• These organizations are selling warmth and personal service. 
• They are using your processes – paperwork, home study, profile creation – against you, saying that they’re: 
  • cold
  • daunting
  • confusing
  • scary
• A non-licensed professional is taking on a role that would traditionally be held by a licensed social worker. 

We all know that these processes are a completely necessary component of any adoption. But how you choose to implement them and serve your parents doesn’t have to stay the same. Softening the adoption process and providing next-level customer service could be a game-changer.