We attended our first Adoption 101 class in 2020 and the official outreach program in 2021. In our search for agencies, we were really drawn to Adoption Connection (AC) b/c of their commitment and fierce advocacy for Birth mothers. After speaking with other agencies, attorneys and consultants, we felt that they were the most transparent not only with adoptive parents, but also with offering Birth Mothers perspective, counseling, and a listening ear to make the most informed decision during the most difficult time of their lives. We were told from the outset that 3 years+ was a realistic estimate in terms of placement and though we hoped it would be earlier, we understood how delicate this journey was. We were sent quarterly updates with the number of times our brochure had been presented (over 40 by the end of our process), but we had never met a Birth Mother in person yet. It's very easy to go to dark places and play the blame game as to why it hasn't happened yet, but we decided to turn our sadness into a year of yes. Yes to the trips, yes to the dinners, and yes to adventures that came our way. We started therapy and really worked on being the best version of ourselves we could for whenever we got the call. In our research, the best advice we were given is that as adoptive parents, we have to be ok with being 4th place in terms of choices for Birth Mothers who are placing their child up for adoption: 1st is with a birth parent 2nd is with a family member 3rd is with a member of their community We were more than happy to be 4th place and it's with that mindset, we were able to wait (as difficult as it was) almost 3 years for a placement. Our Birth Mother was very confident in her decision to place her child up for adoption, but understandably had second thoughts once the child was born. Those first 30 days were so stressful and AC really stepped up and not only offered comfort, perspective, and options for the Birth Mother, but also coached us through the difficult time of having the child with us and the possibility of things not working out. It was very important to all of us that our Birth Mother felt secure and safe in whatever decision she made and in the end, she felt that we were the best option for her child. Adoption is not for the faint of heart, but if not for the expertise and advice of the team at AC, we definitely would not have been able to honestly tell our child that this decision was not made lightly and was made out of an abundance of love b/c he was so wanted by all parties. We're so thankful for the Adoption Connection Team and their continued support of Birth Mothers and Adoptive Families. read more

This is a close to a scam as it gets by avoiding the legal classification as scam. The whole company seems to be set up by family law experts as 'legalized sam' skirting regulations as much as possible. You pay a high fee for outreach ($30k) to be shown 1-2 times a year to potential birthmothers. You will not have any matches for years. After that the 'case workers' will push an adoption on you without giving you any disclosure required by CA/ Federal law about the baby or birthmother situation. They will label it as only chance. Everything is hush hush. The cases they show you before you pay the fees are so different than what you will actually see it is heartbreaking. Avoid at all costs (like other reviewers here have detailed). read more

When my husband and I were searching for an adoption agency, our top priority was to find an ethical, transparent, thoughtful organization that would center the experiences of the real people coming together through adoption. We definitely feel we found that with Adoption Connection! We have found them to be a group of caring and experienced professionals who work SO incredibly hard to support families through the adoption process. I felt that we were well-informed and educated by their adoptive parent education classes, homestudy process, and the generous time given to us pre-match to make sure we were prepared and confident going into the process. We were matched after a little more than a year, and as they supported us through the many complexities of adopting, their heartfelt dedication, professionalism, and many years of experience really shone through to us. It is so clear that every person working at Adoption Connection is there because they are passionate about supporting adoptive families not just in the match, placement, and adoption, but also in building healthy and informed foundations that will support the whole adoption constellation for years to come. read more

My Adoption Journey began with providing Adoption Connection with a large sum of money for "Outreach," which amounted to showing a flyer about me to 1-2 potential birth mothers every few months, and adding me to a poorly formatted website. As a single woman, I wasn't told in advance how unlikely it was that they could match me with a potential birth mom. In fact, they'd initially told me what a great chance I'd have. My ongoing interactions with my case worker left me feeling unsupported and frustrated beyond belief. After over 2 years, I took things into my own hands and signed up on a well-designed national adoption website for a comparatively nominal fee. It then took less than 3 months to find a match that felt real. My case worker emphatically advised me not to use such a service, nor to fly out to meet the birth mom who'd chosen me. As I look at my son now, I am so glad I didn't listen to her advice. During my time out of state, I was able to call the director and ask some questions. Once things are moving along, they are a bit more helpful. Because of the regulations around my out-of-state adoption, it was easier to do the post placement with them. My post placement worker was really nice, but this all happened during the pandemic, so I ended up paying $500 per 20 minute zoom chat. Adoption connection is a non-profit adoption agency, and I don't know if they are any better or worse than any other agency. I've learned a lot, and I wish there'd been more transparency before I handed over a check and my heart on a sleeve to them. If I ever adopt again, I'd do my own outreach to begin with, or work directly with a reputable adoption attorney - using an agency only when/if needed at the end of the journey. read more

