You’ve begun the adoption process and are eagerly waiting to be matched with a birth mother. The good news is that you’re taking the next important step towards realizing your dream of becoming a parent. The bad news: You could be waiting a really long time. So how can you increase your chances of successfully adopting more quickly? The answer lies in networking.

While it’s true that most people do eventually adopt if they don’t give up, there are many things you can do to help facilitate the process. And the more effort you put in, the greater the chance that you will connect with a prospective birth mom. Here are some networking tips that could help you bring your child home sooner:

Online Profiles – Many web sites offer the opportunity to design and post an adoptive profile. This is an excellent way to increase your exposure and introduce yourself to potential birth parents. You can include an email address for them to contact you with more questions, as well as a phone number for your agency or attorney. We also set up a 1-800 number through a local phone company that rang at our home. If you are interested in setting up an online profile, I highly recommend ParentProfiles.com. Adoptimist and America Adopts! are also great sites that offer profiles and a wealth of information on adoption.

Business Cards – You can also create inexpensive business cards that list your names and contact info. Include a headline such as “We’re Looking to Adopt.” Leave your cards on bulletin boards and pass them along to family members and friends. We received a couple of leads this way.

Newspaper Ads – If your budget allows, try running a simple ad in a small local paper. Keep it short and include a contact number for getting in touch with you. You never know who might see it and give you a call.

Tell Everyone – Word of mouth is also a very powerful networking tool. Tell everyone you know about your desire to adopt. If an adoption situation arises, they will think of you. This is actually how we adopted our daughter. An acquaintance heard of a pregnant woman who was considering placing her baby for adoption while talking to someone at her church. She immediately thought of us and told her friend. The girl contacted our agency, viewed our profile and decided to choose us as the parents for her baby. We now have a beautiful daughter because of that one chance encounter.

You never know when or where you will connect with a birth mother, but a little extra effort just may lead you to your future child!