New to adoption - questions on the basics

The best thing for you to do is do a search online for New Jersey adoption agencies, they will answer those questions or send yiu an information package. Good Luck.

There are three primary ways to become an adoptive parent: 1. International 2. Domestic Parental Placement (aka Private Adoption) 3. Waiting Child/Foster Care Each has its' own risks and benefits. Most domestic parental placement situations are newborns. Many are european, as well as of other ethnic heritages. Many international situations are infants and toddlers, though very rarely a child under 2 months of age. Waiting child situatiosn can involve newborns, though more likely they are infants, toddlers and older children. Domestic situations usually involve fees in the $4,000 - $9,000 range. There are some situations that involve higher fees, some less. Most successful situations arise through prospective aparents networking and searching for potential birthparents interestred in making adoption plans. The scariest risk for most people is that prospective bparents can decide to parent once the child is born but before they voluntarily terminate their rights. It does happen, there are steps that can be taken to reduce this risk, though it is never completely eliminated. Most domestic parental placement situations involve some level of agreed-on contact between bfamily and afamily. The most common contact is picture and letter exchange, though there are fully open situations that involve regular visits, contact and there are closed situations where there is no contact between families post placement. Some good books to read on domestic parental placement: The Open Adoption Experience by Lois Molina Adopting in America: How to Adopt Within One Year by Randall Hicks Dear Birthmother by Kathleen Silber The Complete Idiot's Guide to Adoption Hope this helps, Regina, Amom to Ryan Joshua Thomas

I have been exactly in your position.... Get a really large file box... and start gathering everything you can about Aoption...do not disregard any thing at this time...and do not decide which way is the Way you will go... Just file the info...if you feel like sorting it into sections do that much, but rule nothing out at this time.... Now here is my one pitch and I promise to leave you alone after this..... We wanted genetic children very much... but the reality was that would not happen... When we opened our big box up and started being serious about adoption we were drawn to something we never thought we would be... we liked the idea that we might not have children who were genetically related to US, but were genetically related to EACH OTHER. And it has been an awesome experience to see the bond between our five-year old and her biological baby borther...just amazing! Good luck and peace on your journey.