Starting the adoption process

Hi there, I've heard good things from Bethany as well, but their costs are very high. But worth it, for a child, if you can afford it. I would encourage you to thoroughly check out several agencies before you decide. Check your yellow pages and make calls, check with Catholic Social Services and Lutheran Adoptions for lower-cost adoptions. Please be prepared for some disappointment along the way. I don't say this to discourage you, but because it is a reality. We had one failed adoption before two successful ones, and then recently another failed one. It is hard, but it is WORTH IT. It can be such a shock and tempt you to give up if you are not prepared, but God will bring just the right children to you in His time. God bless you as you begin what is truly a journey . . . an adventure.

Hi!we are using bethany out of Holland. We have had a fairly good experience but the wait feels long (15 months since we finished our homestudy w/ one failed match). If you want to pm me, I can give you more information on them. Also, I have heard good things too about Catholic Social Services and Lutheran Social Services.Good luck to you! Bethany also has forums on its website It is nice to see someone else from west Michigan on here :)Erin

Thank you both for sharing your experiences, I appreciate your honesty. We will definetely look into the other agencies as well. This is so overwhelming, but I just keep thinking of the outcome. God bless you and your families, and new family members.;)

Just in case you didn't know.... you don't have to work with an agency in your state. If you find one in anther state you are more comfortable with, you can often have an agency within your state do the homestudy etc... It depends on the laws of your state. Have you considered talking with your department of social services to adopt a waiting child? That may be an option too. Read alot of posts on these forums. They are a wealth of information. Best to you Bumpkin

I think the amount of fees has a lot to do with the type of adoption that is involved. International adoptions and domestic infant adoptions regard an enormous amount of money to accomplish. Older and special needs adoption is a whole different ballgame. I had a conversation with an FIA staffer in Lansing, who told me that licensed agencies are not allowed to charge fees for the homestudy for older child adoptions. This makes sense considering that the agency gets paid for the adoption directly by the State in placing kids who are wards of the State. In this type of adoption, the only fees will be the mileage and expenses in visitations before placement (note: 2/3 of all these kids are in metro Detroit/Oakland County area) and the filing fee for the adoption petition. I'm working on adopting a 6-10 year old child. I look forward to hearing from other West Michiganders. :) Roger