Adoption Connection helped us facilitate our required pre and post home study for the adoption law firm we hired in Los Angeles. It was both helpful and convenient to use Adoption Connection here in the Bay Area so that we could successfully meet, interact and take classes with them. The thing that I most appreciated about Adoption Connection were the 2 classes we took, Interracial Adoption and a Intro to Adoption. We learned more than anything we could have read in any book or blog....the classes were awesome and we had a chance to meet with families that had adopted recently. Martha L. helped us for the post adoption home study and she was a pleasure to work with, very organized and easy to talk with. It felt like she genuinely wanted to see our adopted son happy and comfortable in his new home! read more

This review is a delayed one. We've been busy raising our little girl. Anyway, we paid a lot of money to Adoption Connection and after three years ended up with nothing but costly wild goose chases. We gave a lot of money to three different pregnant women and ended up with no baby from any of them. An awful experience overall and I have to say Adoption Connection wasn't the greatest support system outside of the generic commentary. Once we decided to stop wasting our time we ended up adopting some embryos and got a surrogate. SUCH a better experience. I HIGHLY recommend going that route and avoid the fake pregnancies, pregnancies that change their mind, and all of the money the pregnant women "need". read more

Adoption Connection - Adoption Services Near Me - San Francisco, California

We chose Adoption Connection to help grow our family because of their professional approach to educating us and preparing us for adoption. Enrolling in training classes prior to committing to doing an outreach with Adoption Connection made us very comfortable with each step and avoiding a feeling of having to make a large payment up front without understanding the culture of the organization. The path to complete an adoption is never exactly what you would expect, but having an agency that can consult you and support you with each step is key. Adoption Connection and their talented team are thought leaders and innovators in this space and were the original implementors of the open adoption process which advocates for the best outcome for the child with an equal consideration for child, birth mother and adoptive parents. Their caring approach to support the birthmother was also important for us when deciding. We are so thankful that we chose Adoption Connection for the many sincere and direct conversations and advice provided. It takes courage and commitment to complete an adoption, and it could be both one of the most beautiful and difficult things that you do in your life. Adoption Connection was the best partner for us during this journey and we will forever appreciate them and our continued relationship with them. read more

We had a great experience with Adoption Connection over a year ago and we're about to sign up to begin our next adoption. The adoption process is difficult regardless of what agency you choose. I often see complaints about the agency blaming them for issues that are just part of the adoption process. Flakey birth moms - unavoidable, high costs - unavoidable, if you're picky about what child you want - it's going to be a lot harder to make a connection with a birth mom. Taking a long time? Welcome to the world of adoption. read more

My wife and I first signed up with Adoption Connection in January of 2010. We were fairly reasonable on the requirements on the birth mother's alcohol and substance abuse history, and we asked only that the baby be at least half-Asian. We wrote and submitted our "Dear Birthmother" letter in the Spring of 2012 and entered into the Outreach program. We did everything that Adoption Connection required of us. And every one or two years, we would pay for and renew all of their requirements: Home Study, DOJ/FBI security clearances, doctor's medical resports, etc. The costs in money and time and effort have become significant. For more than 6 years, my wife and I complied and practiced patience. In return, we have gotten nothing from Adoption Connection: no baby, no interviews with birth mothers, no profile matches, no leads at all. We got nothing from the agency except for platitudes and excuses. Worse, on the 6th year, after we asked Adoption Connection to do their part before we continue to do ours, they summarily dropped us from their outreach program. At their introductory seminar, the agency claimed an average wait time of 14 months. That claim now sounds patently false. Adoption Connection has utterly failed us. read more

If I could give a company or organization negative stars that is what I would do for Adoption Connection. My fiancé and I both want to adopt. It is something we talked about years ago when we first started dating. We do not want to adopt because of infertility issues, or other medical reasons. Adoption is our first choice! I was told by Adoption Connection that I "do not qualify" to adopt from their organization because I am not infertile. I understand there are a lot of people that want to adopt. But I feel that a woman that is pregnant and is wonderful enough, and brave enough to place her child up for adoptions should have all the options of couples to choose from regarding who adopts her baby. I should not be disqualified because the reason for us wanting to adopt is not a medical reason. And it is unfortunate that this organization discriminates against couples that are healthy, and limits the options of families pregnant women get to choose from. Shame on Adoption Connection! read more

