Wanting to Adopt in the future

I cannot have a baby, but am researching ideas for adoption. to figure out costs and things. We don't have a lot of money and I need to fix my credit report first of course and get a savings. But I like to prepare and know things in advanced.

I was informed that if I want to adopt if I adopted through the County their is no fee to adopt a child. The child would receive AAP Benefits (Adoption Assistance Program) of $500 a month until the child is 18 or possibly 21. They also receive Medicaid through the government until 18 yrs of age. And the county provides free child care classes for adoptive parents.

This sounds so wonderful, and something I am looking forward to so much. It gets me motivated to get healthy and stronger as well as fix my credit report.

This might be a year or more away for me, but I was also thinking. You don't ever have to pay full price for anything, and I spend a lot of time on craigslist in the FREE section. I know that I will adopt a child (boy & girl someday) and often people are just giving away free bags of kids clothing, or baby items like strollers, car seat, bedding, high chair. I wish I had more space for storage, but I am planning to collect all the baby items I can get for free and box them up (like clothing or toys) and keep them waiting for my adoptive child. So when I get that child I will have not have paid anything for it. The only thing it will have cost me is gas money to pick the item up. But people drive to the store AND buy name brand items anyway, aren't they paying more doing this?

I think its a good idea and its planning ahead too. Find items FREE or USED and save the difference. Children don't know the difference....