[Katran]

Hi everyone! I'm sort of new. I actually registered awhile back, but I don't think I ever posted until today.

DH and I just celebrated our third wedding anniversary earlier this month, and after trying unsuccessfully to conceive for the past three years we've decided it's time to go ahead with our adoption plans (we had planned to have one or two biological children, in addition to my 3 daughters from before my marriage, then adopt as well).

We will first be having DH adopt my youngest daughter, as her birth father has never been part of her life. DH has been her daddy for the past 5 1/2 years, and now it's time to make it legal.

We're nervous, as we've only just begun to wade into these waters and it seems that even step-parent adopting is costly and confusing (we were surprised to find out that we have to do a home-study for step-parent adoption, even though my daughters will still be living in the home and be parented by DH if we don't pass it for some reason). I'd sure appreciate all the advice and support I can get!

[devildogwife]

Welcome!

Have you decided what type of adoption you'd like to do; domestic, international, fost-adopt? We adopted domestically and have a 14-month-old son.

[BrandyHagz]

I replied to your other thread.

Yes, Arizona is a homestudy state - but if your ex is willing to sign the papers to make it easy - the only cost involved will be court fees, finger prints and homestudy. My husband adopted my son for under $1000.

Yes, its silly that a homestudy has to be done - I mean, if you fail...what happens? Do they take the child?

Seemed strange to me but was short and painless.

[Katran]

People are really fast here, lol!

We're planning on sticking with domestic adoption, preferrably through a state agency as more than one person has told me that it's the cheapest way to go (one of my friends had all of her costs reimbursed by the state, just because she and her husband adopted an older child), and also because there are so many children right here who need families.

I have no idea where my daughter's bio father is, and DES has never been able to find him. I was told by a DES agent that it would most likely be an "uncontested adoption", as no one has ever been able to locate the bio father after years of trying. So hopefully that won't cause any trouble.