[J.Ro]

We are in the process of an interstate adoption.

Here is how it worked for us. We contacted a private, not for profit, adoption agency in our state that helps handle DSS adoptions. (We chose not to use the local DSS because our county is so tiny and somewhat backwards).

We completed a homestudy (not a big deal really), took a 10 week MAPP course, got fingerprints, filled out reams of paperwork, had local criminal background checks and finally were approved in September of '03. We made our first phone call to the agency in December of '03.

In May of '04 we were finally matched with a brother/sister who we did find on the internet, but they were on-line for less than thirty days. Many of the children you see now, will not be available by the time you've jumped the hoops. And many of the children on-line have been in the system for quite some time, and as a result, have tougher issues. Or they may just have tough issues, and thus have been harder to place.

Some private agencies will charge for your homestudy if you want to go out of state. Ours wanted to, but then changed their mind slightly, giving us a pain in the rear loophole, but it was worth it to us to use the $1,800 for kid's furniture not the homestudy.

Now we are once again in social worker/state limbo waiting for the interstate compact to happen. It just seemed like the 7 months to get approved was long....knowing our kids are waiting for us, this wait is interminable. But hopefully they will be with us by early August.

Good luck, it is an exciting, often frustrating journey. Oh, and yes, you become a foster/adopt parent because technically the kids are still foster children in your home until the adoption can be finalized.

You've found a good resource here. I've spent many hours just reading and learning, and asking questions. Lots of the folks on this forum are very experienced in the issues surrounding foster/adopt.