Once your home study is completed, you are ready to begin the placement process — the time when a specific child is identified for your family. Depending on the type of adoption you are pursuing, this process and the potential time involved in waiting for your child vary greatly.

• If you are pursuing an independent adoption, an attorney or facilitator may help you identify expectant parents or you may locate them on your own if allowed by State law.
  
• If you are using a licensed private agency to pursue a domestic infant adoption, the expectant parents may select your family from among several prospective adoptive families.
  
• In the case of foster care adoption or intercountry adoption of older children, you may review information about a number of children who are waiting for families. You will often have the opportunity for pre-placement visits, to get to know a child before he or she moves into your home in foster care adoption. Also, many foster parents in the United States adopt the foster children in their homes if the children become available for adoption.
• If you are adopting an infant internationally you may receive a referral during this time.

Source: National Adoption Information Clearinghouse

More:

• Create an online introduction to expectant parents considering adoption
• Network to locate expectant parents
• Learn how to find and use photolistings for domestic and international older child adoption
• Referrals in international adoption