in New York State, there are more than 130 adoption agencies. Each of New York's 58 social services districts has an adoption unit, and more than 70 authorized voluntary agencies statewide work with adopting families.
Public and private agencies do not charge a fee for adoption services provided on behalf of children who are in the legal guardianship of the local social services commissioner. For adoption of children in the legal guardianship of authorized voluntary agencies, fees generally are based on the adoptive family's income. Few agencies charge fees when families adopt children with special needs.
Choosing an agency is a very important step. Talk to different agencies and adoptive parents or parent support groups to learn how the agencies work with prospective adoptive parents. It is very difficult to change agencies once the adoption process has begun. A list of these agencies is available on this web site.