So you’re interested in adopting? YAY!!!
When people ask me how to get started, I tell them the first step is to make some choices…
The first one is what age (baby, toddler, kids, teens) you’d like to pursue. This will narrow down the avenue which you take your next steps.
What about other important choices like gender, ethnicity, siblings (can you take on siblings or do you just want one child?), medical situations like special needs, exposures (in utero + external – drugs, alcohol, etc.) and others.
I’d also select if you’d like to do Domestic or International because these both require very different steps and timeframes.
After those things have been selected, you can choose your agency. Personally, I Googled “adoption agencies in Alabama” which helped me find a few. I looked at things like their “About” section and anything else I felt lead to click on. I’d encourage you to also look at consulting firms, agencies in other states, etc. It is a lot of energy and effort, but it matters greatly.
Now if you decided you want older children, you’re going to have to connect with your local DHR / Foster system. That’s a world I’m less familiar with, but I do know they have their own requirements for “Foster to Adopt” situations.
When you select an agency, they’ll give you practical next steps of what needs to be done.
After that each journey is truly unique…
Some will need assistance raising money and some already have it in the bank account.
Some will receive their new child within months and others will take years.
Some will have a wonderful relationship with the biological mother and others will not.
Some will have stories where adoption was beautiful and some will only know the tragedy and hardships.
Regardless, it will be hard.
It will be heartbreaking, gut-wrenching. Your world will never be the same.
However, for our family, we have never been so confident of a decision!
We are confident in our calling. And truly, we are all called to adoption. Now hear me say, not all of us are called to literally invite another kiddo into our family, but you are still called to help those who are.
