What if an adoption proffesional only works in one state?
It is important to realize that professionals who only work in one state are subject to greater variation in their adoptions. When a professional works in more than one state, they are not as vulnerable to slowdowns because a slow down in one state will often be offset by an increase in another state. Below were American Adoption’s placements in four states:
| |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
| Kansas |
23 |
22 |
16 |
16 |
| Missouri |
23 |
22 |
22 |
26 |
| New Jersey |
0 |
1 |
4 |
7 |
| Illinois |
6 |
1 |
10 |
5 |
| Four state total |
52 |
44 |
52 |
54 |
If we only served Kansas, our lower Kansas placements in 2004 and 2005 would have resulted in less adoptions for our families. This would have meant our families would have waited longer. However by serving 50 states, our slow down in Kansas was offset by an increase in adoptions other states. This resulted in consistent waiting times for our families.
Slowdowns in a particular state can be attributed to the following:
- Increased competition from other adoption professionals, especially from national professionals.
- More local adoption professionals start to serve the state.
- Change in laws that lower or increase adoptions.
- Bad press from a local adoption story.
- Natural down turn in adoptions for a particular area.
- Referrals slowdown
- Local advertisements become less effective.
- Advertising amount is decreased or doesn’t keep up with the competitors.
- Counseling quality is decreased.
