There are a few sites online that offer adoption agency reviews. These give adoptive parents the chance to rate the agencies they've used and to offer feedback for other people who are looking to adopt. When you read adoption agency reviews, you'll find both horror stories and heartfelt thanks, sometimes for the exact same agency. Who do you believe?

Remember that Reviews Are Anonymous
Many advocates for adoptive parents say that the online adoption agency reviews are worth a look, but that people should refrain from placing too much stock in those reviews. Virtually all of the comments on the adoption agency reviews sites come from people who do not identify themselves. Here are a few things to think about when you examine those reviews.

• Use your intuition. At first glance, it would seem that an adoption agency that receives multiple negative reviews is a bad place to go. However, keep in mind that one person can use various pseudonyms on these Web sites and wreak havoc for a targeted adoption agency. By reading the various entries, you should be able to distinguish between the carefully considered criticisms and the dramatic, angry rants. A person may have good reason to issue an angry rant, but a person with deep-rooted concerns will want to calm down and make sure that their words make an impact. In some people's writings, you may detect a ring of truth, be it negative or positive. It's a matter of intuition.
• Check with trusted institutions. Old-fashioned strategies are still the best way to go when you are seeking information about adoption agencies. Seek out a local adoption advocacy and support group for advice, and you may receive a positive referral to a particular adoption agency. Check with your local Better Business Bureau and your state licensing agency. Call the state attorney general's office to determine if anybody has sued the adoption agency you are considering. Beware of scams such as the adoption agency asking for a big up-front payment, or the birth mother bugging you for emergency funds.
• Know the rules. Adoption has become a multibillion-dollar industry in America, and adoption agencies are largely unregulated. The federal government plays a weak role, and each state has its own rules. If you learn those rules and prepare yourself before you contact adoption agencies for consideration, it will do more good than what you might read from reviews on the various Web sites.

Online Resources
All that aside, there is one place online that you can trust. The National Foster Care and Adoption Directory is funded and overseen by the US Department of Health and Human Services. You can check for licenses, identify support groups where you live, and even speak to a licensing specialist.

One online adoption agency reviews site with a great deal of Web traffic is adoptionagencyratings.com. Information is available on 1,200 adoption agencies and attorneys simply by typing in the source you wish to investigate. Or you can enter your ZIP code to search for adoption agencies and attorneys nearby.