Many prospective parents are seeking to adopt healthy infants, often of a background similar to their own. Waiting times for infant adoptions can vary tremendously and can be as long as 2 years or more. A recent trend has many agencies now involving birth parents in choosing adoptive parents and have discontinued traditional "waiting lists" (first come, first placed) since so few infants are available through agencies. In the United States, agency criteria for prospective adoptive parents is often much more restrictive for infant adoptions than for adoptions of older children, again because fewer infants are available. Expenses for domestic infant adoption often range from $5,000 to more than $40,000. (An amount between $10,000 and $15,000 is most common).

While public agencies will handle the adoption of children in the state child welfare or foster care system, if you wish to adopt an infant in the United States, you may choose to work with a licensed agency, an attorney (sometimes called "independent adoption"), or an unlicensed adoption facilitator (if allowed by laws in your state). Licensed private agencies will have to meet state standards for licensure and have more oversight to ensure quality services. Unlicensed agencies and facilitators often do not have the same state oversight and consequently for prospective parents and birth families there may be more financial and emotional risk using these services. Here is a brief overview of the types of adoption most commonly used when adopting a newborn-

• Licensed private agency adoption-In this type of adoption the birth parents relinquish their parental rights to the agency. Adoptive families will then work with adoption agency professionals toward final placement. Licensed agency adoptions will provide the greatest assurance of monitoring and oversight of professional services, because these agencies are required to adhere to licensing and procedural standards set by the state. The wait for a newborn through a licensed private agency may be longer. In addition prospective parents may not have an opportunity to meet the birth parents face to face. Social workers in agencies make most of the decisions about the match of a child and prospective adoptive parent. Agencies may give preference to certain types of individuals or couples (e.g., due to faith or marital status). Expenses can range from nothing (if a private agency contracts with a public agency to place children from foster care) to $40,000, but they are generally predictable especially when adopting a newborn. Adoptive parents working with private agencies will have little control over the process of identifying a child. This process can vary greatly depending on the agency. Some agencies are faith-based and will give preference to families from a particular religious background. Many agencies will allow birth parents to choose a prospective adoptive family for their child based on profiles or books that families create to share information about themselves. As a result, the wait a newborn may be unpredictable and, in some cases, quite long.
• Independent adoption-In this type of adoption attorneys assist families; however, birth parents will typically give their consent directly to the adoptive family. Adoptive parents will interact directly with the birth parents or their attorney if they choose this option. Attorneys who facilitate independent adoptions must adhere to the standards of the Bar Association in their state. Some attorneys who specialize in adoption are members of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys (a professional membership organization with standards of ethical practice). State law will regulate allowable expenses (such as the birth mother's medical care) that can be reimbursed by adoptive parents. It is important that prospective adoptive parents understand that expenses in this type of adoption can be less predictable. Also not all states allow for independent adoption; so it is important to check with your State Adoption Specialist. Families adopting independently often identify the birth parents without an agency's help. Since each family's situation is different; it is impossible to predict the length of time you may wait for a newborn to be placed. Some adoptive parents and birth mothers have found each other and made a plan within a week, other adoptive parents search for 1 to 2 years. In this type of adoption infants are usually placed with the adoptive parents directly from the hospital after birth. An important note is that even if the birth mother and adoptive parents locate one another independently, they may still take advantage of services offered by a licensed agency. This is called "identified adoption." The agency's role becomes the facilitator to conduct the home study for the adoptive parents and counsel the birth mother and father, if available.
• Facilitated/unlicensed agency adoption-It is crucial to understand that adoptive placements by facilitators (or those by unlicensed agencies) offer the least amount of supervision and oversight. A facilitator is considered to be any person who links prospective adoptive parents with expecting birth mothers for a fee. Adoption facilitators are largely unregulated in most states; families will have little recourse should the plan not work out as expected. Some states do not permit adoptions by paid facilitators so again it is important to check with your State Adoption Specialist.

The cost of adoption
One of the major concerns by prospective adoptive parents is the cost of adopting a newborn. Many employers will provide their employees with adoption benefits, such as paid leave, unpaid leave, or adoption reimbursements. If you are on active duty in the military, you can be eligible for reimbursement of expenses up to $2,000 for the adoption of a single child and up to $5,000 per family per year. Military parents can also take advantage of the military medical program and the military's Program for Persons with Disabilities. It is also important not to forget the Adoption Tax Credit after your adoption is finalized.

Adoption Tax Credit
The adoption tax credit has recently been increased to $10,630 and almost all adoptions now qualify, except stepparent adoptions. This is not a substitute for professional financial advice and should not be relied upon without consulting your tax advisor. The Adoption Tax Credit is a valuable benefit for adopting families, but it is one of the most complicated tax law provisions applicable to middle-income families. This is why it is crucial to consult your tax professional for the specifics of your tax situation.

Preparing for placement
Once you have determined how you will adopt and how much it will cost you can begin preparing to add to your family. One of the first considerations is if your newborn will be covered under your health insurance. While there will not obviously be medical bills from the birth your newborn will need medical care and follow-up in the weeks following his or her birth. The answer, in most cases, is yes (especially if you are covered by employer-sponsored health insurance). However, it is important to know that there are situations where you may have difficulty obtaining coverage, even though your adoptive child is eligible. In that situation, it will help to know your rights and to have some solid documentation on the law. There are also situations where your adoptive child will not be eligible for coverage. In those cases, your only recourse may be to change health plans or to work through the system and try to change the laws in your State.

Emotional issues
There are complex emotional issues that surround an adoption and the adoption of a newborn is no exception. Seasoned professionals and adoptive parents have put together a list that can be used to enlist the support of your family and friends in making this transition to being a family. Some of the things you can ask family and friends to do are:

• Accept our decision to adopt without question.
• Accept our choice of a child regardless of his/her race, heritage, age, social background, etc.
• Remain positive and enthusiastic during waiting periods.
• Offer to give practical help if you do not mind giving us your time.
• Respect our choice not to disclose details about our personal life and our decisions.

Also there are suggestions as to what you can tell family and friends that will not help:

• Please do not tell us that if we adopt a child we will get pregnant and have a child of "our own." Adoption does not cure infertility, and our adopted child will be "our child!"
• Try not to react as if adoption is a "second best" or "noble" choice.
• Please support us by not questioning our capability or readiness to parent a child.
• Try not to incessantly ask for news while we are waiting to adopt.
• Please do not probe for details about the birth parents or the child. We will tell you whatever we are comfortable sharing.

Some other ways family and friends can help in the post-adoption process:

• Be happy for our new child and us.
• Respect that we may want and need quiet time with our new child to bond and adjust.
• Understand that we might not be able to fulfill you needs as quickly as we did before we became parents.
• Respect our style of child rearing.