where do you begin?! it's completely and totally overwhelming!
we will be officially starting the process this coming fall but in the meantime I'd like to do a bit of investigating on my own (not quite ready to join adoption board just yet.)
2 infertiles' journey to 2 pink lines (and a baby girl) "our IF story"
We just made an appointment with our local children's society and talked to them about our options. We ended up going with a different agency (due to which programs they worked with), but our local agency did our homestudy and was a tremendous help in getting us started.
Please do a TON of research before you pick an agency if you go that route. We signed with an adoption agency in the spring. I thought they were very reputable and did do a lot of research BUT they went bankrupt a few months later adn we lost a ton of money not to mention the heartache (before I was pregnant). Not to scare you, but it really scared me away from adoption. Good luck in whatever you chose though.
Please do a TON of research before you pick an agency if you go that route.
what other route is there? I've heard so many horror stories like yours. how do you really "know" an agency is legit? this is exactly why I want to get started early.
2 infertiles' journey to 2 pink lines (and a baby girl) "our IF story"
You can call your county Department of Social Services if you're interested in either. Some states call it other things like Family Services. It should be under state listings in your phone book. Every month, we're in court for my job but get to watch kids be adopted. It's so wonderful to watch!!! Fostering is equally satisfying, too. Most agencies have a foster care and adoption dept. Since they want to place children, the staff will be more than happy to meet with you and your husband about both foster care and adoption. Friends of ours have adopted two not related girls and have been thrilled with the "service" they got with the agency.
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Please do a TON of research before you pick an agency if you go that route.
what other route is there? I've heard so many horror stories like yours. how do you really "know" an agency is legit? this is exactly why I want to get started early.
There are many other "routes". You could foster through a state agency. For adoptons, you can contact a lawyer who will facilitate the adoption but you adverstise yourselves.
I believe you live in NYC am I correct? Sorry if I am wrong. AFter the agency went bankrupt, we were given this womans name who runs the Infertilty and Adoptons center... https://www.iaccenter.com/. It is not an adoption agency they will counseld you on the process and the "good"agencies. We had appointment there until I found out I was pregnant. I recomment loooking at teh website and seeing what its all about. I WISH we had met with a professional before trying to do it on our own.
lisaandbryan - thanks so much for your input! I appreciate it. we are still in ct for the moment but will be back in nyc this june. the idea of pursuing adoption/foster in manhattan kind of terrifies me. professional guidance is a must.
2 infertiles' journey to 2 pink lines (and a baby girl) "our IF story"
Lest it look like we were rash and didn't do our research, our local agency was the only in the state (small state), the one the state DFS ran its adoptions through, we knew the director of the agency, and we knew several people who had used the agency and gave it glowing reports.
Books like Adoption for Dummies or the Idiot's Guide to Adoption are both really good resources for getting a general idea about the process as well as give good tips of what to look for in an agency. Google was also my friend in researching agencies. We received some recommendations of agencies from friends. We talked with several agencies and read through tons of material before selecting our agency (which just happens to be the same one that good friends of ours from church used). We have not been disappointed in the least!
If you are looking ot foster or foster-to-adopt, contact your local DSS office and they can give you more information on that. We didn't feel led that direction so didn't look at all so I can't be of any help!
But I hope this helps! The ladies on the adoption board are very helpful with info on both fostering and adopting!
Re: for those who adopted and/or fostered
what other route is there? I've heard so many horror stories like yours. how do you really "know" an agency is legit? this is exactly why I want to get started early.
2 infertiles' journey to 2 pink lines (and a baby girl)
"our IF story"
There are many other "routes". You could foster through a state agency. For adoptons, you can contact a lawyer who will facilitate the adoption but you adverstise yourselves.
I believe you live in NYC am I correct? Sorry if I am wrong. AFter the agency went bankrupt, we were given this womans name who runs the Infertilty and Adoptons center... https://www.iaccenter.com/. It is not an adoption agency they will counseld you on the process and the "good"agencies. We had appointment there until I found out I was pregnant. I recomment loooking at teh website and seeing what its all about. I WISH we had met with a professional before trying to do it on our own.
2 infertiles' journey to 2 pink lines (and a baby girl)
"our IF story"
Books like Adoption for Dummies or the Idiot's Guide to Adoption are both really good resources for getting a general idea about the process as well as give good tips of what to look for in an agency. Google was also my friend in researching agencies. We received some recommendations of agencies from friends. We talked with several agencies and read through tons of material before selecting our agency (which just happens to be the same one that good friends of ours from church used). We have not been disappointed in the least!
If you are looking ot foster or foster-to-adopt, contact your local DSS office and they can give you more information on that. We didn't feel led that direction so didn't look at all so I can't be of any help!
But I hope this helps! The ladies on the adoption board are very helpful with info on both fostering and adopting!