Adoption Waiting List

The dreaded adoption waiting list is equally revered as the most important step in the adoption process. Being on "the list" means you're on your way to being placed with a child. But for many, that great big step is met with the same kind of frustration that being put on hold while calling a customer service department can feel.

When a couple has passed their home study, they are put on an adoption waiting list by the agencies or attorney they're working with. Some adopters can wait on a list for a few months to over a year. It's a time that they really have no control over, although the more private and public agencies they work with the more likely they are to have a fast placement. Fast placements are also known to come out of international adoption situations. However, adopters will have little say in the child they're placed with (usually only able to specify the age range they hope to adopt in) and can usually only deny two placements before their application is canceled.

While on the waiting list, adopters may begin to waiver in their confidence as able or desirable parents - particularly if they're waiting for infant placement with a birth mother. Experts suggest adoptive parents do light reading on parenting but to not obsess over their situation on the adoption waiting lists. Instead, they should occupy their time with a new hobby or keep themselves stable with their usual routines.