Hi Holly--
The price ranges from $33,000 to $40,000. Man that sounds like a lot!!! When you first sign up, you send in an $11,800 retainer. Then when you are matched you send in $9800. The rest of the money is for your homestudy, legal fees when you actually take your baby home, and paying for some of the birth mom's expenses.
They did 294 placements last year. I don't know if that means 294 adoptions exactly, but it's a lot.
I live in Nebraska and they said that our baby would most likely (99%) not be from Nebraska. They said most of their birthmoms are from the southeast. I am okay with an open adoption but it comforts me to know I won't run into the birthmom at Target or something.
The thing I like about it versus a charity is that even though it's expensive I feel like I'm getting what I pay for. My husband was a little turned off by what he called "high pressure sales" and that it was more like a business, but that's what I appreciate about it. I feel like because I am paying out the wazoo I can ask for and demand what I want/need versus being grateful for whatever a charity has to offer. Just me.
I also like the aspect that you can be ready for a match in a short amount of time. I sent my paperwork & check in at the end of February. Once you send them your "birthmom letter" and a couple other paragraphs along with pictures then 3 weeks later you are "live" on the web and ready for a match. I got a nasty hair color and cut, so I haven't sent in the rest of my photos, but plan on doing so on March 25th. So by about the 3rd week in April, we'll be ready for a match.
You don't need to have your homestudy done to matched, only have it started. They will recommend a place in your town to conduct your homestudy.
Hope this helps and if you have any more questions or just want to chat, let me know.