Most people who want to adopt have heard the common rumors that it is difficult and expensive to adopt a child, mostly because of the scarcity of available children. To a great extent, both of these rumors are based on partial information, and have been grossly overstated.

The bottom line, pure and simple, is that those who sit back and wait for an adoption opportunity to drop into their laps will seldom have an opportunity to adopt. This then allows them to become a living example of what they feel is the truth of these negative rumors.

In contrast, those who take a consistent and proactive approach to adoption will find adoption opportunities much sooner and much more often than those who don't. It also appears that proactive couples end up being far more satisfied with their personal involvement in the adoption process. Just like any other process, those who are well educated in how the process works become more comfortable with their involvement, become more efficient and effective in its use, and come out the other end of the process with a greater satisfaction and success.

Those who are not timid about letting others know that they want to adopt, and that they are homestudy-ready right now, will be far more successful in the adoption process than those who are timid or tentative about their desire to adopt.

Be Proactive:

• Create a Parent Profile
• Child Photolistings
• Networking Tools
• Secrets of Successful Networking

1. Getting Started with Adoption
2. How Many People Choose Adoption?
3. Is Adoption Right for You?
4. Adoption Self-Assessment Quiz
5. Which Children Are Available for Adoption?
6. Sibling Groups
7. Who Can Adopt?
8. Qualification Requirements for Adopting Parents
9. Your Adoption Options
10. Agency Adoption
11. Private (or Independent) Adoption
12. Options in Independent Adoption
13. Adoption Facilitators
14. International Adoption
15. Foster Adoption
16. Stepparent Adoption
17. Transracial Adoption
18. Special Needs Adoption
19. Military Adoption
20. Making an Adoption Plan
21. Selecting an Adoption Professional
22. Getting an Adoption Homestudy
23. Adoption Costs
24. Why Do Costs Seem So High?
25. Help Handling the Costs of Adoption
26. The Adoption Tax Credit
27. Adoption Subsidies
28. Employer Adoption Benefits
29. Networking & Networking Tools
30. Legal Issues in Adoption
31. Evaluating Adoption Risks
32. Open Adoption
33. Breastfeeding the Adopted Child
34. Coping With the Wait
35. Glossary of Terms
36. Recommended Reading
37. Conclusion

Need a Home Study?

Note: Our authors are dedicated to honest, engaged, informed, intelligent, and open conversation about adoption. The opinions expressed here may not reflect the views of Adoption.com.