Myth 1: Adoption is outrageously expensive and out of reach for most families.

Fact: Adoption is often no more expensive than giving birth – averaging around $15,000 for both domestic and international adoptions. Costs vary by agency and may be related to how the agency is funded, where their children come from and what services they provide to birth parents and adoptive families. ... For more Adoption myths and myth-busters, you can download our Plan To Adopt Resource Packet here.

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We hope Plan to Adopt will be your main resource! The following is a list of what we Will and Won't Do for a client .

What Plan to Adopt will do:

• Meet with prospective parents, either in person or by telephone, to discuss family needs and circumstances.
• Evaluate the family’s situation through the use of the Adoption Assessment Questionnaire and personal meetings.
• Formulate a written plan for each family that is unique to that family. ...more here.

What Plan to Adopt will not do:

• Facilitate the adoption of stepchildren, identified children or foster children.
• Provide services that would necessarily be provided by a licensed social worker...more here.

For a complete list and other valuable information, please downlad the Plan to Adopt Resource Packet here.

A recent Google search on the word “adoption” revealed over 128 million results! This is, of course, overwhelming. Needless to say, there is lots of information about adoption on the Internet. To get you started, the following websites are recommended:

Adopting.com ( http://www.adopting.com ) Here you will find everything prospective adoptive parents need to know about adopting, including how to get started; links to hundreds of adoption agencies, facilitators and attorneys...more!

Adoption.com ( http://www.adoption.org ) This site serves and supports the needs of birthparents, adoptive parents and adoption professionals. They sponsor on-line chat groups, classified ads and many other interesting items.

Adoption Learning Partners (http://www.adoptionlearningpartners.org/
) Seeks to improve adoption outcomes for all members of the adoption circle by providing a vibrant, innovative, educational resource on the Internet. The vision of Adoption Learning Partners is to offer highly valuable, timely, web-based educational resources for adoptive parents, adopted individuals, birth parents and the families that love them.

Child Welfare Information Gateway (http://www.childwelfare.gov/) This site is a service of the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is a great resource regarding adoption agencies licensed in each state, services to adoptive families available from each state, publications about the adoption process, financing adoption and other topics of interest to prospective adoptive families.

Adoption Expressions (http://www.adoptionexpressions.homestead.com/index.html Services to assist hopeful adopting parents in the design and creation of adoption profiles ("Dear Birthparent Letters") and adoption webpages, the two most effective networking tools.  Adoptive parent to 3 children with over 14 years experience in the adoption field.

International Adoption Stories (http://www.internationaladoptionstories.com) International adoption stories and adoption agency information from Russia, Kazakhstan, Guatemala and China. Includes information on adoption costs and financing, medical and health advice, parenting tips and news.

National Adoption Center (http://www.adopt.org) This site can be used to view waiting children across the U.S., research adoption information, order books and other information, participate in on-line chats and introduce children to adoption information geared especially for them.

Rainbow Kids (http//www.rainbowkids.com) This site is considered the Internet's central location for adoption information, international adoptions, special needs adoption, adoption articles and Waiting Child photo listings.

Southern Piedmont Adoptive Families of America, Inc. (SPAFA) (http://www.spafa.org) An adoptive parent support group formed to provide information, education and emotional support, and encouragement to couples and individuals who desire to build or expand their families through adoption. 

WelcomeGarden.com (http://www.welcomegarden.com) The Welcome Garden, a reknown international adoption photolisting service, was created to encourage adoption and remember the children who have not a "forever family".

For more sites we recommend, you can download our Plan To Adopt Resource Packet here. and updated Resources Packet here.