Review by Guadi submitted on September, 5, 2010 at 08:57 AM
Adoption Details:
Child's Age: 0y 1m
Start Date: Jun 2009
Status: Finalized
Completion Date: Jul 2009
Time Until Placement: 1 months
Type: Semi-Open, Domestic, Intrastate
Special Needs: No
Child from Benton, Arkansas, United States
Pros: Betty Smith kept us informed of all possible situations daily via email. We had our homestudy done in Ct with CT Adoption & Family Resources adoption agency & were approved to adopt a domestic infant on May 20th. CAFS referred us to Betty as a resource & we are so grateful they did. We began working with Betty in June. We matched with our birthmother and our adoption was finalized in less than a month. We trusted Betty and took a leep of faith and it was a process beyond our wildest dreams. Everything went smoothly! We knew it was meant to be. We kept in contact with Betty either by telephone, text or email. She referred us to a fantastic agency in Arkansas and we adopted our son Matthew & it was finalized within 3 weeks in Arkansas. We arrived 2 the hospital 2 hours after Matthew was born as we flew & drove from CT. We stayed overnight at the hospital in our own room & Matthew stayed with us in the hospital room that first night! The next day when Matthew was ready to go home he was released to us & we stayed in hotels until the adoption was finalized in Arkansas. We had actually gotten approved to adopt an infant on May 20th, began working with Betty in June (2010) & our adoption was finalized July 23, 2010. Pretty amazing! Betty is very knowlegeable about the different state's legalities and has many contacts with adoption agencies across the country. Once we began to work with Little Bit of Heaven adoption agency we had Betty send our Birthmother letter (a profile we created) to about 5 different situations but they all matched rather quickly & I was beginning to be doubtful & wondered how long it would take us. Would it be overnight or would it take a year I wondered. I am a teacher with the summer off so a thought crossed my mind of how nice it would be if we could adopt at the beginning of the summer so I would have the entire summer to bond with our baby. Soon after that thought, we matched with our birthmother! Once we matched we had a conference call with our birthmother & our case worker at our agency in Arkansas! By the end of our conference call we knew we had been chosen by our birthmom. Our baby Matthew is healthy & the cutest baby ever! We kept praying to God to match us with the baby we were supposed to have & he did. We believe he worked through our CT agency & through Betty Smith (owner of Little Bit of Heaven) & Abba Adoptions in Arkansas to bring him to us! What a miracle! From the time our birthmom's water broke through introducing him to our family, in CT, was such an exhilarating & blessed experience. There was absolutely no reason I should have been doubtful or impatient! Matthew turned 2 months old yesterday! (9.4.10) He was born on the 4th of July! Our little firecracker! We are so blessed. Thank God & thank you Betty Smith!
Cons: Nothing. There weren't any problems at all.
FYI - When writing this review this website would not allow me to choose newborn as an age nor the year 2010. (It would only allow up to 2009)
Reviews: Betty Smith is absolutely a dream come true! She worked diligently for us! She is knowledgeable about the adoption process & differing laws between states. She is also so very friendly and down to earth! She is a miracle worker. We thank God for her! Thank you Betty Smith!
Review by gfoley submitted on June, 21, 2010 at 12:06 PM
Adoption Details:
Child's Age: 0y 0m
Start Date: Jun 2009
Status: Referral received
Type: Semi-Open, Domestic, Interstate
Special Needs: No
Child from Tampa, Florida, United States
Pros: Our placement happened very quickly, we were matched within a day of signing up with Betty. We spoke with the attorney later that evening and we are hoping to meet with our bm next week, our baby is due in July. So far everything has gone really great.
Cons: Nothing
Reviews: WE have worked with several agencies/attorneys/facilitators as this is our second adoption. Most of them, I have found are in this for the wrong reason, not Betty, she is in it for all the right reasons
Review by red submitted on May, 3, 2010 at 12:22 PM
Adoption Details:
Child's Age: 0y 0m
Start Date: Mar 2009
Status: Placement
Type: Semi-Open, Domestic, Interstate
Special Needs: No
Child from Alabama, United States
Pros: Communication with Betty was wonderful! Our process was very quick (less than a week) and Betty worked many late nights on our behalf. She was very open and honest with us about the agency we were adopting through. We had a few glitches at times with the adoption agency, and every time Betty stepped up to the plate and answered our questions or got something done that we needed. Betty's connections are vast and her love for this work is even greater! I can truly say that I feel she is here to help the children and the families. Her fee is very reasonable, we would have been happy to pay more. Her professionalism is stellar and unmatched compared to others we have had contact with along our adoption journey.
