How much time will you be able to take off work during and after the adoption? Many people do not think about this issue before they decide to adopt a child, but you will need to take some time off to go through the adoption process and help the child adjust to his new home. It is very difficult to adopt a child without taking at least some time off from work.

Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Under the FMLA, employers with over 50 employees must allow you to take up to 12 weeks off from work to adopt your child. (Not every employer... more

How far are you willing to travel to adopt a child? Some people adopt a child in their own city while others travel across the world to meet their child. Thinking through travel issues is an important part of deciding from where to adopt your child. You will also want to consider the laws in each state and/or country you are considering.

Cost

Traveling to meet your child obviously adds to the cost of adopting your child. There is the cost of the travel itself, but there is also the cost of lost earnings from being away from... more

When you think about adopting a child, what type of child do you have in mind? You do want to adopt a child who is a newborn that looks very much like you? Or would you prefer to adopt a child who is older, living in a foster home or orphanage, and waiting for a forever family? There is no “right” or “wrong” answer to these questions, but you need to be very honest with yourself about the type of child you are looking to adopt.

Types of Decisions re: Child to Adopt

One of the most difficult parts of adopting is having to make so... more

One of the first questions you need to ask yourself is why you want to adopt a child in the first place. While this might seem obvious (you have an empty nest that you want to fill with a child), your motivation to adopt a child can be much more complex than you initially realize.

People have many answers to this question, including –

All of my friends have children, so I want one, too. Having a child will make our marriage better. I am infertile, so I cannot “make” a baby myself. I do not have an heir to inherit... more

While I was writing the Adoption 101 series, I came across a comment posted on the Editor’s blog written by someone who is deciding whether to adopt a child. The reader wanted to learn more about the early stages of decision-making before someone commits to adopting a child. Here is the comment:

Lisa - I wanted to know if you have ever considered starting a blog for people who are hoping to adopt, but maybe have not started the process yet. Kind of a "fact gathering" place... more

The very first part of the process is making the decision to adopt in the first place. Some couples reach this place together at the same pace. As with any big decision, most couples do not.

My husband and I were not even close to being on the same page, which made this a very frustrating time in my life. My husband stayed about 6 months behind me for every step of our journey to parenthood. When I was ready to see an infertility doctor, he wanted to try things “naturally” for another 6 months.... more

I would like to start by sharing my own story. This isn’t because I enjoy talking about myself. (Well, that’s not entirely true – bloggers do enjoy talking about themselves. LOL) I want you to know that I have been where you are and that I did not go into the adoption process having all of the answers. Also, I am hoping to shed light on the many different issues that can arise along your adoption journey.

I was the “good kid” who had her entire life mapped out. I was a straight-A student. I met my husband while we were both attending a top-10... more

I spoke to one of my close friends yesterday about adoption. She is 48 and has one biological child who is 7. She's always said that she'd like another child but I think that up until a few days ago she hadn't thought about it seriously because she's a little old to be having another(biologically)...but then I told her about an adoption program I heard about out of Lesotho.

Lesotho is a very small country in southern Africa. Not many people have heard of it, but my friend lived there for two years while in the Peace Corps. When I heard... more