My partner and I worked with Adoption Connection for less than a year before our daughter was placed with us. The staff, especially Tammy, Rachel, Lynn and Leah, were amazing. The staff are kind and caring but professional. Was everything perfect? No But they were with us every step of the way. I am sort of shocked at some of the negative comments on here. Underwhelmed but had a child placed with them within 18 months? After attending some of AC's offerings, we met some pretty high maintenance adoptive parents that monopolized the staff's time and seemed so utterly desperate that we felt bad for the staff. There are some people that will never be happy no matter what you do for them. I think it is cowardly to post something on this site without ever discussing it with the agency. I agree with DJ and Alec about sometimes not feeling like we had enough time on the phone or had answers given to us in a very matter-of-fact way. But that is ok. I would much rather have straight forward than touchy-feely fake. If you want one-on-one hand holding and high maintenance driven attention, spend $25k and get yourself a lawyer. If you want an efficient, professional, proven agency then look into Adoption Connection. read more

We recently adopted through Adoption Connection (12 days ago!) and we couldn't be happier with the experience! Each member of the AC staff staff worked hard to ensure that we understood how everything would work. They were professional, supportive and caring. From the home study to the super-informative educational seminars to birth-mother support, each contact we had was excellent. As a two-dad family we felt that their support for LGBT parents was delivered naturally and without bias. Of course, our baby didn't come to us the week the outreach so it was a bit of a waiting game, but that was to be expected. We had a few false starts with moms that contacted us directly and Rachel and Lynne were always there to help us through it. Really... they were always there to help us and counsel us through ANYTHING! They made everything as comfortable as possible for not only us, but for our child's birth-mother and father as well. We are so thankful for the gift she gave us, so we were very pleased that they took the time to look after her and her well-being during this process. Overall, I think that Adoption Connection did an excellent job and did everything in their power to provide us with a WONDERFUL experience and a beautiful child!!! I would highly recommend them! read more

Adoption Connection (AC) was part of our wonderful adoption journey and I can not recommend them more! For our first encounter, we were late for the introductory class. As a result, Rachel agreed to meet us 1:1. We went to the Berkeley location (where the first class had been held) and she was waiting for us in the main SF office. She said, "stay put!"...and biked/BART'd to us across the bridge. That's the the type of friendly dedication they showed throughout the process. Then we met Malia. She coached us through our application process and birth mother letter. She too was patient, kind, and understanding. It is a new experience for us as adopting parents, and a host of funny emotions come up. How were you raised? What are your dreams? Fears? Hopes? You wanted to be a what? Luckily, the adoption workshops answer all of your concerns and questions. You may be going through this once, but they have gone through hundreds of placements. THEIR expertise is YOUR strength! We followed their advice 100% and saved ourselves a lot of pitfalls and heartache. My husband and I had a interstate adoption. Tara and AC have a strong relationship in other states. Mississippi said that it makes the process quicker and smoother to work with them since they are a full-service agency. In fact, they call AC for legal and moral advice about open adoption. Adoption is a journey, and there can be speed bumps, pot holes and road blocks before you get to the smooth highway. AC guides you through the entire process with love and kindness until you are matched with your perfect kiddo. We are thankful for them daily, and couldn't imagine doing it any other way. Thank you for making our family complete! read more

We adopted through Adoption Connection and just finalized. After a so-so experience with past staff, we had an amazing experience with the new, reorganized staff. Once the new staff took over we were really happy and would recommend AC totally. They were engaged, empathetic, insightful, and responsive. read more

We were entirely underwhelmed by our experience with Adoption Connection. I would not in good conscience recommend them to anyone. We were matched with our birth family very early in the pregnancy. If I hadn't felt like Adoption Connection could somehow have foiled our adoption, I would have written this review months ago. Directors and co-directors are hopelessly out-of-date with current technology. *"You live in Berkeley and have a 415 area code?! How can that be?" *"I'm 35 minutes late for this phone call because I was in the car." Blue tooth much? *Twice in one phone call they suggested that we use that "online Google thing" *Minimal social media presence Not only are they technophobes, but they are just out of sync with young birth mothers and how to reach them or communicate with them once they are in the system. Outreach services did diddlysquat for us. In 18 months the only real inquiry traffic we got were once we created are own url and used AdWords. There was more - *Their accounting department made multiple errors on our billing. *Their records department/person could not keep track of the documents in our file. *During our wait to be matched, they never contacted us. We had to initiate every communication. I don't know if this is my fault for having not done more research. Maybe this is how all non-profit agencies are and we should have gone with an attorney, but the business person in me wanted to throttle them at every interaction. They were not respectful of my time, had poor project management skills and shockingly bad interpersonal skills. I don't think directors of an adoption agency should be patronizing to their clients, which they were on multiple occasions. But to cap it all off, not once did we feel like anyone cared about us or our child. They have horrible people skills. Shockingly bad for individuals in this field. Our son had major medical issues at birth. Emergency delivery, air-lift to children's hospital, ten days in the NICU, etc. Did at any time we have compassionate support from Adoption Connection? Nope. Not once. Quite the contrary. The only true positive in the entire experience was the social worker that did our home study. Amy Blackstone was amazing and is wisely no longer working with this agency. Just because this agency has glowing reviews here or on Berkeley Parents Network, does not mean they are for you. Spend some real time with them before you select them. read more

