Hi!

Kiara, Good luck with your search and speaking as a teacher, making lists are great and smart!! There are many adoptive parents who wish to adopt privately and not via an agency. They then have hired an adoption attorney who, after speaking with you, would ensure that your rights are covered and by hooking you up with an adoption attorney near you. We are looking to adopt and on the other end, I am so happy we're using an attorney now (we close our file w/the agency, we felt like a number and not personal AT all) and are glad. By the way, the attorney also cares about and takes care of you emotionally and will hook you up with counseling. If you look at parent profiles on this site you'll see if hopeful adoptive parents wish to adopt privately. Good luck and I'll be praying for you. -Marisa

You're welcome, Kiara.

I think you are going about the adoption search the right way. You should take your time in getting to know a couple; so you know in your heart it is the right couple. You should be picky......Private adoptions work well also. We had a private adoption with our daughter's birthmom, our attorney is so easy to talk to, and made the whole process so much easier. AS for agencies, well I can speak for myself and I am sure many other couples hoping to adopt. They charge such outragious fee's which many can't afford. That is the very reason we have chosen to network to find that special person, the way we found our first sweety. :p I look forward to getting to know you, i just joined your group HUGS, NANCY PS what state do you live in? I have some adoption books that I can give you some info on state laws on adoption, if you would like :p

You sound like a very smart girl..and making lists of things of what you want and what you don't want in an adoptive family is such a great idea. Please put this on your list of things....I want my baby to have access to all the information on me..this way when when the baby wants to meet me later on in life and trust me they will....this baby will know that they were loved and that I cared enough to make sure that they had access to me. This is very important..because many agencies just want to get the baby to a family, and they forget the needs of the birthmother..stand your ground and demand that your baby knows everything about you and the birthfather, their medical history information is the most important.

Hi Kiara, I remember you from a month or so back--boy has it been busy. I agree with everyone--a list is a very good place to start. If you are using an agency, I would make sure your needs and wishes for the type of adoption you want match their philosophy--that way you will be on the same page. Also, is your list also going to have questions for the potential aparents? I know as a waiting aparent, I would love to be asked questions--it would take some of the pressure off and would help you get to know them better. I am sure you will have no problems finding people you are happy with.

I agree with everyone on the lists idea. I am on the other end looking to adopt a baby girl and my husband and I have been making lists. The 1st steps list The Tell everyone we are looking list The make a budget list The what paper work is sent where list The meet who and when list The see the doctor list The see the lawyer list The set up nursery list The endless list list It is important to have standards and stick with them I commend you on this I can only hope and pray that our bmom when we find her has placed such loving care and thought into giving her baby the best parents she can find. Smile............ I wish you much peace in finding the right parents to love you and your baby and have a wonderful life together. Donna PS My youngest son is a May 3rd baby. He will be 12 this year. And everyone is right you do have a lovely name