Adoption, where to start ??

[carrob]

OK....I'm sitting up making a list of things to do tomorrow from the couch! And, one of them includes making a couple of telephone calls to local attornies that I know for some guidance. For those of you that have adopted, or know of successful adoption stories.......where and how did they start? Did they go through attornies or agencies? Are they considered "open" or "closed"?

Just curious ?

[momofthree]

Hi. Congratulations on even making the first steps. My little Eli is now four years old. We became his parents when he was 3 months old. Eli is Japanese. We adopted overseas and are still tangled up with immigration to have him naturalized. Anyway, there are so many different things you can do. We went through a Christian adoption agency that held its own criteria along with foreign and state regulations. We went through several interviews with the Japanese court system and it was a very painless process...just tedious at times.

I would go online and look up adoption agencies. If you start with an attorney, you may think you have to have one to handle all these things...we never had one and we got all our documents on our own. The rest the courts took care of. Find adoption agencies, then call them and ask what is going on with them. Are their children available? What ages? How long is the process? Do they advise an attorney? Can they mail you information?

Cost is considerable at times, but not all adoption agencies have the same costs. Foreign adoptions can be so much more due to airfare and redtape, etc. Sometimes you have to live in the country for six months or thereabouts.

But I would love to adopt again. This time in the U.S. with an older child who has less opportunity since most want to adopt infants and young ones. You can foster first and then switch, etc. Be prepared for scrutiny but always remember why you are doing this and how valuable that child's life is.

I hope the very best for you. I don't know what to answer specifically but this all came to mind. On line with agencies...try local ones as that is easier often times because of proximity and availability.

Keep us posted! Alison

[dawn]

Carla, I'm sending you a PM with my phone and email. We are just completing the adoption process, picking up our son anyday now. I researched for several years before deciding how to go about it, and even then it changed during the process. I'd be happy to share my experiences with you!

dawn

[ChristiJ]

Dawn - I'd love to hear your experience as well. My daughter is about to turn three, and I'm starting to really think about adoption. I always thought one would be just fine, but maybe it's her no longer being a baby, or the fact that every one of her playmates has a pregnant mother, but it's on my mind a lot. I'm just clueless as to where/how to start!

[dawn]

Sure, I'd be happy to share my experience. Email me, and we can set up a time to chat on the phone or email some more.

dawn

jedtoomey@hotmail.com

[Anny311]

A lot can depend on your state's laws, too. In MA you have to go through an agency. You can't just do a private adoption with an atty.

Good luck to you. I looked into it a bit while we were TTC. A lot of agencies have "open house" nights where you can get info.