Our adoption journey has been long, and has had many twists and turns along the way.
We initially set out in 2022 to pursue a private adoption. We went through the home study and got approved in 2023 for infant placement. We raised funds and secured a finances to make sure that we could adopt an infant without having to worry about the cost – we discussed the details and high cost of private adoption in previous posts. We prepared a nursery and all the things we’d need to welcome a baby into our home. And then the adoption consultancy we were working with went through major changes in staffing and how they interacted with clients. This change left us in a position where we felt we needed to part ways with that agency at the end of 2023 and work with a local adoption agency in 2024.
During this transition, we prayed and sought direction on how to grow our family. We started by considering doing private adoption through the new agency. Then, we considered adopting a waiting child in the foster care system. And then in the Spring of 2024, God put it on our hearts to adopt a sibling group (ages birth to 8 years old). Not just one or two, but up to four. On top of that, we still feel led to pursue private infant adoption. That’s a big change from our original path, but God knows what He’s doing!
Because of the change in direction, we had to undergo a new home study in 2024 and take different training in preparation for older children. Our home saw some big changes too! We converted my (Hannah’s) office into a bedroom, we integrated play spaces into other areas of our home, and came up with ideas for how we could make more space in our home in the future.
While we wait for an infant match and a sibling group match, we are providing Respite Care for other foster families. This helps us practice the parenting skills we're learning in our classes, get used to the chaos of having kids in the house, and make some adjustments to our home and routines to accommodate kiddos.
Our hearts are open and willing, and we are looking forward to what God has planned for us! Your prayers and generous financial support have made growing our family to this extent possible. This has been a long journey, and it may take a bit longer still. But we are so blessed to have you with us!
Since our previous update, we have dug deeper into the Home Study process. This involves getting our home into ship-shape condition before any child is placed with us. We have to have our well water tested by the county Health Department, our home inspected for fire safety and general safety, our own backgrounds and health scrutinized (as mentioned last time), and meet with a Social Worker in person to look at our home and get to know us as a family to make sure we're prepared to welcome a new family member. Oh, and we need friends and family to vouch for us in writing that we are reliable people who will be good parents! So, some of you will get that reference request in the coming week or two.
We want to send a big THANK YOU to the friends and family who have (anonymously) donated to our adoption fund! That's not the only way you all have supported us so far, so a big THANK YOU to everyone who has shared parenting advice, baby clothes, prayers, and the support of friendship. It warms our hearts, and we know you all are invested in one way or another (emotionally, financially, practically, etc.) in helping make this dream of being parents become a reality. We value your contributions, no matter how big or small, and want you all to be part of this now and in the future!
With love and appreciation,
Hannah and Phil
We are still early in our official adoption journey. This weekend, Phil and I kicked off the home study process by filling out an application for the Ohio agency providing the social work services for the home study, and a State of Ohio application for adopting a child. It felt really good to get the Big Paperwork started.
Next up is getting some background checks finalized, and medical reviews. It's easy to feel like this process is an invasion of privacy. It certainly is! But, we are strangers to the adoption agency and to the birth mother. They need to get to know us Really Really Well to make sure we will be a trustworthy and safe family for the child or children they place in our care. When I look at it that way, it makes all of this paperwork and microscopic inspection of my life just a little bit easier!
Prayer requests: We ask that you pray for us in this stage for diligence in getting the paperwork done. As well, please pray for our prospective birth mother -- that she will have the courage to contact an adoption agency or other social worker. She may or may not already have children. She may not be pregnant with our child yet. We don't know! But she needs to be lifted up no matter where she is.
As always, with love!
Hannah and Phil
This adoption journey has been long! Being parents has been our hearts for many years through our 16+ year marriage, but we were never able to have children. About 10 years ago, we started looking into adoption but realized we were not ready after we attended an introductory session about the adoption process. Then, in 2019, we started to pursue fostering through Summit County Children's Services. We learned so much going through the foster-to-adopt classes! It opened our eyes to the struggles foster and adopted kids go through as they grow up, and gave us compassion for the birth parents and the hard choices they face. We weren't sure if we were ready to foster at that point, and family needs came up which prevented us from pursuing it at that time. Fast forward to 2022, and we are now ready to take action on adopting! Our hearts and our home are open and ready for expansion.
A few weeks ago, some friends gave us a MASSIVE amount of baby clothes! As I sorted through the onesies, winter coats, teeny-tiny socks, and bath towels, this thought was profound: Within about a year, we are going to have at least one more person in our home! Someone to get to know. Someone who will change our lives permanently. Someone who will wake us up in the middle of the night for a while. Someone who will delight us! Up till now, it's just been theory. I treasure these moments, and look forward to more as we approach meeting our little one(s).
Prayer request: Please pray for us that we follow through with all of the tasks we have to do to complete the adoption and home study processes. We have over 25 substantial tasks for the adoption process, some with 20+ sub-tasks of their own. Thank you!
With love,
Hannah and Phil
