that every adoption should include these four key elements.
1.
Separate legal representation for expectant mothers.
This means that each expectant mother is represented by her own attorney at no cost to her as soon as possible after a match is made, unless she waives her offer of separate legal representation in writing.
2.
Written post-adoption contact agreement or open-adoption agreement.
This means that the expectant mother and adoptive parents will reach an agreement about how and when post-adoption contact will happen before any adoption paperwork is signed. The open adoption agreement should be in writing and signed by the adoptive parent(s) and birth mother regardless of whether it can be legally enforced in the state where the adoption will be finalized. The agreement should always be filed with the court if allowed.
3.
Quality post-adoption support and counseling for the birth mother.
This means that every birth mother should be offered high quality post-placement support at no cost to her, including a reasonable number of counseling sessions with a licensed birth-parent competent counselor.
4.
Reasonable fees for adoptive parents.
This means that adoption agencies and attorneys should be reasonably compensated for the services they provide, but should not charge excessive "matching fees" or flat fees for services they don’t actually render or are not licensed to provide.
