We are so thrilled to share our adoption journey with you! It's been a wild ride to get here- Kate's work in the adoption field, having our son (Owen) in 2018, tons of asking "what's next?", exploring foster care, a miscarriage, and digging deep into our hopes for our family. Through it all, one thing has been steadfast since before we met in 2011- our mutual heart to care for children through adoption. We are so aware that without the brokenness of the world, adoption wouldn't exist. It's not a glamorous road, but it is something we desire to step into and we are so thankful for the peace, clarity, and excitement that has come with the decision to grow our family in this way.
This is a path we honestly cannot do on our own, nor do we want to. For those who may not know, the average cost of domestic adoption is between $40-$50K, and the agency we are working with is estimating $50-$60,000 total in costs. We are really thankful to be connected with this Florida agency- particularly as they prioritize extra care and support for birth mothers. It's humbling to ask for help, but there is also a sweetness in knowing that we are not alone in this. So, here we go!
Would you consider supporting our family as we pursue adoption through financial gifts and/or prayer?
Costs include:
Application & Consultation: $1800
Advertising & Program Participation: $9650
Adoption Fee (Legal fees, travel costs, birth mother expenses*, post-placement visits, etc): Approx $50,000
*Birth mother expenses may include housing, food, transportation, legal fees, medical care, and counseling)
If prayer is a part of your life, we would truly love your prayers– 1) For us: for our hearts and, particularly, the preparation of Owen's heart to welcome this precious little one, and for financial provision for this process 2) For baby: for protection as this little life may already be exposed to significant stress and other hindrances to healthy development 3) For birth parents: for peace and discernment as they face an impossible decision.
Hi there! We want to first and foremost say thank you for supporting our growing family. This journey has already been full of twists and turns, ups and downs and we are so grateful for your financial gifts, prayers, and words of encouragement.
We experienced our first adoption scam these last couple of weeks. While fundraising, we set up a profile on Pairtree, a self-matching site. They work hard to confirm identity and prevent scams and were quick to respond as soon as they learned the person we were talking to was not actually pregnant.
As it turns out, adoption scams are pretty prevalent these days and are usually women asking for money or emotional support. This particular situation was someone looking to get her emotional needs met by presenting herself as a pregnant woman to hopeful adoptive families. It was grueling, to say the least, and we have a much greater appreciation for the cost of working with an agency that does all of the vetting for you.
When we have the opportunity to present our profile to an expectant mother, we will have already seen her medical records, ie. proof of pregnancy. In all the ups and downs of this journey, it's a comfort to know that we can move past this and rely on our agency to prevent this from happening again.
Speaking of our agency- thanks to your incredible generosity, a professional courtesy discount from the attorney, and our t-shirt fundraiser, we have raised all the funds for our Advertising & Program Participation Fee!!!!! Next step, adoption fees! Once we have enough, we can then begin to share our profile with expectant mothers!
Would you consider sharing our story with friends and family in-person or through social media? We would love your help getting the word out and inviting people to give a donation or even a matching donation.
So thankful for you and your support!
Love,
Ben & Kate
Application & Consultation: $1800 (PAID)
Advertising & Program Participation: $9650 (Reduced to $8650 - PAID)
Adoption Fee (Legal fees, travel costs, birth mother expenses, post-placement visits, etc): Approx $50,000
Application & Consultation: $1800 (PAID)
Advertising & Program Participation: $9650
Adoption Fee (Legal fees, travel costs, birth mother expenses, post-placement visits, etc): Approx $50,000
