new here...and nervous....

I've been reading posts on this site for a while...and decided to finally post on here. So here's a little about me...I've been married for 16 years, and have 4 wonderful boys. my last 2 pregnancy's were very very rough, (almost lost my last 2 boys) and I also had 2 miscarriages along the way. (I was high risk for 3 of my 4 pregnancy's) I truly feel my family isn't complete...and would love to add a little girl to my family. my oldest boy is 11 and my youngest is 3. My husband and I have been talking a lot about what we should do to get our little girl...and I truly feel adoption is the way. but that being said...can you shed some advice on what or how I should go about it? I don't have the 30,000 to do a private adoption... so we're looking at foster to adopt... any advice would be GREAT.... I'm located in Ohio, and hope to start this journey in the next 2-3 months. also...does my age cause a problem? My husband and I will be 40 in the next couple months?? please...any advice would be great...

I wouldn't expect your age to be an issue a lot of moms and dads on here are older. A lot of people will tell you that being open is key. If you only take legally free children it will take longer, unless you are open to older child adoption. I recommend researching your state statutes so you can know the rules and be better prepared you can be. Also be prepared for it to take a while to get licensed and plan accordingly

Welcome to you lovemyboys! Alwaysroom4more had some good advice for you. :) Another thought is to look on our photo listing at Adoption.com/photolisting. Many children on there are available for adoption now (meaning the court will not allow their parents to take custody again, or parents have relinquished their rights already). This is not the case for all of them, but if you hit the "inquire about this child" button under their profile, the case workers should get in touch with you to discuss the child's situation and needs in further detail. I hope this gives you a starting place. Fostering through your state office is a great way to adopt from foster care too, and some children request to stay in their home state anyways. Whatever speaks to your heart. Good luck to you!

Nowadays, people adopt even when they are over 50, so your age won't be a problem. Now, some agencies or states may want you to adopt an older child, rather than a baby, at that age, but not all will. I adopted internationally using an American agency, and received a wonderful 18 month old when I was 51. If you are reasonably healthy and meet all financial, criminal history, and other requirements, you shouldn't have any difficulty.