Cons: None!
Reviews: We will be forever greatful to Betty and Little Bit of Heaven!
Review by adkinsmu submitted on April, 30, 2010 at 12:01 PM
Adoption Details:
Child's Age: 0y 1m
Start Date: Sep 2009
Status: Placement
Type: Semi-Open, Domestic, Interstate
Special Needs: No
Child from Tacoma, Washington, United States
Pros: Betty was amazing. After having a failed adoption through another agency, I came to Betty very desperate and not prepared to undergo a long match or high financial risk. She found the perfect situation for us, in a matter of weeks. We paid absolutely no money (except her very small fee) until we were placed with our baby and TPR was signed.
Following placement, we had a few concerns during the ICPC wait that the adoption agency wasn't able to help us with. We called Betty and she responded with such a sense of urgency and continued compassion. It was so refreshing to have someone to call and speak with.
Cons: Everything about the communication, matching process, and placement through Betty was wonderful. We had a few issues with the agency that we were placed through, but Betty responded to our needs promptly and was a wonderful resource for us to lean on.
Reviews: I would highly recommend Betty & Little Bit of Heaven. She was constantly available through phone or email and spent lots of time chatting with me as we made our decisions about different situations. As an adoptive mom herself, she completely understands the stress of adoption and works to reduce it as much as possible.
Review by lindseypfoster submitted on September, 23, 2009 at 12:51 PM
Adoption Details:
Child's Age: 0y 0m
Start Date: Jul 2009
Status: Finalized
Completion Date: Aug 2009
Time Until Placement: 1 months
Type: Semi-Open, Domestic, Interstate
Special Needs: No
Child from Cary, North Carolina, United States
Pros: This was the best experience we have had during our 4 year adoption process. We tried International for almost 4 years and it was a mess. We were so excitied to hear about Betty through some other Mom's in our international group. Betty was very friendly and helpful from the first phone contact and throughout the process. She got us matched and we had a son in under 1 month. I have since recommended Betty to serveral friends. She has matched 3 out of 65 in my international group and is working with a number of others! I have nothing but good things to say about Betty and LBOH:)
Cons: I have nothing bad to say about Betty and LBOH:)
Reviews: Give them a chance it is well worth it!!
Review by megster97 submitted on September, 23, 2009 at 07:08 AM
Adoption Details:
Child's Age: 0y 0m
Start Date: Sep 2009
Status: Placement
Type: Semi-Open, Domestic, Interstate
Special Needs: No
Child from Bradenton, Florida, United States
Pros: Betty, the owner of this referral agency, truly cares about getting her clients matched with situations. Her fee is minimal in comparison to the entire adoption process and so worth it. The online support group provides wonderful information and emotional support that is so needed as you go through this process. I'm so grateful to Betty!
Cons: None.
Reviews: This referral agency has access to a network of other adoption agencies. They only refer their clients to situations with agencies that they have vetted. I felt comfortable with our situation all the way through the process.
Review by mandyrecker submitted on April, 15, 2009 at 08:55 AM
Adoption Details:
Child's Age: 0y 0m
Start Date: Jan 2009
Status: Placement
Type: Semi-Open, Domestic, Interstate
Special Needs: No
Child from Nevada, United States
Pros: Betty is an adoptive mother herself - so she understands all of the emotions that are involved with being an adoptive parents. So often with agencies, the people you work with have no idea what you are going through - and don't care. Betty cares. She is a dream!
Cons: When we were trying to complete ICPC so we could come home with our child, the baby's social worker called to tell us that our back-ground checks weren't current enough, our references weren't current enough, and that we needed new medical exams. I panicked! Background checks can take up to 6 weeks to be returned! The baby's social worker told us that our facilitator should have told us all of that. (In Ohio we are current. Ohio requires updates of all that information every 2 years. Nevada - where our baby was born - requires it every year). The baby's social worker called Nevada and explained the difference between Ohio and Nevada and since we were only "non-compliant" in Nevada for about a week's time - Nevada decided to accept everything but the references. So I did have to scramble to get all the references updated, but that wasn't a big deal. And really - Betty can't be expected to know all the rules and laws in each state. And the baby's agency did have all of our paperwork for 2 months before we arrived there - they should have reviewed it before we got there. It would have given us time to get the required updates. So I guess the "fault" is spread around - but I felt it was worth mentioning that if you are adopting from outside your state, make sure you find out the ICPC rules for the state you are traveling to before you get there.
