Many people who want to adopt a newborn baby will match with a placing mother, who will become the child's birthmother. This can be done through an adoption agency or through a private (non-agency) avenue, such as a facilitator or adoption attorney. Private adoptions tend to be a little less expensive, but you might need to take on the responsibility of networking to locate a placing mother.

If you decide to match with a placing mother, you need to decide whether you want a closed,... more

If you decide to adopt domestically, there are a couple of routes you can take: you can adopt out of foster care, or you can match with a placing mother. I will discuss matching with a placing mother in the next post.

There are many good reasons to adopt out of foster care, not the least of which is that these are children who are waiting for a forever family. Many of these children have been through some terrible life experiences to wind up in the foster care system in the first place.... more

The first decision you will need to make (after deciding to adopt at all, of course) is WHERE you want to adopt. This post discusses some factors you might want to consider for international adoption. I will discuss domestic adoption in the next post.

Many families choose to adopt internationally. There are many good reasons to look into international adoption. Here are some of the reasons that I have heard:

The child really needs a family and will otherwise grow up in an orphanage ... more

After the birthparents’ parental rights terminated, the agency held an adoption ceremony for our new family. We invited family and friends to celebrate with us at the adoption agency. The agency provided a cake with our son’s full name on it. They also gave our son a blue teddy bear with angel’s wings to commemorate the event.

In addition to the agency director, the social worker who had counseled the birthmother was there to celebrate along with us. The social worker had been in the delivery room with Nicholas... more

I parented my son for 10 days before I knew that he would really be my forever child. I hoped that he would be, but his birthparents’ parental rights would not terminate until 10 days after they signed the relinquishment papers. While this child was not mine on paper, he was already mine in my heart. I simply could not refuse to love this little baby simply because of legalities.

I threw myself into parenthood, and I loved it. It was an exhausting time, both physically and mentally. It was hard to wake up at 3:00 a.m.... more

What can I say about this topic that can possibly capture the experience? How can I put into words the joy and awe that a person experiences when she meets her baby for the first time? It does not matter whether this happens in a delivery room or in your friend’s living room – those first few moments are magical, and there are no words that can express the depth of the feelings you experience when you hold your baby for the first time.

My friend took pictures of my husband and me waiting for our baby... more

Our agency strongly encouraged semi-open adoptions. If neither the placing mother nor the hopeful adoptive family had a contact plan, the agency provided the following suggested contact:

Meet before the birth Provide the birthmother with pictures and letters every other month for the first year Provide the birthmother with pictures and letters twice a year thereafter

We were so nervous about meeting the placing mother (T). I was so worried that I would say something stupid and she would... more

The day “the” call came was just like any other day. I went to work. I went to the post office to – of all things – buy some adoption stamps. (Do you remember when those were out? If you blinked, you missed them. Fairly soon after they were put into print, postage went up.) I came home, and there was a message on the answering machine. The adoption agency’s director asked us to call him as soon as possible.

My heart was pounding as I dialed the number. I was afraid to even hope, but the director did not contact waiting parents directly... more

Hi! My name is Faith. I am the new host of the “Hoping to Adopt” blog. I am very excited about this opportunity. When I went through the adoption process several years ago, I did not know about resources like blogs or message boards, and I did not know one person who had been through the process. As a result, I felt very alone and longed for some sage advice from somebody who truly understood my pain and frustration. Now that I am on the other side of the adoption process, I am excited about being that “somebody” to those of you who are hoping to adopt.

My... more

Choosing the type of adoption that is right for you will mean deciding between domestic or international adoption programs. The path you choose will affect the types of requirements that you must meet, the procedures that you will need to follow during your adoption process and the type of children available for adoption. Choosing the program that is right for you requires a lot of research and some self-reflection.

Steps:

1. Determine the programs for which you are eligible.

While you may not meet the requirements for one program, you are most likely suited for several others. Choosing a program that you know you are eligible for early on will... more