A Personal Guide to Adoption

It’s a bright and sunny morning. As you sit up and stretch the kinks away, you hear a soft sound coming from beyond the door to your master bathroom. Alarmed you leap to open the door and find your lovely partner sobbing quietly.

Grasped in her hand is yet another pregnancy test displaying the negative message as loudly as if a megaphone delivered the news. This was to be the last attempt.

Later, when the pain has subsided you both take a deep breath and decide to implement the path you had agreed upon earlier. Adoption. Where to begin?

Does this story sound familiar to you? Have you or a loved one faced this kind of situation? Or, maybe you are one of those wonderful couples who just want to open your hearts to children who otherwise would not have a loving, nurturing environment in which to learn and grow.

Whatever the motivation may be once the decision is made what’s the next step? Truthfully, most couples don’t have a clue where to begin. More often than not, they don’t even know what questions to ask.

That’s where “A Personal Guide to Adoption” comes in. Written in very clear language without all the legal gobbledygook, it will answer all those questions that you do know to ask and many of the ones that you don’t. For instance:

· Why Do You Want to Adopt - Knowing why you wish to adopt is critical to your decision.

· Who is Eligible to Adopt – It’s expensive to raises a child and while money is not the first thing to be considered it is important that potential parents are financially secure.

· Infant or Older Child – There’s a big difference between an infant and an older child. Older children are usually more difficult to place but oh so ready for loving parents.

· Where and How to Begin – Discover where your journey starts. Public agency or private adoption? What if you are turned down? What’s next?

· What About a Private Agency – Learn how to negotiate the murky waters of a private agency. Discover how to spot the scams.

· What is an Identified Adoption - What are the pros and cons of an identified adoption? What are the risks?

· Independent Adoption – Explore the process and again, what are the pros and cons?

· Selecting an Adoption Attorney - What questions should you ask when interviewing an attorney?

· How to find a Birth Mother - Letters to agencies? Newspaper ads? Where to advertise? What about Internet adoption services?

· Meeting the Birth Mother - What should you discuss? What you should tell her and what you should ask? How to support her emotionally and financially. Do birth fathers have any rights?

· Special Conditions – Learn about single parent adoptions for men and women, adoption for gays and lesbians, adoption for unmarried couples. Are there any laws or guidelines for these types of adoption scenarios?

· International Adoption – What are the pros and cons of international adoption. What are the most popular countries for child adoption? What about citizenship for the adopted child? Getting the original birth certificate for your adopted child. What about possible health concerns?

· Adopting a Toddler - Why are toddlers available for adoption? Adopting a toddler thru social services, internationally or private adoption. What are some of the dangers or pitfalls of adopting toddlers?

· Special Needs and Transracial Adoptions -

· What makes these types of adoptions significant? What about adopting via social services. What are some pluses and minuses of these types of adoptions? Is there a chance of serious health conditions either immediately or in the future? Who are special needs children?

· Telling Your Child His History - Should you tell your adopted child that he or she is adopted and if so at what age is appropriate to do so? What to do if your child wants to find their biological parent?

These are but a few of the things that you need to consider in order to properly prepare for your journey toward adoption.

The last thing you want is to find a child and grow to love him only to have him snatched away before the adoption is final. There are never any guarantees but the very least you should do is begin your journey with your eyes wide open.

Know where to start, what to ask and when. Don’t wait. You’ve probably already waited long enough for your own child to love. Start off on the right foot. Grab your copy of “A Personal Guide to Adoption” right now.

You’re on your way to a bright and hopeful future!