Adoption has always been a part of “our plan”; something Ryan and I discussed when we were dating (over 14 years ago). It’s always been more of a “when” issue, than an “if” issue for us. Ryan grew a heart for adoption when he volunteered at two different orphanages in South America (before we met). Adoption was placed on my heart when I was a little girl because my mom was adopted and I knew what a blessing it was for her and her family. When I was little I naively wondered why more people didn’t adopt, because it seemed like such a simple thing to do for such a tremendously wonderful impact. I’ve obviously since realized adoption isn’t simple. There’s so much to share about our adoption process that I thought it’d be best to answer frequently asked questions…. almost as if we were having a conversation…
Why adopt now? (When issue)
Adoption has been put more seriously on my heart since becoming a mother in '15. I can’t explain it, but I have a whole new sympathy and compassion for orphans, for lack of better words. Like gut wrenching, keep you up at night type stuff. And then during the Summer of '16 I started checking into adoption more seriously. During the Fall of '16 I couldn’t shake it. So I started to really pray about it. I specifically asked God to make it clear to us that this was His will… I didn’t want to rush ahead of Him and do our own thing…then the next sermon at church was on adoption. The sermon discussed the type of adoption we are discussing here but it also covered the way that God has adopted us kids through Jesus… it was a great sermon! Ryan and I stayed seated in the pew after the service was over and prayed until folks started coming over to talk to us (aka interrupted us haha). And then I went to the mother’s room bathroom by myself and prayed and praised and wept. It was just one of those moments where “you just know”. I already knew but this was my confirmation. And I should explain that Ryan is always all for more kids at any point in time. He’d be ok with adopting twelve children tomorrow or me giving birth to quintuplets.
Are you and Ryan able to have biological children?
Yes. We've had one miscarriage and two beautiful, healthy, smart boys! Zeb will be four before we know it and Jabel just turned one last month.
Are you working with a specific agency?
No, but we are working with a referral service. There’s a difference. We will be working with Faithful Adoption Consultants (FAC), which is a Christian organization that networks families with licensed agencies and attorneys throughout the United States. FAC specializes in domestic newborn adoption and helps adoptive families as they navigate the process of adoption. FAC educates and counsels families through each and every step of the adoption journey. I also really appreciate that each person that works for FAC has adopted at least once.
We would love for you to learn more about FAC by going to their website: http://www.faithfuladoptionconsultants.com/
Will you be doing open or closed adoption?
Open — meaning we will remain in contact with the birth mother (and father if applicable) as much as she wishes to remain in contact. It also means that she will play a role in who adopts her child.
Where will you adopt?
Here in the USA. However, FAC only works in states that have revocation periods of 72 hours or less. That means that a birth family will sign surrenders and within 72 hours parental rights will be terminated. There are currently only 13 states in the union that meet this criterion. None of which are in the Northwest.
Do you have a preference for gender or race?
The short answer is, no. We trust that God knows what is best for the child, our family, and for everyone else for that matter.
Do you have a preference for age?
Yes. We would prefer the child that we adopt to be at least one year younger than our youngest…. so basically a newborn.
Why aren’t you doing foster care or going through the state? Why aren't you adopting internationally?
I know our limits and that isn’t what God has called us to. Perhaps we will explore that route someday, but that is not something we are willing to do at this time. We have nothing but utmost respect and admiration for parents who are able to adopt in this way.
How much will your adoption cost?
The cost of each situation varies based on a number of factors. The majority of situations that FAC sees range from $37,000-$60,000. 37-60K is clearly a lot of money. We have already spent thousands of dollars since starting our adoption journey. We have done numerous fundraisers and people from all over the country of donated! We currently have $19,119.83 in our adoption savings account. We would like to raise $30,000 more. We have told FAC that we are not willing to adopt a child that costs more than $50k. I know it may seem like we are buying baby, so allow me to explain where the money goes for this type of adoption….
What does $50K go towards?
We've already paid for all of the preliminary costs (home-study, FAC's fee, profile books, etc). From here on out the money we raise will go towards whatever agency we adopt from. Below is an example of what the agency bills for:
"Thank you!" Will Never Be Enough. #whenacommunityadoptsachild #ADOPTtogether
We need prayer more than anything. Seriously.
We are beyond excited and are doing everything we can to be prepared to welcome a beautiful new life into our home. We hope that by inviting you into this process, you will see yourself as part of the community we hope to build around our child as he/she grows up. Whether you give of your time in prayer on our behalf… or donate financially…Thank you for joining us on this adoption journey! And may God richly bless you!
