As I have been writing about in this category, there are many concerns that often become barriers to people considering adoption.

One question that I get a lot by people who are contemplating adoption is, “Isn’t it really hard to adopt?”

Our standard line to that question has become, “Well, we’ve managed to do it seven times in five years, so it can’t be too difficult!”

But being serious, I do give people a quick sum up of the process, and explain that while there are lots of hoops to jump through, lots of paperwork to accomplish, plenty of unexpected twists and turns, a lot of emotions, and oftentimes, a true test of your patience, I still would not describe the process as “hard”. Then again, I definitely would not say it is an “easy” process either. But it is certainly “doable", and the end result is well worth the more difficult aspects.

In this post I will discuss the difficulty (or not) of the actual adoption process itself...the paperwork, homestudy, immigration, etc. I will be discussing the bigger ethical and racial issues involved in adoption, which are indeed often difficult and challenging, in future posts.

It is common and normal to be intimidated or scared of something we do not understand or know much about, so the first thing to do is acquaint yourself with the adoption process. Educate yourself. Become an adoption expert.

Words like “homestudy”, “immigration” and “post placement visits”, and terms like “I 171H”, “referral” and “dossier” often sound pretty foreign and confusing to newbies to adoption. It can all feel overwhelming. But I promise after a little research and education, you’ll be throwing those words around with the best of them.

The better educated you are on the adoption process, the “easier” the process will be for you. If you have an understanding of the homestudy process, the steps to immigration, what goes in your dossier and the other steps specific to your adoption, things will move along much smoother and will be less stressful for you.

Research your adoption options, and once you have chosen an adoption program, continue your research. Talk to your agency and other families, and read, read, read, so that you have a full understanding of what the process will entail and what to expect. Knowing what the steps are, what will come next and how things work will help you move through the steps more easily and quickly.

Continue reading here for a quick summary of the process and lots of links to more detailed information.