Just getting started

Hi Alison, We too are "Beach" people - live in Chesapeake, on the way to the Outer Banks. DH and I adopted DS 2 1/2 years ago through domestic parental placement. PM me if you'd like the name of the agency and attorney we used as I'd highly recommend them both to anyone. Fees are also quite reasonable. Nothing like what I see others posting. We're friends with 10 other adoptive families in the area, all through the same agency. None of us spent more than a year waiting/searching/networking before placement, and we're the only one of the 10 that spent more than $10K in total fees and expenses. Our expenses were higher b/c our son was born in Texas. Well, that's not exactly true now b/c one family has adopted a second child - they searched for 19 months for him. Their first son came 1 1/2 months after they finished their home study so I guess it evens out Anyhow, as to marketing, I'd wait until you've gotten your home study done. In Virginia, you cannot legally take custody until your home study is complete. There's nothing more stressful than an emergency homestudy b/c you've got a baby before it's done. To prepare for that, order NOW multiple certified copies of your birth certificates, marriage license, any divorce decrees. You can also go to DMV and get printout of your driving records. How else can I help? Regina

Hi, my husband and I also have just started researching adoption, we had initially wanted to do International but we just can not afford it. I would also like to check into becoming a Foster parent but I would only do it if it is a situation where we would be able to adopt the child. If either of you could PM me, we live right on the border of beach/Chesapeake. I would appreciate any input you have on your experience. Thanks!! Cristina

DH and I are considering Domestic Parental Placement. I am also interested in how to "market ourselves", whre to start, etc. We have done a homestudy already and are currently registered internationally with an agency outside the state. We are going to make an appt. with our local agency about the DPP, but would love any information! Thank you!

Carol, We created a master e-mailing list of all our friends, family, close business associates, etc. We used this list to ask for help in searching, and kept the group updated every 2-3 weeks or so with how things were progressing. One of these list members, a "work friend" of mine from a previous employer (we mostly trade jokes on e-mail), made the connection. She had gotten an "update" from us about a week before her ex-husband's daughter found out she was pregnant and decided on adoption. So we were fresh in her mind. This young lady is Ryan's birthmother. A few other things we did that generated leads and one other family being made: 1. Made up business cards with brief blurb and our contact info. Left them everywhere - restrooms at movie theaters, hockey games, fast food restaurants, airports, etc. We gave cards to waitstaff, left them on pay phones, bulletin boards, ATM machines, etc. We got 9 leads, one of which turned into a connection & placement for another family using our agency. We asked friends and family to do the same and ended up with a "mad mad carder brigade". We got cards pretty inexpensively at Vista Print [url]www.vistaprint.com[/url]. 2. Sent out letters to hospitals, doctors, etc. Got one call from a social worker that almost turned into a placement for another family. This would've been very expensive if my employer hadn't let us use their color copier though. 3. Put up flyers in our cars with our info on them, as did some of our friends. Also put flyers up in laundromats, bulletin boards, etc. Got several calls from these, especially the cars. 4. Created a simple website and posted it on adopting.org, abcadoptions.com, preciouskids.org, all the search engines, and everywhere we could do it for free or a low fixed cost. We did get some e-mails and phone calls from prospective situations, though not a tremendous number. ABC Adoptions has a 'birthmothers seeking situations' area where they send leads to you as one of their 'listing families' by email. Kay at Preciouskids will send you periodically all the 'available situations' from facilitators when you list with her. 5. We advertised in the local and some college newspapers. We didn't get much response, but others we're aware of made their connection this way. We also put an 'on screen' advertisement at one of the local movie theaters - that got us zero leads. 6. We also put a short 'ad' for ourselves including phone # and website as the 'signature line' on our e-mail and asked friends to do this as well. Don't honestly know if we got any leads from that one but we figured it was free and couldn't hurt, especially if people didn't strip signatures on forwards. Also, we really told everyone. I have a heart-shaped red button with the word ADOPT! on it that I'd wear places. You'd be amazed how many people came up and asked me about it, giving me a chance to give out a card and ask. I got 4 separate leads from people in a professional group who knew we were searching - either their friends/family or an employee became pregnant, etc. We told our postman and the guy who delivers the newspaper. It was very hard at first (we really are private people) but got much easier with time and as leads formed. We also found so many "gifts" - notes of support from strangers, friends sharing their adoption stories (adoptees, adoptive parents, birth parents) that we had never heard, so many prayers. We are continually amazed and touched. Please don't hesitate to ask questions, we're happy to help. Take care, Regina

Regina, Thank you so much for the quick response and the great information! I know that I will have many questions as we proceed forward. Thanks again!