Looking to adopt a domestic child preferebaly a girl any ideas aside from expensive agencies and foster care?

Question

Looking to adopt a domestic child preferebaly a girl any ideas aside from expensive agencies and foster care?

Answer 1

It sounds like you need to do more research and soul-searching to make sure you know what you want and why you want it.

You don't want to pay too much, you don't want foster kids, you think you want a girl. You haven't given any explanation for these requirements, but based on experience, I would say you are looking for the "easiest" child to fill a hole in your life.

Adoption is about finding the best possible placement for a baby or child who no matter what will have to live with the terrible trauma of losing their first family. An adopted child needs parents who aren't focusing on what THEY want for themselves.

Parenting isn't easy, and adoption isn't easy. If you want easy, get a goldfish. This advice may sound too blunt, but I think you need to hear that adoption isn't the answer for everyone.

Answer 2

Check with children's services in your area. You can make a appointment and even look through pictures there.

Answer 3

The least expensive way to adopt is to do it from foster care.  Google your state and "foster care" to find your child welfare agency.

Other than foster care (your preference, obviously), you can contact agencies and attorneys who do domestic adoptions.  Find one with reasonable fees who will provide you with the service you need & go for it.

Keep in mind that there is a federal tax credit for adoption.  Go to:

http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc607.html

to find out more about it.

Some states also have tax credits for adoptive families.  Google your state's name and adoption, "tax credit" to see if yours is one of the states that does.

Answer 4

Years ago we spoke with Catholic Charities. They were a bit cheaper than some others. Don't get me wrong, there were still some costs to it.

They also had some restrictions back then that made us uncomfortable. Every adoption was an open adoption. You could not have another child in the home. Which you'll understand that dilemma in a minute.  It was that the birth mother chose the adoptive parent. So some hopeful adoptive parents had been waiting two years, while others could put in their bio and wait two weeks and be chosen. Now if in that two years you decided to go through another agency and adopt a child the money that you spent with them was then lost because your contract was null and void because you now had a child in your home.

Also, all the paperwork, home study everything was done through Catholic Charities, where a fee was paid to them for each piece of it and they would not release any of it to any other agency if you decided to leave them and go somewhere else.

Check out an adoption fair in your area and see what's available and who you click with. They will have lots of information there, and then you can make follow up appointments with anyone that you really like.

Answer 5

The methods to adopt are the same for everyone:

1.  Agency

2. Attorney

3.  Facilitator

4.  Networking

5.  State agencies

Your state agency (Child Protectice Services) is the least expensive but carries the most risk.  You may be parenting a child who is then taken from you and returned to his/her birth family.  Or you may foster-adopt and become the forever parent to the baby of your dreams.

Agencies offer the most secure adoption, but of course are the most expensive, as are attorneys.  They absorb the financial risk.  The failure rate is much smaller but it does happen, even with an agency sometimes.  

Networking can be a mixed risk, but sometimes works ot perfectly.  It is a gamble.  Tell your friends, family, doctors, church and anyone else that you want to adopt.  Sometimes, families walk away after loosing their money and having their hearts broken.

Facilitators can be less risky financially, because you pay less of a fee.  But if the birthmother decides to parent, you ae out that fee.  And if you do not accept a match within a year or two, you have to pay the fee again.  The worst thing about facilitators is they offer no face to face counseling to their birthmothers, who they do not know.

Ads in the paper put the adoptive family in the role of social worker and can be very tricky.  Some people have had great success this way, and others have been scammed.  Of course, no counsleing is given to a birthmother who answers an ad.  This is not good.

I hope this helps!

Answer 6

Your only options to adopt domestically are to adopt through your local social services (which costs relatively little, if anything) or to go through an adoption agency or an attorney that handles adoption, both of which are considerably expensive.

One of the parties mentioned above will need to be involved to make sure you follow legal procedure (and in some states, attorneys are not allowed to handle adoptions as it is illegal for parents to identify a birthmother themselves, meaning an agency has to "refer" one to you) and get all of the proper documents in order (homestudy, criminal record check, financial analysis, medical clearance, etc).

It is a process that takes a lot of time and money, but well worth it in the end.

To answer your question, no-there is no "easy way" to adopt.

Answer 7

You could advertise and find your own birthmom and just use an adoption attorney.

Answer 8

Joslin gave you some good direction. You need to consult with an adoption counselor to help you decide what kind of adoption plan suits your family best.

Answer 9

go through child services contact them and they will evaluate your suitablilty and help you all the way