Unbelievable nice! They kept calling me to help me with explanations on how to adopt. I kept missing the call because my 3 month old would be screaming. We finally communicated through text. Thanks for the help! read more

We are a gay couple on the Peninsula who just completed our second adoption through Adoption Connection. For the most part, we were extremely pleased with our experiences with AC. We originally selected AC for a variety of reasons -- a good referral, the proximity, a decent vibe, but also largely due to the lower costs than many other places and options we'd considered. We spent immeasurably less than we could have to come out with two successful adoptions. We were also greatly encouraged the first time we walked in to see the hundreds of photos on the wall of successful adoptive families. Though the staff was always honest, realistic, and caring, there were times throughout our two searches, however, when we found ourselves thinking "well, you get what you pay for" in terms of the availability of the staff/resources. It's a small organization, staffed by dedicated, hard-working people who don't necessarily have the time to do all of the hand-holding and regular communicating you inevitably want/need going through the process. There were times when we felt a more nurturing touch would have been welcome when struggling with issues or facing difficult decisions. No one was rude or disrespectful -- just sometimes busier and a bit more brusque than two high-maintenance guys would have hoped. We do, however, want to give a special shout-out to case worker Rachel Herndon, who was truly fabulous throughout our tumultuous "Round 2" journey, which was fraught with difficult situations. She made us feel respected, listened to, and cared about, whether the news was good or bad (and we had plenty of both). We want to adopt her next. Overall, AC is a very good option for those in the area, particularly for those whose financial resources may not be as unlimited, and for gay adopters (can't speak for the experiences of the rest of the LGBT community). We never felt uncomfortable or treated differently than any other prospective families. Thanks to AC, we have two beautiful kids and our dream of family has been realized. read more

This is an update to my previous one star review. I had written that review because I was not fully informed of the changes in same sex step parent adoption and had not gotten a full refund when I found out I didn't need a adoption service to do this anymore. However, I had a very prompt reply to my review and a phone call. I really appreciate the thoughtful response and Tara at the office also called me to follow up and offered a full refund as well as explained that the staff have discussed making sure that they explain to new or existing clients that the laws have changed and more upfront disclosure about those changes and getting a lawyer involved earlier if needed to advise of options. Amy read more

We are grateful to Adoption Connection for the structure and support they gave us during our wait. My husband and I researched three adoption agencies when we decided to go domestic. AC seemed neither too big and expensive nor too small and so provided a good fit for us. The classes they offered and the monthly waiting support group were extremely beneficial. At the start of our adoption process, Lynne Fingerman provided invaluable assistance in the initial coordination with the out of state adoption agency we used. Our child is 2 years old now and we appreciate reconnecting at the annual picnic and the continuing education offered. read more

