Adoption Agency Meeting

At 9 a.m. on Monday I picked up the phone and called the adoption agency. I tell you...it is about as nerve-wracking as sticking a needle the size of your fist into your buttock (Some IVF humor for my IVF friends...sorry!). I didn't know how to start the conversation, but the phone rang and it was then or never!

Megan, a social worker at the agency, was wonderful. As I've explained to a few people, Megan made me comfortable in that I didn't have to wait for her to answer. She never once had to "search" for an answer. Never once had to think about what I was asking her.

I asked her:

1. How many couples were currently waiting. Typically have 30 to 40 active couples waiting at a time.

2. How many placements do they do a year? Average is 75.

3. How long is the wait? Typical wait is 12 to 18 months, but that obviously varies from case to case.

4. How frequently birthparents decide to parent after adoptive parents have been matched? Not frequently at all (can't remember the last time this happened)

5. How long does birthparents have to wait to sign the TPR (termination of parental rights)? 72 hours.

6. How long until finalization? 6 months.

7. What happens if a match fails/falls through? We'd be place back on the list, at the top.

I asked her a few more questions and felt great. She then explained to me that most of their profiles are done online, as approximately 95% of birthmoms are now on the internet looking for adoptive parents. The agency hires someone to do the profiles on the website. She also told me that when one looks at the website, the couple at the top has been waiting the longest. They update the website weekly. So when a couple is matched, off they go, and everybody moves up a slot. Of course, anyone on the site can be chosen, whether on the top, in the middle, or at the bottom of the list. She then told me that birthmoms choose adoptive parents for any number of reasons...because the adoptive parents have the same name for their dog as she does, or that they like the same t.v. shows as she does. She also explained the process further and made me comfortable for what the future holds for us.

So where does this take us? Well, we have to do two days of training before we can start the process to get our home study done. The next training session is in one week. Unfortunately we can't participate as it is just too close. So, we have to wait until August.

So now the wait begins again.

But we're ready.