[stepforone]

All I can add is foster/adopt is by far the least expensive there is. At the most it will cost you $1,500 for the lawyer to finalize (assuming things don't get messy and you have to hire an attorney of your own to get best interest for the child). But you pay with your heart every time a child goes back to it's parents or a family member. To avoid the heartache you can do straight adoption through the state (they wait until the child is legally free before placing them with you) but odds are you will get an older child or one with more problems. Most infants/toddlers are adopted by their foster placements in our area. It all depends on what you are looking for. If you want an infant and don't mind the chance of LOTS of heartache then foster/adopt through the state is the best route (you can make sure the child is a good fit before you agree to adopt and you can pick sex, race, issues). Much of what I have heard regarding private agencies that foster/adopt involve older children or health issues. The state will place the easier ones with their own foster homes before sending a child into the private agency route. If you don't want as much chance of heartache I would say go the private or international route. Private can still backfire (see the case in Florida right now where the adoptive parents are loosing the child they have had for 3 years - the adoption was still working on being finalized) and international is pretty expensive from what I have heard depending on where you adopt from. Some countries require a few visits from you before the agree to the adoption. Look deep and decide first what you are willing to give up (heart, money, control, choice of health/issues problems). Good luck.