I am updating and altering this review to ensure people receive a clear, honest picture of the kind of agency Adoption Options truly is. I believe transparency matters--especially when decisions of this magnitude are involved. Seven years ago, I made the incredibly difficult and selfless decision to place my daughter for adoption. I am profoundly grateful for my daughter's adoptive parents--but my experience with this agency was deeply troubling, unethical, and emotionally damaging. When I was five months pregnant and facing serious health and personal challenges, I reached out through an online form seeking guidance. An adoption advocate responded quickly and connected me with a couple who would ultimately become my daughter's adoptive parents. Thankfully, I met them before being fully absorbed into the agency's process, because they were the ones who provided genuine compassion and support--something the agency itself failed to do. Due to Colorado requirements, however, I was still required to work through the agency. It is important to be honest and clear: I did experience a relapse very early in my pregnancy. It was brief, I was not continuously using, and I stopped early on. I did not actively use substances throughout my pregnancy, and my daughter was born healthy and clean. Despite this, the agency later used my past and this early relapse as leverage, misrepresenting the situation in ways that were both harmful and unethical. My assigned case manager was inattentive, overwhelmed, and appeared far more focused on financial outcomes than on my well-being. She repeatedly attempted to dissuade me from choosing the adoptive parents I had already connected with, pushing me toward families within the agency's internal network. Most disturbingly, the agency attempted to convince my daughter's adoptive parents to choose another birth mother by telling them my child would be born sick and addicted to drugs--claims that were entirely untrue and medically unfounded. Additionally, any time my daughter's adoptive parents tried to reach out to me--whether through calls, texts, or gestures like sending flowers--the agency actively discouraged it. They appeared deeply uncomfortable with how open, respectful, and human our relationship was. Their version of an "open adoption" prioritized control over connection, limiting communication to managed channels and discouraging authentic bonds. Despite this pressure, my daughter's adoptive parents consistently chose empathy and transparency. To this day, I remain in contact with her mother, and my daughter is being raised knowing who I am and where she comes from. I firmly believe this would not have been possible had I not met her parents prior to being assigned to this agency. After the adoption, the post-placement support that was promised was virtually nonexistent. During an incredibly vulnerable period, I felt abandoned by an organization that claimed to provide care. Friends raised concerns about my mental health at the time, yet no meaningful outreach or support was offered. I have no regrets about placing my daughter with the loving parents she has today. I do, however, deeply regret involving an agency that prioritized profit, control, and optics over honesty, dignity, and the long-term well-being of birth mothers and children. Please take this as a sincere warning. Agencies entrusted with such life-altering decisions should support and protect--not manipulate, misrepresent, or silence the people they claim to serve. read more

In addition to failing to do their job when we were working to adopt through them, and compounding the harm we were sustaining from the child's team, Adoption Options handled us wanting to move our foster care license with very low fidelity. They told us we could transfer our license, and then cloised our license. Our new licenser mentioned we could ask them to reverse this, but they refused to even have a phone meeting with us. The info they did send to our new licenser was incorrect in several cases. We also just learned that when asked to provide info towards our new homestudy they told a selective and unflattering version of events. For instance: they said we did not always comply with the team. However, they failed to mention that at times they counseled us to "hold our boundaries" and not go along with the child's team. They also failed to mention that sometimes non-compliance involved such pragmatic things as telling the child's team that I could not take a "second maternity leave" (for the same child being placed in our home!) so they could move her without school, therapy, and behavioral needs set up. (And that this would not be successful for her even if I did do that. Moving a child from an extremely restrictive and structured environment to a complete lack of structure and expectations went against her therapist's advice.) Most distressing is that they noted we put in our notice for this placement without providing 30 days. While technically true, they conveniently left out that our Adoption Options caseworker told us that that was the only way to avoid the child being arrested, keep her safe, and get her non-responding county team to consent to treatment for her. These half truths are such a clear violation of our relationship with them, that we have continued to handle professionally, that I can only conclude that they know their quality and outcomes are terrible and are protecting themselves. That leaves a dearth of resources for families and kids in need of their services. Leadership at the agency has also deemed it appropriate to tell me that all fingers are pointing at me as the problem, to suggest that reviewing is an act of alarmism or pettiness (rather than considering that I would genuinely like for others to be informed of this agency's notable failings) and to accuse me of "defaming" them. They suggested I choose "growth" while failing to do any of their own, or even to engage with us in an honest grievance process. For reference, please note this review was written in 2024 and updated in early 2025. This agency has not had a positive review here on on Google since 2018. read more