My husband and I adopted our son in 2014, going through the entire process as clients of Adoption Connection (AC). We recommend them very highly. We decided on AC after looking at a few other agencies, but frankly not very many. After going to AC's orientation meeting, we both agreed that they just felt right, that these felt like the people and the organization we wanted to go through this process with. What we liked about Adoption Connection, both initially and throughout the process, was their combination of real empathy and caring with very hard-headed practicality, both in logistical and bureaucratic matters and in navigating the convoluted territory between birth family and adoptive family. A quick rundown about how we felt about them about each of the various steps in the process: Their preparatory classes are great. The four-session introduction-to-adoption class is a crash course in a lot of what to expect in adoption, with a chance to hear from adoptive children, birthparents, and adoptive parents. It also lets you meet and connect, over the course of the class, with other people entering into the process, which is great. The transracial adoption class is very good - hard, because, especially if you're white, you have to confront things honestly on a whole new level than you may ever have had to before, if you're seriously considering adopting across racial lines - but extremely worthwhile and necessary. There's other good preparatory classes on infant care, birthfamily relations, fetus substance exposure, etc. Writing the letter. Writing the birthmother letter is excruciating, and they do a good job of being available to give you input as you're working on it. Waiting. Definitely one of the hardest parts. Adoption Connection frankly isn't very proactive in being supportive during this stage. They're definitely available to talk to you when you need it, and they host a good support group, but you're largely on your own here. Our wait was three years, with mostly radio silence. Our main reassurance was that they would periodically ask us for more letters, which told us that our letter was in fact going out. I was and am ok with this. The agency has limited resources, and though it's really hard waiting and waiting and waiting with very little hand-holding, when things start happening (and they happen fast when they do happen), *that's* when you really need them and *that's* when they're there. So, though it's hard, I feel like their prioritization of where they put their effort is good. If you're someone who needs super personalized attention during your wait or your search, you might want to think about working with an attorney or a facilitator. (Which you can do in conjunction with working with AC, I think.) Once things started rolling for us, Adoption Connection was amazing. Much of navigating the relationship with the birthfamily is up to you, as it should be, but they're very available to talk to you about how it's going and to give you advice, and they're in active, frequent contact with you during this time. They're on top of all of the confusing, intimidating legal and bureaucratic aspects. In our case, the agency the birthmother was working with didn't always do a great job, and Adoption Connection totally made sure that everything was taken care of, even though our chunky fee was going to the other agency. One piece of paperwork took months to resolve, and Adoption Connection was doggedly on top of it until the matter got fixed - they were wonderful. In the end, what I like most about Adoption Connection (after their hard-headed commitment to getting problems fixed) is that, in fact, they *don't* automatically prioritize you, the adoptive parent, in the process. Adoption involves three parties: the child, the birthfamily, and the adoptive family. Adoption Connection honors all three parties in the process, with priority always given to the ultimate interests of the baby/child. If for you, adoption is exclusively about you getting a baby, with no concern for either what being adopted means to the person your child will become or for the experience of the birthfamily, then Adoption Connection might not be the right agency for you. For me, adoption and birthfamly are integral pieces of who my son is, and as such, I cherish them for what they are and deeply appreciate Adoption Connection's commitment to the entirety of the process. Not just my, the adoptive parent's, piece of it. Everyone we worked with at Adoption Connection is a fabulous combination of real, deep empathy and caring with real no-nonsense practicality and toughness. I feel immensely lucky to have had them facilitate our adoption. read more

Adoption Connection rocks! We used AC for home study, outreach and post-placement services for domestic open adoption of our baby boy, who was recently born and placed in our home. (We're so happy!) We would have used AC for pre-placement services but for the fact that we were matched with a birth mother in Southern California, so we had to hire a local (custodial) agency to handle that. The contrast between AC and the So.Cal agency could not have been more striking. AC accorded themselves with professionalism, candor, empathy and respect at every juncture. Their fee-based, a la carte pricing fit nicely with their step-by-step approach to the adoption process -- as opposed to paying a costly, all-inclusive "flat fee" and inundating you with information that you simply cannot retain all at once. AC's outreach services are very good and reasonably priced. AC also provided seminars on gay and lesbian adoption and transracial adoption -- both of which were very handy as we are two dads from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Additional monthly seminars are available for couples waiting to be matched -- we waited for nearly a year, which is hard -- and it was good to have a group available to discuss those issues. Most of all, each of the staff we dealt with at AC was calm, cool and collected -- setting an appropriate, helpful tone for couples looking to grow their family through adoption. I highly recommend Adoption Connection. read more

Adoption Connection is a fabulous agency filled with the most dedicated, compassionate, insightful and caring people. Every single person we interacted with through the agency worked hard to make our adoption as successful as possible. It is because of their hard work and expertise that we are now a family. Through the two years from our initial introductory presentation to the finalization of our adoption after six months, it has been nothing but a positive experience. read more

Bottom line....DO NOT TRUST THIS AGENCY If you are expecting a baby and want to find good parents and a good agency that will be upfront with you....this is NOT the one. Our family experience is that they side with the adoptive parents. My granddaughter asked my for help with finding an agency, and now I feel that I have let my family down. The social worker comes across so kind and understanding, watch out for that!!! ( my granddaughter was high on meth at the time of signing) and she looked the other way. My granddaughter has several emotional problems and dealing with her is like dealing with a 12 yr. old. ( Social workers words.) Bottom line, the adoptive parents are changing there minds on the open adoption and when we asked for help from the social worker ......told she could not help us!!!! She was not upfront with us and now we may lose the right to see the baby.....because, the social worker did not explain to us that my granddaughter has to sign an agreement to see the baby within 3 months. We just found this out last week, we have about a month left. She is not willing to work with us. Please, if you want to find good parents and have an open adoption, go to an attorney that handles these things. Adoption Connection will be catering to the adoptive parents that pay them a good sum of money!!!! I don't think they deserve even one star! Knowing that the baby is loved, cared for and Not abused in any way, is very important to our family....not knowing is horrible! read more