Agencies in New Jersey - Any advice

I would suggest that the state is less important than the agency. If you found an absolutely fabulous agency in your state, that would be nice; however, don't rule out agencies in other states, even though you would have to have a locally done homestudy. Nowadays, most of the top international agencies have a loyal following from all over the U.S. They communicate effectively by email, phone, FedEx, and fax, so time zones and state boundaries really don't matter. Moreover, given the excessively long (5 years or more) wait for a non-special needs adoption, you might have to switch to the Waiting Child programs, which place children who have special needs or are of school age or both. With the Waiting Child programs, you may find that you HAVE to use a particular agency that represents a child whom you feel you could parent. This agency may or may not be located in your state. Sharon