[Princess Purr]

I totally understand international adoption. Domestic is so confusing to me. I understand how it works if you adopt a through an agency were the birthmom picks the parents, and I understand waiting child and foster adopt. But is it possible to adopt a healthy infant with a state agency? We really have our hearts set on international adoption through Russia, but the $35000 is looking like it is going to be a bigger problem then I thought it would be. So I want to learn about domestic infant adoption, but I'm not sure where to start.
This is what we want to do:
1. birth parents rights to the child are gone before the child comes home with us.
2. healthy boy or girl under 1
3. Cost under $10,000
I'm sure that is what almost everyone wants, but is it possible? Any website links would be great!
Thank you!

[connersmom]

I heard some people say it is possible in their state however, I don't know anyone personally who has done it. In our state you have to be willing to foster to get a newborn because the foster parents have first dibs. Even then, many are born drug-addicted or with other issues. If you are willing to foster, you will get a child eventually, it just may not be your first--it could be your first, but it may be your 10th that has parental rights terminated eventually.

[joskimo]

Have you considered that Russia is not the only country to adopt from? I just received some agency informatin that listed China at 15K, Ethiopia at 10.5K and Thailand at 9.5K. Also our adoption was domestic, not state placement and not too much over the adoption tax credit.

[StorkWatcher]

Hi! I just wanted to say that we started the process to adopt a child w/ the state and with a private agency at the same time, because we couldn't decide what we were meant to do.

It was not easy to work with our state agency. We said we'd consider sibling groups and children under 5. Our private agency did only newborn adoptions.

We adopted through the agency a healthy newborn 8 months after being approved. The cost was close to your desired amount (BEFORE the tax credit).

Aside from receiving weekly letters and invites to seminars needed to keep us approved as foster parents so we could adopt, we never heard from the state about any prospective children.

Feel free to PM me if you have more specific questions.

Definitely check out both options!