Where to start (in Atlanta,GA)?

MandaS08 · November 2011

After my second loss and planning on moving to IVF I would also like to start exploring adoption, and see if maybe that is the right path for us. Honestly though I have no idea where to start. The cost will be a major factor for us-if it was much above $20k I don't think we could afford it....does anyone have any pointers for where to start/who we could contact/ect? If anyone has any advice for the Atlanta area specifically that would be great!

Thank you so much!

moosegal · November 2011

I'm sorry about your recent loss

There are several of us from Atlanta hanging around. We have a private group on Facebook also that is very active. If you are interested, PM me & we can get you added. We try to meet once per month--we're actually meeting Sunday around Perimeter. There are many paths you can take. We personally are using a local consultant to help us on our path. There are agencies with sliding fee scales based on income. Many agencies also subsidize their fees for non-Caucasian children. All this to say your budget is doable.

Cmartin6706 · November 2011

moosegal:
I'm sorry about your recent loss There are several of us from Atlanta hanging around. We have a private group on Facebook also that is very active. If you are interested, PM me & we can get you added. We try to meet once per month--we're actually meeting Sunday around Perimeter. There are many paths you can take. We personally are using a local consultant to help us on our path. There are agencies with sliding fee scales based on income. Many agencies also subsidize their fees for non-Caucasian children. All this to say your budget is doable.

Hi. I'm a drop-in from 3T. My wife and I have always wanted to adopt. Currently we are getting ready for FET #2.

Can you tell me more about the bold information? We live in NY, but bc I am the stay at home husband (due to unemployment now, but will be stay at home when we have children) we would be interested in learning more about this sliding fee scales etc. My wife has an excellent job as a scientist for a Ivy league university.

Thank you,

Chris

moosegal · November 2011

Hi Chris! Bethany Christian is one I know of that has a sliding scale to determine fees. Hopefully others will chime in with others. And nearly every agency I've seen has lower fees for children that are not Caucasian. It makes me uncomfortable that fees are based on race, but that's the way it is from what I've seen. We're in GA but we've applied in states where the adoption laws are more favorable to adoptive parents.

pinkzebra · November 2011

We used BCS in Atlanta and they do not have lower fees based on race. The fees are based on a sliding scale for either program (caucasian or biracial/minority). PM me if you would like more information about Bethany!

Dr.Loretta · November 2011

Welcome.

I'd start with the FAQs at the top of the board. They can give you resources so you can decide what type of adoption is right for your family (domestic, international, foster/adopt) and what path you might take to get there (law firm, agency, facilitator). Once you get an idea of what will work for you, you can do anything from internet searches to paging through your phone book. Be aware there are agencies that are regional and even national, so you're not necessarily locked into adopting within your state.

As far as money is concerned, foster/adopt is the lowest cost option, if you find that's how you want to add to your family. There are grants and loans available for adoption, and some companies have adoption reimbursement programs. There is currently a tax refund through the federal government, but it's up for renewal and could go either way at this point. I *think* the FAQ also has a link to funding resources.

GL. We hope to see you a lot around here.

ETA: Another resource that might be helpful is the book Adopting After Infertility. The adoption part of it is very outdated (early '90s), but the upfront section has some thought-provoking questions to help you decide if adoption is right for you. GL

Go_Dawgs · November 2011

I definitely recommend joining our Atlanta facebook group! It's a great group of girls.

I really like the agency Lutheran Services of Georgia, and they are well within your budget. We came very close to signing with them, but then decided to go the consultant route.

healthymommyinwait · November 2011

Hi!

I'm too new on my journey to have good suggestions for you, but as an ATL gal, I wanted to say "welcome!"

Want a personalized experience?

Where to start (in Atlanta,GA)?

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