[Nancycs]

My husband and I will be adopting in a couple of years. We are waiting for me to finish school.
We are both in our early 30's, and we are considering a domestic adoption of an infant in Texas.
My question is... how early should we start the adoption process? I want to be 100% ready in two years, but I have read that the process can take that or even longer.

Thanks for sharing so much!!!

[minibus]

Nancycs - IMO, it's never to early to start figuring out your options. There are a LOT of options out there! You could start finding out about agencies in your area, or even out of your area. You could start thinking (and talking to your DH) about what adoption would look like for you (financially, what type of child (ethnicity, open vs. closed adoption, medical conditions, birthfamily health history, birthfamily reported drug/alcohol use, etc). It's probably too early to start any paperwork, but that depends on what you mean by being "100% ready in two years" - does that mean that you will have a child in your home, or does that mean that you will be ready to start the homestudy/background check/paperwork process?

Best of luck to you!

[CourtneynCarl]

I completely agree with everything the previous poster said. I would also recommend that you attend any informational meetings any agencies in your area might offer. You will get a ton of info, and they can direct you to support groups in your area where you can talk to people who have survived the process! last but not least, I would recommend that you and your husband read the book, "The Open Adoption Experience" by Lois Ruskai Melina.

Best of Luck! You are in a great place to start!

[Nancycs]

I was thinking to finish school and maybe be ready for a homestudy. Looking at the days you both have in your signatures, it looks like it may not take as long as I thought it will. I was thinking that the process could take a year or so.

As a couple, we have talked about some of the points minibus made in his post, but I feel we need to sit down to put them on paper and start organizing everything.

I have already put an eye in a couple of organizations here that may be able to give us orientation in the process. CourtneynCarl, I will definetly look for that book.