Reviews: I would - and have - recommend Betty to anyone who is looking to adopt. And in the future, should we decide to adopt again, we will contact Betty.
Review by jlwoerz submitted on March, 25, 2009 at 03:52 PM
Adoption Details:
Child's Age: 0y 0m
Start Date: Aug 2008
Status: Placement
Completion Date: Feb 2009
Time Until Placement: 6 months
Type: Open, Domestic, Interstate
Special Needs: No
Child from Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Pros: We feel very lucky to have found Betty and Little Bit of Heaven Adoption. Being an adoptive parent herself, she really understands the ups and downs of the adoptive process and is so supportive! She always returned my phone calls or emails the same day and took the time to answer all my questions. Her fees are very low considering all the work she does. Because of her hard work, we have been blessed with our beautiful daughter!
Cons: Only positives!
Reviews: We would highly recommend Betty and Little Bit of Heaven Adoption. If we choose to adopt again, we will turn to Betty to help us complete our family!
Review by jlwoerz submitted on March, 25, 2009 at 03:52 PM
Adoption Details:
Child's Age: 0y 0m
Start Date: Aug 2008
Status: Placement
Completion Date: Feb 2009
Time Until Placement: 6 months
Type: Open, Domestic, Interstate
Special Needs: No
Child from Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Pros: We feel very lucky to have found Betty and Little Bit of Heaven Adoption. Being an adoptive parent herself, she really understands the ups and downs of the adoptive process and is so supportive! She always returned my phone calls or emails the same day and took the time to answer all my questions. Her fees are very low considering all the work she does. Because of her hard work, we have been blessed with our beautiful daughter!
Cons: Only positives!
Reviews: We would highly recommend Betty and Little Bit of Heaven Adoption. If we choose to adopt again, we will turn to Betty to help us complete our family!
Review by djtalcott submitted on March, 3, 2009 at 12:14 PM
Adoption Details:
Child's Age: 0y 0m
Start Date: Jun 2009
Status: Homestudy and documentation
Type: Open, Domestic, Interstate
Special Needs: No
Child from Florida, United States
Pros: Betty is a breath of fresh air in the adoption world. After being with another agency that was not so honest and another referral service which took LOTS of our money and little help to us, I was relieved to find an honest person. I would HIGHLY recommend working with Betty.
Cons: none
Reviews: Don't miss working with Betty.
Review by baughman submitted on February, 23, 2009 at 10:54 AM
Adoption Details:
Child's Age: 0y 0m
Start Date: Oct 2008
Status: Placement
Completion Date: Apr 2009
Time Until Placement: 6 months
Type: Open, Domestic, Interstate
Special Needs: No
Child from Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Pros: Betty was amazing! As you can imagine, my wife and I had a million questions for her during the process. She answered our questions thoroughly, completely, and honestly. We really felt how deeply she cared about us, the children she places, and the birthmoms with whom she works.
Our story was very unique in that our homestudy was completed in November and we had our baby by early December. Betty and Little Bit of Heaven are truly amazing gifts from God and we praise Him every day for connecting us with them. I have a beautiful baby girl and my family is now complete because of Betty and Little Bit of Heaven. I would encourage anyone who is considering adoption to please contact Betty - she is a tremendous woman.
Cons: We had an extremely smooth adoption process thanks to Betty and Little Bit of Heaven. I have nothing else to say here.
Reviews: Call Betty before calling anyone else. She is outstanding!
Review by jackieb submitted on February, 21, 2009 at 06:07 AM
Adoption Details:
Child's Age: 0y 0m
Start Date: Oct 2008
Status: Placement
Completion Date: Apr 2009
Time Until Placement: 6 months
Type: Open, Domestic, Intrastate
Special Needs: No
Child from Florida, United States
Pros: Betty Graham Smith has a heart of gold and is in this business for all the right reasons. She truly cares about the families as well as the children. Our experience with her was ideal. We began our homestudy with her in early October, completed it in late November, and she matched us with our daughter (through a wonderful agency she has a strong relationship with) only days later. We had our daughter in our arms in early December. We feel so blessed to have found Betty as well as the agency that placed our daughter with us. She helped us so much and is someone that we will hold dear in our hearts for years to come! God bless you!
