Pauquette Children's Services has established an Open Agency Pool which is available to any existing Pauquette clients already involved in other programs, or couples interested specifically in this procedure.

An agency adoption is one in which the birth parents contact Pauquette Children's Services requesting assistance locating an adoptive family for their child.  PCS then allows the birth parents to have some control in the selection of the adoptive couple.  This is accomplished by providing the birth parents with information from couples in the Pool.  All identifying information is deleted to maintain confidentiality.  After the birth parents have selected several couples, face-to-face meetings are sometimes arranged between the adoptive couple and the birth parents.  Agency staff are present for these meetings.  Following the face-to-face meetings, a potential adoptive couple is then identified.  After the child is born, the child is placed in a licensed foster home pending the termination of parental rights hearing.  If the legal termination of parental rights is completed, the child is placed with the specific couple chosen by the birth parents.  Confidentiality is maintained between the birth parents and the adoptive couple up until the time when the couple is selected.  At that point, many birth parents request identifying information.  Even when a couple is selected, it is not guaranteed that the placement will occur.  Birth parents continue to have the legal right to change their minds about adoption up until the termination of parental rights hearing.

After the child is placed with the adoptive couple, PCS provides the usual post-placement services and assists the couple with the finalization of the adoption.  This finalization usually occurs after the six-month statutory waiting period.    

PROCEDURES:

Any couples wishing to be included in this pool can simply notify Pauquette Adoption Services and ask to be included.  Couples will be required to submit the following:

    1.  A Current Home Study.   Pauquette Adoption Services will complete your home study.

    2.  The Confidential Adoption Information Questionnaire.   All identifying information will be removed on the copies of this questionnaire which are reviewed by birth parents.  

    3.  A Portfolio for Birth Parents: This includes a letter to the birth parents and several pages of photos of the adoptive family.  Please contact our office for instructions and samples of the portfolio.

    4.   An Annual Registration Fee of $100.00 (non-refundable).  This fee is charged to each couple wanting to be included in the Pool.  This fee will cover the administrative expense necessary to prepare, maintain, and present your information to interested birth parents.

When these materials have been received, you will be included in our Pool and available for selection by any interested birth parents.  PLEASE NOTE:  This Pool is NOT a waiting list, and is only a group of couples who have expressed an interest in adopting a child through this process.  Couples may NEVER be selected by birth parents and there is no guarantee by the agency that they will ever be selected.  

Couples wishing a more definite adoption program that utilizes a waiting list should contact PAS for information about those types of existing programs.  These would be through our International or Domestic adoption programs, but are limited to Wisconsin couples only.  (With the exception of PCS's own China, Ecuador, India, and Mexico International Programs).  Also, couples should actively seek other adoption possibilities through the independent adoption process.