Choosing an adoption agency
Choosing an adoption agency is one of the most important decisions you'll make in the adoption process. The agency you pick will be with you through assessment, matching, placement, and beyond. This guide explains what to look for, what to ask, and how to compare voluntary adoption agencies and local authorities. We'll be honest about how Jigsaw fits these criteria, so you can decide whether we're the right agency for you.
Where to start
The UK has roughly 30 voluntary adoption agencies and around 150 local authorities offering adoption services. The first decision is which type of agency to apply with — both are free, both regulated by Ofsted, and both lead to the same legal outcome.
Talk to as many agencies as you like
You can only register with one agency at a time, but you can have an initial conversation with several before deciding.
Use the initial call to assess fit, not just gather information
The differences between agencies are about reach, scale, and service style — that's what you're trying to feel out on a first call.
For more on the difference between agency types: Voluntary adoption agency vs local authority.
What to look for in an agency
Track record. How long have they been operating? How many children have they placed? Do they share their data?
Specialism. Are they generalists, or do they have particular expertise (siblings, older children, harder-to-place children)?
Geographic reach. Where do they recruit children from? National or local?
Team experience. How experienced are the social workers? Are any of the team adoptive parents themselves?
Approach to matching. How do they identify potential matches? Who’s involved in the decision?
Support throughout the process. What happens after approval? After placement?
Personal feel. Does the team take time to know you, or does it feel like a process?
Questions to ask
Practical questions to take into agency conversations:
How long does your typical assessment take?
Roughly how many children does your agency place each year, and what are their ages?
How quickly do most of your families have a potential match identified after approval?
What's your approach to matching — local first, or do you search nationally?
How many of your team are adoptive parents themselves?
What's your panel like — who's on it, how is it run?
What support do you offer after placement?
What's your approach to ex-partner references and other discretionary checks?
How Jigsaw measures up against these criteria
Honest answers to the questions above:
Track record: founded 2014. See the latest figures on the homepage.
Specialism: Sibling groups and older children.
Geographic reach: We work with all local authorities across England and Wales, with no consortium constraint.
Team experience: Experienced social workers, many of our team are adoptive parents.
Approach to matching: We search nationally for every approved family.
Support: A dedicated social worker through approval, matching, placement, and the adoption order.
Personal feel: Every interest form is read by a member of our team and gets a personal response.
Practical differentiators: Our panel includes people with direct experience of adoption; we take a sensible approach to ex-partner references.
Read more: Why Jigsaw.
"Most people who enter adoption have had prior experience of fertility treatment, which can be wearing. Khalida saw us as real people and worked with us that way. We'll always be grateful."Catherine and PaulJigsaw adopter feedback forms. View methodologyTalk to us, even if you're undecided
Choosing an adoption agency is a big decision and you don't need to have it all figured out before getting in touch. The initial conversation is a chance to ask questions and see whether we're a fit — it doesn't commit you to anything.
No registration at the first call
You're not signing up to anything by booking an initial chat. You can talk to several agencies before picking one.
We're upfront about what we offer
If we don't think we're the right fit for your circumstances, we'll say so and point you in another direction.
What you don't need to do
You don't need to use the agency in your local area — voluntary adoption agencies work nationally
You don't need to commit to anything by talking to an agency — first conversations are exploratory on both sides
You don't need to choose your agency before knowing what kind of child you might adopt — the agency will help you think this through during Stage 2
You don't need to pay any agency fees — adoption with any regulated agency in the UK is free for adopters
Thinking about adopting?
Fill in our interest form and a member of our team will be in touch.
I'm interested