Adopting a child is a wonderful thing. Not only is this a blessing for you, but adopting a child will be a blessing to the child. An estimated 428,000 children are currently in foster care, possibly waiting to be adopted. If you are considering bringing a child into your home and family's life through adoption, proper understanding and planning are imperative. This guide will help you get started with the process of adopting a child.

Emotional Preparations

Before you begin contacting adoption agencies and lawyers, you need to make sure you and your family are emotionally prepared for this process.

If you are married or living with your partner in a committed relationship, you both need to be in agreement about the adoption. If you have children, discuss the possibility of adopting with them, as well.

It is also helpful to tell your other family members, such as parents, siblings, aunts, and uncles about your hopes of adopting. This will give you an idea on how your family will react to a potential new family member.

Make sure everyone understands the adoption process is physically, emotionally, and financially overwhelming. Everyone must also understand that the end-result of the adoption process may not be exactly what you hope for.

Legal Preparations

After discussing your desire to adopt for everyone in your family and preparing yourself for the emotional roller coaster, you need to make some legal preparations.

Contact a local adoption agency to determine what laws are in place for your specific state. If you are planning to adopt from another country, it is best to contact a local agency to help you through the process. However, make sure to choose a local agency that does have experience in foreign adoptions.

No matter how many successful adoptions your agency has organized, you should consult an attorney to guide you through the legal process. An adoption attorney will guide you through the process, offering you support and advice that can be helpful. When hiring an lawyer, you can also rest easy in knowing they will fight on your behalf if any issues arise before, during, and after the adoption.

Financial Preparations

Lastly, adopting a child will require a large financial commitment, which is something you should begin planning for well in advance.

The adoption agency and your attorney will give specific details on what fees will be required to start the application process and what the cost will be when and if you finalize an adoption.

Thankfully, there are many grants and fundraising programs available to qualified individuals and families who want to adopt. Also, your attorney will discuss how to apply and file for an adoption tax credit, which can help alleviate some of the cost.

Adopting a child can change the world in a wonderful manner. With this guide, you will have a general idea on how to get started in the adoption process. Contact an attorney, like Karen Robins Carnegie PLC, for more help.