Met with AFTH

After emailing Shore Adoption on June 1st and getting a response that although they had hired a new case worker, there wasn't much progress and they don't anticipate much progress any time soon, we made an appointment with Adoptions from the Heart.  We met with one of their case workers who would most likely be assigned to us if we chose that agency, along with one of their student interns and the office manager.  We immediately felt like Adoptions from the Heart was more organized than Shore.  It seems like they have it together, although they are significantly more expensive than Shore.  The case worker invited us to their annual picnic which will be held this Saturday.  The picnic is for adoptive families to meet up with the birthparents to have a more "informal" meeting that is in a comfortable setting for all.  The case worker invited us so that we could directly talk to some adoptive families that used AFTH.  This is something we were not offered with Shore.  They wouldn't even give us names of adoptive families that recommended Shore, as it was a "privacy policy."
We are happy with AFTH so far, but we still have some homework to do.  If we don't get to the picnic tomorrow, as we have SO much to do tomorrow, we will definitely be emailing some of the adoptive families on the list.  The case worker recommended that we ask what their most difficult experience was in the adoption process.  Looking forward to doing our homework and hopefully get the ball rolling.  One of the major hang-ups, however, is the finances.  I can not stress how expensive it is to adopt!  I know that if it is meant to be, God will provide the finances in one way or another.  Time will tell...