A Profoundly Disheartening Experience with Adoption Options If I could give zero stars, I would. Our experience with Adoption Options was not just disappointing--it was actively harmful, both to our foster child (FC) and to us as foster parents. Their negligence, lack of communication, and outright abandonment at critical moments make them an agency that should be avoided by any prospective foster family seeking support and advocacy. 1. They simply stopped communicating with us. When FC was placed in residential treatment, we received no guidance on what came next. No check-ins. No explanations. Our caseworker vanished for nine months, leaving us completely in the dark. 2. We received no training or support for over a year. The agency failed to provide even the most basic resources necessary to help us navigate the challenges of fostering. 3. They did nothing to advocate for FC's return to our care. When FC was set to discharge from treatment, the agency made no effort to ensure a stable transition back to our home. 4. They undermined us as foster parents. When we requested crucial services to meet FC's significant needs, the agency allowed FC's team to frame this as a lack of commitment--rather than a responsible and necessary step to ensure her safety and well-being. Our caseworker initially agreed that FC shouldn't return without those services. Then, within a week, she reversed her stance and joined in saying we weren't committed. 5. They encouraged us to disrupt placement. After a severe and dangerous incident, we were given two options: leave FC in the hospital and disrupt placement, or bring her home to an unsafe environment. The agency explicitly counseled us to give notice, and then later misrepresented that fact. 6. They offered zero post-disruption support. No follow-up. No counseling. No outreach. No "we're here for you when you're ready." Just silence. 7. They took FC's team's side against us--even when hospitals and facilities were calling us for help. When FC's team failed to respond to urgent needs (such as medication management), hospitals contacted us instead. The agency did nothing to address these failures. 8. They misled us into a grievance process they refused to follow. When we voiced concerns about our treatment, they directed us to a grievance procedure--only to then ignore it entirely. 9. They agreed to transfer our license--then closed it instead. This not only caused unnecessary complications but also wasted time and effort for both us and our new licensing agency. 10. They provided an unprofessional, inaccurate version of events. When asked to provide information for our homestudy, they outright misrepresented the facts, falsely claiming that we had improperly given notice--when, in reality, we had done exactly what they instructed us to do. We Are Not Alone Our experience, unfortunately, is not unique. Other reviews also indicate similar patterns of behavior by Adoption Options. For instance, a reviewer on Yelp shared that the agency failed to perform their duties during the adoption process and exacerbated the harm caused by the child's team. Final Thoughts Fostering is challenging enough without an agency that actively works against the foster parents and fails the children they are supposed to serve. If you are considering working with Adoption Options, ask yourself: what happens when you need them the most? Because when we did, they were nowhere to be found. read more

Worse adoption agency in Colorado. Staff is never available when you need them and they don't provide much support for birth parents. They also lie to you about certain things and make you second guess yourself. If you are a birth parent considering putting your child up for adoption through them, go somewhere else since this agency doesn't care about you once legal paperwork has been signed. I honestly wish I had the capability to sue the agency and the adoptive parents for benefitting off my suffering. Nobody should ever be treated the way I was read more

I am a birth mother and l have received little to no help my daughter was born 6 days ago And havel yet to see one single file from them request after request. I Feel like I abandoned my child when I wanted to provide something far better than I could. read more

If you are considering Adoption Options STOP right now! They are an unprofessional, money hungry company. They promise you everything than give you conflicting information. Their story always changes to benefit them. They tell you 12 - 36 months to adopts. We have friends we met and they have been on the registry well over 36 months and their profiles have still not been viewed. Take my advice and don't top here. read more

AO continues to disappoint. They did not support my birth mother, myself, or the child involved. They did not take accountability, attempted to skirt any responsibility, and presented terrible business ethics when attempting to reconcile differences. There are other CO agencies to choose from. If given the chance, I would move right past AO and take a chance with the care of another agency. Terrible and disheartening experience from a system perspective. *Notice the empty apologies in AO's response below. That is all we received throughout the process. Empty apologies for lack of service, and are still receiving them as noted below. Unbelievable. read more

Fantastic team at AO. The training and support provided is top notch. We could not have asked for a better experience. *HIGHLY RECOMMENDED* read more

The adoption process will be full of emotional ups and downs wherever you might go. It's not an exact science, and we went into it with this in mind. We went with Adoption Options, after quite a bit of research, and after our initial meetings, we were very clear on the costs, expectations, and process. Never was there a surprise, and the communication was always rock solid. We were getting a little down about the wait, so the director met with us personally for coffee, and there was always support when we needed it. Our wait was a little longer than most, at no fault of Adoption Options. They stuck with us the entire time, always 100% supportive, and our counselor was amazing. In the end our placement was amazing. Our son is thriving and any time I have had questions or concern after the placement, Adoption Options is always there to help or to answer questions. Would I recommend Adoption Options? 100% without reservation. They have been doing this for a long, long time, and their experience was evident from the first meeting to the end. read more

I literally can't say enough good things about Adoption Options. I am part of their flexible families program, and I have worked with several people in the office. Each and every one of them have been more than just professional and knowledgeable- they are warm, caring, friendly, helpful, and they have made the process of getting licensed for foster care and finding a child as smooth as such a thing can be. The training is OUTSTANDING, we definitely felt ready for the journey ahead. No matter what out littlest concern has been, it has been met with a rush of support. When we started, we were looking for an agency that would help us every step of the way through the crazy journey of adopting from foster care. We're not to the end of that journey yet, but as we continue through it, I am confident that we'll have all the support we need! If you're looking for a wonderful place to help you with the adoption process, Adoption Options is amazing! read more

