HOW TO CHOOSE AN AGENCY PLACING THAI CHILDREN
 

The following is an alphabetical list of U.S. agencies that currently advertise Thai adoption programs. Some agencies are licensed to work only with families in specific states. The list may be incomplete, and no recommendation or guarantee should be inferred from an agency’s inclusion in this resource list. If you are not in the U.S., check the Non-US Resources page to find some contacts in your own country who may be able to advise you.

Fewer than 100 children from Thailand are typically adopted into the U.S. each calendar year, with Holt, WACAP, and Adoption Advocates Intl. representing the largest number of cases. Due to these small annual numbers, it is prudent to ask ALL candidate agencies how frequently they place Thai children, how recently they have had a Thai adoptee come home with a family, and how well-established and current their affiliations with Thai placement agencies may be. Situations change, and just because an agency once had an active Thai program, it does not guarantee that the agency is currently active or efficient in this area.

Personal relationships can mean a lot in a Thai adoption. Ask if the agency's current Thai program coordinator has ever actually completed a Thai adoption, or at least traveled to Thailand for some face-to-face time with relevant officials.

Ask questions about typical children placed, parental requirements, and typical pattern and length of the process. For instance, does the agency submit dossiers direct to the Thai Dept. of Social Development and Welfare (DSDW), to particular Thai child-placement organzations, or to both? Do they "specialize" in preidentified placements of waiting children, or unidentified placements of healthy young children? What is the typical waiting time for a referral, and how long after the referral is travel usually scheduled? What kind of support do they offer you on the ground in Thailand, if any? Ask for an itemized list of all agency fees, including an estimate of what they think travel will cost you.

If a candidate agency's "family requirements" seem to bar your family from doing a Thai adoption, check with several other agencies before bailing out on your dream. Many agencies impose restrictions that are their own, not necessarily those of Thailand. (See the "Thai Program" section of this Website for more details about family eligibility.)

Even if you've lost your heart to a waiting child, get agency references for other families who have done Thai adoptions with them. Check out more than one agency before making your emotional and financial commitment. Nothing is guaranteed in any adoption, but you can help protect your heart and your wallet by taking a well-informed approach to the agency selection process!

Unless otherwise noted, agencies below typically submit dossiers directly to the DSDW, rather than to the four nongovermental organizations that are allowed to place Thai children (Holt Sahathai, Thai Red Cross, Pattaya Orphanage, Friends for All Children Foundation). At present, this means that most of these agencies are currently only processing requests for waiting/special needs children. To the Webmaster's knowledge, the only U.S. agencies currently placing "young/healthy" kids through the designated NGOs are CHSFS, Heartsent, Holt, New Beginnings, and WACAP. See the "Thai Program" section of this Website for more details about the referral process.
 

The Family Network Inc., Monterey, Calif. (inquire by phone; Website does not give program information, but agency has done some Thai placements).

Heartsent Adoptions, Orinda, Calif. Has recently (2004) established a program to submit dossiers to the Thai Red Cross Children Home in Bangkok.

New Beginnings, Mineola, N.Y. Affiliated for "young healthy" adoptions with the Thai Red Cross Children Home, Bangkok. May also do placements of waiting children through DSDW.

Rainbow House International, Belen, N.M. Registered with Thailand but apparently inactive; contact for details.

Shiloh Adoptions,  Topeka, Kansas. Formerly His Kids adoptions. Currently submitting special needs dossiers only, due to moratorium.

WACAP (World Assn. for Children and Parents), Seattle, Wash. Strongly affiliated for "young healthy" adoptions with the Thai Red Cross Children Home, a Bangkok-based NGO. Also does placements of waiting children in orphanages via DSDW referrals.

Williams International Adoptions, Memphis, Tenn. Website says program is currently "on hold."