Adoption tips to guide you through the process

Adoption can feel intimidating. You are excited. You can't wait to welcome a new child into your home. But you are also aware of what a large step it is. You have never done it before. You may need some help to guide you through the process.

We want to offer that help in any way we can. Let's start with these tips for those considering adoptions:

• Think long and hard about the type of child you want to adopt. There are massive differences between different ages, for instance. Do you want to adopt an older child who may have a harder time finding a home? Do you want to adopt an infant so you can raise them for virtually their entire life? Figure out what you want before you start the process.
• As you consider the above, also think about where you want the child to come from. Are you interested in a local adoption? Have you considered international adoption? Do you want to adopt from someone you have already met, perhaps allowing the birth parents to still watch the child grow up?
• You may also want to think about your own reasons and goals. Why does adoption call to you? What got you interested in it? What are you hoping to get out of the process for your family?
• Talk to other parents who have already adopted children. Ask them what the process was like. What challenges did they face? What would they have done differently? Can you learn from their experience?
• You may also want to read a lot of material in advance. This could mean buying books on adoption, but it could also mean reading interviews, magazine articles and online content. Just do your research. The more you know, the better.
• Think about the money. As a prospective adoptive parent, it's easy to think about what you want or how you feel. But you need to be realistic, as well. What is adoption going to cost? What will it cost to raise the child after you adopt? Is this something that you can afford? What changes and plans may you need to make to get the money in place?

Essentially, adoption is not something you just want to jump into with no knowledge and no experience. These topics and questions can help you dig into it a bit more thoroughly as you begin.

The legal steps

Of course, adoption is also a legal process. It can get complicated. Make sure you know what legal steps you'll need to take moving forward.