[Badie]

Thanks ladies. I am really overwhelmed. My husband and I are definitely looking into adoption AND foster care. We are not giving up having a biological child. We are just gonna wait and see if it happens but we are going to go ahead and pursue something else since it could take years more for us to get pregnant and we both want a child badly. I would love the opportunity to give a child a needed home, to love and care for him/her when noone else would. I have nothing against adopting internationally but it just doesn't feel right for us. Of course in the future we might change our minds but right now where we are at in our lives international adoption doesn't seem like an option. I don't even know if domestic adoption would work for us due to expenses. I have heard it is almost free if you do foster to adopt but it can take time too to get a baby. That is why we are starting now. My husband just told me that we are financially stable, we have a 4-bedroom house, 2 good jobs, and everything is set up already (due to the home daycare I have) so why not give a child a home even if it is temporary. Hopefully though a day will come we could get an infant that needs a home. I know all about the different types of adoptions. I also know the price range but I have some other questions:
1. Can we adopt an infant from anywhere in the USA or do you have a certain area you have to look into?
2. How long does the actual paperwork take?
3. Do I need a certain type of lawyer or none at all?
4. Would I have to have all my fingerprinting and back ground checks done again although I just had it done last August for the daycare?

Carla-I am sorry you have been through the pain too. Noone can imagine what it feels like unless they go through it too. thanks for the names of those agencies. I am definitely going to check them out tonight. I don't have time today. The kids are napping but I have some cleaning up to do.

D.-Thanks for names of those books. I saw so many at the bookstore and I didn't know which to get or look at.

Thanks for all answers. Hopefully someone can answer those above.