[wishfulgal]

My DH and I have been talking about adoption for a year now. We have finally decided to take the plunge and I was feeling so excited and peaceful about it. We thought we had even picked out an agency. It is the Adoption Network Law Center--has anyone heard/had experience with it?

We heard about it through a friend of mine who just got matched with a birthmom after having a profile with them for only 3 months. We also have an aquaintace who has adopted 3 boys through them. Dh and I have had a phone consultation with ANLC and felt really good about going with them. Well, I just read AWFUL online reviews of them (and some good ones...but the bad ones were really bad...people who had paid 25,000 and been waiting 3 years for a baby ) and now I don't feel so comfortable anymore.

Ugh. I seriously feel like we CANNOT find an agency. We have been looking at them for a year now. They all have some drawback and it seems like the potential to lose alot of money. Even some of the very big name agencies (Bethany for example has a $7000 fee that is non-refundable) have things that make me uncomfortable. I just don't know what to do. If ANYONE is working with/ has worked with a great agency, please respond.

[LindseyE117]

:hugs: This is a big choice for anyone, and I am glad that you are at peace with your decision. Although I have never adopted, I do know our church offers services for people looking to adopt. I do not think that you need to be a member either, but I am not sure. Still, it does not hurt to look into it. I know many families in our church who have used them. Here is there link.

https://www.itsaboutlove.org/ial/ct/...ting-families/

[4eyes]

I don't know anything about them but it's funny because I just contacted them today myself!! How ironic! We are working with Bethany Christian and have been waiting 1 yr 3 months and had a failed placement in May of last year so I'm looking for other options as well. I agree there is a lot of bad stuff about the ANLC that makes me nervous. They are overnighting me a packet I should get tomorrow and have a tentative phone "interview" with them next week that I'm not sure I will keep. Let me know what you find out about them It's just so hard. They told me on the phone today that since we already have our homestudy done we could most def. have a baby by Christmas... I mean who wouldn't want that but at what cost!!

[tawny63]

I PM'd you too, but for us the state the birthmom was in was a huge price difference. We had our son within 9 months of deciding on adoption, and our daughter is due in the next 19 days and we signed up again to adopt in October 2010. So that's going to be about 9 months too. I know you're afraid of the cost of the agency we use, but you are protected. HTH.

[EmptyWomb]

We have decided to do the Foster Adoption route because the cost and fear of birth mother matching. If all goes well we have a sibling group 2 months and 14ish months, one boy and one girl waiting for us. We are thrilled and will be speeding the process of the remainder of our home study. DH is military so background check came back fast. WE have our first meeting of this year with the agency next week. I am nervous but ready for a REAL outcome HTH!

[KMH]

Can't wait for your update tomorrow!!