If you have decided that you have the capacity necessary to be a successful adoptive parent, you must consider the types of adoptions available to you. Adoption today is far different from even a decade ago, and you have many options and possibilities. For example, thousands of older and or disabled children wait in foster care for families to step forward and give them permanent homes; there are children of every race and gender being placed through private and public agencies; and some birth mothers are looking to place their babies independent of agencies.

When considering all the adoption options, you need to consider your comfort level with each one. Would you be happy adopting a child from foster care who had to be removed from her parents due to abuse? How would you feel raising a child from another country who obviously looks nothing like you? How comfortable would you be having a birth mother who wants ongoing contact with the child? Are you nervous working with a birth mother without an agency involved? You must educate yourself about the details of each type of adoption and ask yourself these kinds of questions as you evaluate your options and consider what will work best for your family.

Though adoption options will be discussed in depth throughout this book, the following is a brief overview of the available avenues for adoption.

If you want to adopt a baby, this is one common pathway. You first find an adoption agency that then screens you and matches you with a birth mother. The birth mother may or may not participate in the placement decision. The baby comes home to you from the hospital. However, keep in mind that it can take many months or even a year or longer to be matched to a birth mother.

This is adoption from foster care. If you do not wish to adopt an infant, foster care may be for you. There are many children of every age waiting to be placed in a home after their parents' rights have been terminated or surrendered. You can adopt groups of siblings or just one child of any age you choose. There are also many children with special needs in foster care waiting for a family. Public agency adoptions are generally very fast.

You might also consider accepting an at-risk placement. This means you become a foster parent and accept a child who has not yet been freed for adoption. The termination of the birth parents' rights is in progress, but not definite. This allows you to bring a child into your home immediately, but you must accept the uncertainty of the situation. Some prospective adoptive parents find this very stressful emotionally, especially if the child is removed from the home after he has become attached to family members.

There are many children available for adoption from orphanages and agencies in other countries. These children are not usually available until they are older babies or toddlers. The list of countries that permit international adoption changes frequently, so you need to work with an agency that knows the laws and can help you find a child. Each country has its own requirements. In almost all international adoptions, you will need to travel to the country once or twice before finalization of the adoption. You will need help cutting through the red tape in your child's country of origin, and your agency will provide you with a translator and or a guide. This type of adoption can take up to a year to complete.

If you locate a birth mother yourself, you can adopt her child. You will need an attorney to handle the paperwork. Some people ask an agency to help process the adoption as well. This is another way to adopt an infant. Finding a baby yourself can take a long time and involve a lot of heartbreak if the birth mother changes her mind.