Here starts the Adoption Journey...

We have officially decided we're going to adopt.  As my previous post says, this is not the close to our TTC journey, more like an addition.  

The initial phone call was made a couple weeks ago, which gives you the contact number for your local Social Services person.  Yes, we are going to start our journey by adopting a child who is currently in the "system" we know we may not be given an infant, but our preferred age range in 0 - 4 years old.  

I finally got to talk to someone yesterday, January 22, 2013.  She was so nice and answered all of my questions with out hesitation.  

Basically, we have to go to a STARS class, which is held one evening a week for 9 weeks, since we want to be adoptive parents, we have to go for 2 additional weeks.  Prior to class starting, there will be an initial home visit.  At this home visit, it's pretty generic.  They check your house and tell you what you need to fix and change, explain the system in depth and get to know you, future parents.  This will also open our eyes a little more to confirm we are ready to tackle this!  (I think we are!) After 11 weeks of classes, the in depth home visits start.  There are usually more than one home visit.  They make sure your home is ready, find out about your family, the way you react to different things and etc.  After all that, you just wait for your child to come along.  There are so many children in the custody of the State of MO that I don't think it will take too long.  There is a trial period that the child lives with you to make sure you all adapt, and your case worker will still visit and see how the transition is going.  We don't want to do an open adoption.  Definitely closed...

There is also the option of a "private" adoption.  This is where you go through an agency and adopt an infant.  There is a huge expense to doing this.  The option is out there, but right not it's not the option for us, at least not right now.  

We will do our best to keep up on here, for you and for us to look at someday and think wow, what a journey!