In using the terms “referral” and “child referral” in the process of adopting children, it may not be known to what exactly a referral refers. A child referral is passed onto adoption agency clients specifically looking to adopt when a child matching prospective parents’ search criteria is found.
As for what information this referral will contain, in actuality it may hold quite a bit of data. Going back to the American adoption scenario and the perusal of photolistings, only basic information like name, age, sex, and ethnicity may be immediately available. With a referral, meanwhile, a detailed history is at the prospective adopting party’s disposal.
Along with photos and ID, the referral package may include videos of the child and a description of their social interactions with others. A thorough review of the child’s medical background, including reports on when he or she hit key milestones (e.g. walking) will also likely be at hand and possibly even information about the child’s birth parents.
With the medical history in particular, prospective parents are encouraged to consult a medical professional on their own end to answer questions about any issues that arose in the referral report. Even with an American adoption, it is worth a doctor’s visit for a second opinion of sorts and advice on treatment of any irregularities that are easily remedied.
Returning to the temp-agency metaphor, as a job hunter may refuse a referral by an employment agent, so may couples say no to a referral in adopting children. While they might feel guilty for turning down an orphaned child, families ultimately must decide what is best for them and be realistic about whether or not they can raise a child. Moreover, the right adoption agency will respect this decision and not hesitate to refer other children in the future.
