[SquirlyGirl]

Since no one has posted yet, I will tell you what my understanding is of public vs private:

There isn't much difference.

If an adoption is not a new born the child/ren is a ward of the state (I am sure there rare are exceptions) therefore you have to meet state requirements regardless of using a private agency or through the state.

Some states do allow private agencies to place children for them as well as the state placing. Either way I think you will have to jump through all the hoops the state throws at you because you will have to meet the states requirements.

The advantages of dealing with a private agency might be that you have a closer relationship and more contact with your case worker. BUT that is not always the case. Disadvantage: cost, I know in my state it is free to adopt through the state.

We are adopting through our state and we have one of those slipped through the cracks really messed up timeline issues. We first called in February 05 and finished our classes by May (we should have had our homestudy and been liscensed within 6 months of our initial phone call, per our state's policy) Instead it is now July 06 and we should receive our liscense any day now. Somehow my calling bi-weekly and emailing them constantly to ask when we can get our homestudy done confused them because it took from October until March to actually get them to actually do it. And it finally took a call to the head of adoptions at the capital to get our area adoptions specialist to respond to my calls and emails after the home study.

All in all, regardless of whether you go private or public adoption patience is a virtue.

You might have better luck with a response if you post this under the "General Adoptions" or "Foster to Adoption" forums.