I’m sharing this to help other families avoid what became, for us, a deeply disappointing and emotionally draining experience.
Over two years and $25,000 later, our time with A New Beginning left us frustrated, powerless, and heartbroken. What began with hope turned into a slow, confusing ordeal marked by poor communication, rigid control, and constant delays.
From day one, getting clear responses felt impossible. Their stated office hours vs. reality (really between 10 AM–2 PM) made reaching anyone nearly hopeless, and emails often went ignored.
In my personal experience, Cara, the director, came across as cold, dismissive, and power-obsessed—someone who seemed more interested in control than compassion. Kaitlin, in my opinion, acted as her enabler—a strict gatekeeper who seemed to take pride in saying “no” instead of helping. Together, they created an atmosphere that felt tense and unwelcoming.
A simple request from our Utah agency for a post-placement confirmation letter turned into weeks of unnecessary back-and-forth. What should have been a formality became another example of how small issues were inflated into major obstacles.
We were told to expect a 2- to 3-year wait and annual costs (roughly $15,000 + $750 for home visits). After two years and significant expense, nothing materialized. In our view, the structure seemed designed to keep families paying while progress stalled.
We were repeatedly assured there were “many birth-parent opportunities,” but we rarely saw any. It appeared that certain families were prioritized while others were left waiting indefinitely. Our profile presentation was handled so poorly that it felt careless and disrespectful.
After leaving A New Beginning, we joined Guardian Angel Adoptions in Utah (recommended by the excellent Nicole DeWitt). Within six weeks, we were matched with an incredible birth mother and completed our adoption smoothly. The contrast was night and day.
Even afterward, dealing with A New Beginning on final ICPC paperwork was difficult. In our view, they made the process unnecessarily adversarial and bureaucratic, almost as if cooperation were beneath them.
Summary of Our Experience:
Communication: minimal and often dismissive
Tone: cold, controlling, and unempathetic
Availability: extremely limited hours
Transparency: questionable on birth-parent availability
Follow-through: poor; simple tasks became battles
Everything here is based on our firsthand experience and personal opinions. Another family might feel differently—but for us, leaving A New Beginning was the single best decision of our entire adoption journey.
Families deserve empathy, honesty, and communication. We didn’t experience that here—and I wouldn’t wish our ordeal on anyone.
