The process of adoption - be it an open or a closed adoption, domestic or international - is seldom simple, short, or standardized. It can often take many years of frustrating and expensive searching before parents can bring an infant or child home, and once they do, they face a whole new set of challenges as they learn together to be a family. The Unofficial Guide to Adopting a Child gives prospective adoptive parents the inside scoop on: * How long it will really take to adopt, and how much it will cost * What the challelnges are for single people, older couples, and gay lesbian couples seeking to adopt * What the all-important home study entails -- from writing the autobiographical statement to creating a child-friendly atmosphere * What questions to ask agency personnel and birth parents -- and what questions to refuse to answer