Getting Started

 Myths

 Terminology

 The Process

 How Long It Takes

Introduction

Tina and Richard Johnson have a bright, vivacious eight-year-old daughter, Denise. They would like her to have a brother or sister. They can have another child by birth, but they're thinking of adopting. On television and on the Internet, Tina and Richard have seen the longing in the faces of the children who need adoptive parents. They've read about the 75,000 to 100,000 children waiting in foster homes to be adopted. They know that another 30,000 infants are adopted each year and another 10,000 children come from overseas for adoption. They've experienced the personal joys of parenting and understand the many benefits adoption brings to society, so they want to open their arms and provide a permanent family for one of these children.

Like many families starting to think seriously about adopting a child, one of their first questions is, "What about the costs?" They're concerned about the expenses involved in the adoption process and they wonder what other less obvious costs they should be aware of. As with most people who are new to adoption, the Johnsons have some misconceptions about it. Here are some of the myths about adoptions.