We used Adoption Options to adopt both of our kids. The counselors we worked with were transparent and helpful in navigating situations that we found ourselves in, which included developing an open relationship with our older child's birth mother. The second adoption process did not go smoothly, and we had 2 failed matches before successfully adopting our second child. Our counselor was somewhat helpful in those situations, but there was a lot of complicated grief to process. We had some differences of opinion with our counselor once matched with our youngest child that was definitely centered around anxiety that the match would also fall through. I think the agency is very good at being transparent about the realities of adoption. Unlike some agencies that I interviewed, I never got a feeling that they were giving me the glossed over version of the complicated relationships among the adoption triad. When selecting any agency, I suggest you also start doing your own reading on adoption and find online blogs and connections where you can learn how to make the adoption process child-centric. It's a hard process to go through, and no agency will be able to help you through all of it. read more

I can't say enough positive things about our experience with Adoption Options!! We used this agency to facilitate two adoptions and all of our encounters were professional, kind, supportive and loving. The agency operated with the utmost integrity, compassion and care. Every step of the way we were informed and supported so we could make the best decisions for our family. Their fees were provided completely up front during the application process and, unlike other agencies we interviewed, not a single dime was asked of us that was not outlined on the fee agreement. Not only that, but we had some difficult moments throughout our wait that were surprisingly more painful than the losses we experienced prior to choosing the path of adoption. We had hard conversations, big decisions and unexpected hurdles. We were matched early on in the process with a child who just didn't feel like the right fit for us. He was healthy and beautiful. We couldn't explain it...we just knew in our hearts that he was not our baby. Giving up that opportunity was excruciating for us...we were SO ready to start our family. And our counselors held our hands through that process, trusting our highest wisdom and supporting us every step of the way. And when our baby finally arrived several months later, the agency and our caseworkers joyfully celebrated with us while facilitating the most respectful, loving and tender placement process for everyone involved. I could clearly see how well cared for our birth mother was and how clear and supported she was during an incredibly challenging time. Our second process was more of the same...beautiful and positive. An unexpected journey has turned into a wonderful advocacy opportunity. We have been become adoption champions and have recommended Adoption Options to numerous, numerous families over the years and will continue to do so for always. They rise head and shoulders above any other choice in this area, to be sure. And 30+ years and thousands of adoptions later, we trust in Adoption Options completely and are proud to be a part of their amazing community! read more

We had a wonderful experience with Adoption Options! They were very professional, and all expectations of us, including financial, were very clear from the start (I have to wonder if the first reviewer worked with an agency of the same name but different state). The process was thoroughly outlined for us and any time we had questions or just needed to talk through things, our counselor was very easy to reach and so helpful. The type of adoption (open, semi-open, closed) was as we agreed to and expected. We chose Adoption Options because we did not want to go with an agency that is affiliated with a particular religion or church. Also, they have a socially progressive perspective that we are aligned with and supportive of. They've been established for 30+ years, so we felt comfortable from the time we first reached out to them. Of course, the adoption process is emotionally intense at times, and the waiting process can be challenging. However, our counselor was always there for us when we were feeling discouraged or just impatient. It has been three years since we brought our child home, and our family is doing great. Even though it's been a while since we finalized the adoption, any time we need to touch base with Adoption Options, they are there for us. We're so thankful that we found them, so that our little guy could find us. :) We would highly recommend Adoption Options to anyone considering adoption. read more

We used Adoption Options because it was the agency chosen by the birth mother. I was under the impression she liked her counselor so I never thought to change agencies even though, from the start, they were rude and hard to contact. As the adoption progressed it only escalated. This agency insists on SEMI-OPEN adoption NOT OPEN adoption. We were interested in an open adoption and they never supported it. They still proceeded as if it was a semi-open adoption which put a strain on the new relationship we had with the birth mother. This poor attitude came to a head at the hospital when the adoption counselor made an extremely rude comment as my husband and I were leaving the birth mother's room with our son. I was hugging the birth mother and reminding her she can call, text, email, any time of day even 2 in the morning if she just needs to hear our son breath. The comment from the counselor was "can we get that in writing? hahaha". It is hard enough to navigate the birth/adoptive parent relationship adding this kind of strain is just cruel. If you are a birth mother and wanting an open adoption please consider another agency. One that will encourage your relationship with your new family. If you are considering any type of adoption I have one additional word of warning, they are after your money! They will give you a fee agreement that you will sign and will be in place until your son/daughter is in your arms. Then more fees will be tacked on. We were terrified of fighting the people that held our fate with our son so we paid up. I am sure we could have fought it, considering the fee agreement but when we looked at our son we thought it was not worth the risk. They are still trying to get more money, even after the adoption is finalized. They want us to send them an update letter that they will then send to the birth mom, despite the fact that we text updates and pictures to her at least once a week. They want to charge us over $1000 for this "service". To round out our bad experience they recently sent us letters from the counselor that we are supposed to give to our son. They talk about her experience with the birth mother. Not only are there inaccuracies throughout but they also contained personal information about his birth mother that should never be told to him unless his birth mother wants to tell him. They went straight to the trash. Our adoption is final now so I guess they did something right but please, please avoid this agency. read more