Cons: NOTHING!!!
Reviews: All I can say is if you live in Ohio, use this agency for your homestudy and matching. You won't be disappointed! The personal service is unbelieveable. Betty answers her phone and is quick to return calls!!! She answered all my questions and more. She held our hand through the whole process which is truly comforting. Her prices are extremely reasonable as well.
Review by Amomof2 submitted on February, 19, 2009 at 09:18 AM
Adoption Details:
Child's Age: 0y 0m
Start Date: Jun 2006
Status: Finalized
Completion Date: Jul 2006
Time Until Placement: 1 months
Type: Open, Domestic, Interstate
Special Needs: No
Child from Ohio, United States
Pros: We signed up with the referral service and had a baby in our arms within a month
Cons: None!
Reviews: I highly reccomend Betty!
Review by tsandborn submitted on February, 13, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Adoption Details:
Child's Age: 0y 0m
Start Date: Mar 2006
Status: Referral received
Completion Date: May 2006
Time Until Placement: 2 months
Type: Open, Domestic, Interstate
Special Needs: No
Child from Spokane, Michigan, United States
Pros: I was searching for an agency that could help our family find our baby girl. I found Little Bit of Heaven's website and decided to call. Since I am west coast and it was 9pm I dind't expect anyone to answer the phone. To my surprise Betty answered and we ended up talking for over an hour. I immediately bonded to Betty and knew she was in this for all the right reasons.
I immediately signed up for her referral service and was offered a situation a week later that we ended up matching with. Betty didn't even ask for her fee until we were home with our Baby Malia. I trust her implicitly and I am so glad we found her. It has been almost 3yrs since our adoption and we still keep in touch with Betty. She is a part of our adoption story forever.
Thank you Betty!
Cons: Everything was perfect!
Reviews: Do your homework but I highly recommend Betty and Little Bit of Heaven.
Review by sisriz submitted on February, 12, 2009 at 08:55 PM
Adoption Details:
Child's Age: 0y 0m
Start Date: Dec 2008
Status: Referral received
Completion Date: Dec 2008
Time Until Placement: 0 months
Type: Semi-Open, Domestic, Interstate
Special Needs: No
Child from New Jersey, United States
Pros: Betty is an amazing woman. She gave us all the support we needed and because it was such a fast placement, she was there with us the whole weekend, over the phone. She called us numerous times just to make sure that we were okay, and made sure we didn't have any questions. Before the placement, there were so many situations available, to consider, and with any questions on any situations, she was there. Definetly an amazing agency and we will use them with our next adoption!
Cons: The only con with our situation, had nothing to do with the agency but the prices of the adoptions that the agency referred us to.
Reviews: Use the support of the groups if there are any questions! There are so many helpful people who have been going through, gone or are going to go through the same situation that you are experiencing.
Review by justme submitted on February, 12, 2009 at 04:18 PM
Adoption Details:
Child's Age: 4y 0m
Start Date: Jan 2008
Status: Finalized
Type: Open, Domestic, Interstate
Special Needs: No
Child from South Carolina, United States
Pros: We worked with Betty before our adoption last year. We have 2 adopted children and have worked with various agencies both Internationally and Domestically. I can say with all my heart that Betty is THE most caring and devoted person that I have ever met in the adoption world. She has been such an amazing support to us both before and after we adopted our daughter. If she doesn't know the answer to a question, she will work hard to get you answers right away. Her fees are very reasonable and she understands adoption from both sides.....as an adoptive parent and also from an agency perspective. I highly recommend Betty to all!
Cons: Not one negative.
Reviews: Just all positives!
Review by sjd314 submitted on February, 11, 2009 at 08:18 PM
Adoption Details:
Child's Age: 0y 0m
Start Date: Jul 2008
Status: Homestudy and documentation
Type: Open, Domestic, Interstate
Special Needs: No
Child from Ohio, United States
Pros: We completed our homestudy in July. It was a very quick process. Betty and the social worker were great. We are trying to adopt from foster care so we know our process will be longer.
Betty has been there as an adoptive mother She has also adopted from foster system. She is such a source of knowledge and support.
She returns phone calls and emails quickly. She helps when you are feeling when down about the general adoption process. She answers your questions and on the rare occasion she doesn't know the answer she finds it for you.
I would have recommended A Little Bit of Heaven.
Cons: None
Reviews: The support at A Little Bit of Heaven is great!
