[missy1979]

My husband and I have been talking about adoption for a while now. We are at the point were we are saying "ok, lets do it...now what?" We have been online reading, reading and reading. Its so over whelming! I know we must start with a home study. I have been looking online at adoption agencies and trying to decipher who is legit and who isn't. Does anyone know is it faster to use the same agency for your home study and the adoption? Also I see on a lot of websites info on grants and other money available to assist with adopting. Can you tell me should we work on getting grants first or work on the adoption process and try and get some reimbursements later. Money is not a huge issue but obviously we would rather not spend more then we have to, and if there is free money out there then why not make use of it. Have any of you found that the whole process can be funded through grants or other ways? Also from the moment we say lets get this started with an agency (starting with the home study) how long does it typically take to bring home your child? Thanks for any tips, hints, advice or thoughts.

[karla-k]

I am adoptiong from another country, but Ethiopia may be in the future for us.

You do not have to use the same agency for home study and placement. Our agency is in a different state, so we had to choose an in-state home study provider. Our placing agency helped guide our home study agency on how the home study had to worded and other issues specific to the country we are adopting from. You should ask your placing agency if there is a home study provider near you that they work with, it can simplify things in the long run with your home study.

Grants are available. We received a $3000 matching grant from a Christian ministry. We had to raise $3000 in support from friends and family and the organization matched those dollars up to $3000. A lot of grants are based on financial need, religious affiliation, directed at those adopting special needs children, or based on where you live. All of the grants we applied for required that you have an approved home study and we had to submit a copy of the HS with our grant application. These organizations want to know if you are committed to adopting even if you don't get a grant. I would not count on getting a grant though, there are many many more families applying than there are funds for. As a matter of fact, we were told by one organization that we qualified for a grant from them, but they just didn't have the money to give us the grant. It doesn't hurt to apply though.

The time frame from applying with your agency to home coming depends on many factors...your agency can give you a good estimate, but it is that: an estimate. Our current adoption should have been completed by November of 08, but we are still waiting for a court date and home coming Many things that are beyond an agency's or your control go into bringing a baby/child home.

[2xaround]

There is tons of information available on adoption and it can certainly be overwhelming.

As far as the agencies go, you will need to use a home study agency in your state. The closer to you the better because many will charge a per mile fee over a certain number of miles.

It also isn't necessary to use one agency to handle both the home study and placement. For a matter-of-fact, out of all my friends who adopted, I only know of one who used the same agency for both. We used two different agencies for our first adoption and are using two different agencies this time. You'll find that everything is easily handle via phone or email.

When it comes to the financial part of adoption, everyone approaches it in the way that works best for them. We wanted to make sure we had the majority of the money in place before we got started, but I know several families that did the "pay as you go" route. People have come up with some very creative ways to raise money for their adoptions and have done so successfully. You'll need to determine what you feel works best for you.

As far as the "free money" goes, not everyone qualifies for available grant money. Organizations who offer grants have certain criteria in place to help them determine who gets the money. We applied for grants through three different organizations, but didn't meet the criteria for any of them, so we had to find another way of getting the money we needed to pursue our adoption. Where there's a will, there's a way.

Answering the adoption timeframe question is difficult. You didn't say, but I assume you would like to pursue an adoption from Ethiopia since you posted on the Ethiopia forum. If that is your plan, your timeframe will vary depending on which agency you use, the age of the child(ren) you want to adopt, the gender of the child(ren) you want to adopt, and how many children you want to adopt. Some agencies have a 12+ month wait for the referral of an infant, while others might have a 6 month or less wait for the referral of an infant. If you are open to gender your wait will typically be shorter. If you would like to adopt siblings or an older child your wait will typically be shorter.

The home study process will also vary from state to state. You might be able to complete the home study process in a month or less or it may take 3 or 4 months.

Just make sure that you really research any agency you are considering. Interview the agency, ask around about any agency you are considering to see what other's experiences have been like. You'll be working closely with your placement agency for a long time and your home study agency even longer, so you need to make sure you are comfortable with them long term.

Good luck to you as you begin your adoption journey.