Typically, an agency adoption works something like this: The parent seeking to adopt starts by selecting an agency (NAIC has a directory of adoption agencies online at http://naic.acf.hhs.gov/). Once the agency is chosen, the adoptive parent fills out an application and, if accepted, pays a registration fee (most agencies have a schedule of fees paid at various points throughout the process). Next, the parent or parents complete a "home study," or family assessment, which is a series of meetings in which the agency evaluates potential adoptive parents. Be forewarned: This process involves in-depth interviews, lots of personal questions and a criminal check to make sure you have no criminal record or history of child abuse. The agency also helps parents develop a profile that will be viewed by prospective birth parents. Once the home study is complete, the search begins, with the agency presenting adoptive parents' profiles to potential birth mothers. After a birth mother and adoptive parents are matched, the agency typically acts as a go-between and as an advocate for the child, making sure the birth mother gets the medical care needed, for example. The agency may also schedule meetings between the birth parent and adoptive parents.

Once a child is placed, the legal process begins. Most states require the child to live with his or her adoptive parents for six months before being legally adopted. For international adoptions, the time it takes to finalize the adoption varies, depending on the country of origin. Some countries finalize the adoption before the child leaves his or her home country; others have a waiting period.