Adoption.
**Over the last few weeks, I’ve gotten more and more questions and emails around adoption! I love it. Here’s a post that I shared awhile back about adoption and I thought I’d share it with all of you again.**
Adoption.
Over a year and a half ago, we brought home our 2nd son… Mussie Tulla… Wilson Moses… from Ethiopia. To say I love this boy is an understatement. My love for him hasn’t grown… but just like it did with our 2 other biological children (Hudson Ray and Grayson Marie) it appeared instantaneously… as God stirred my heart and whispered in my soul that I had become a dad once again. Amazing. I pray that every family/couple would at least consider adoption.
An Agency.
Finding a solid reputable agency is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in the adoption process. We used Bethany Christian. My sister (Becca) came through HOLT International. We’d HIGHLY recommend both. I don’t necessarily think they’re for everyone… but we couldn’t think more highly of them. I STRONGLY recommend going through a solid agency rather than a smaller one in hopes of saving money. I’m as cheap as they come and really thought of going through a cheaper one… and in hindsight I’m so glad we didn’t… sadly we know of quite of few families who have gone through the process… spent thousands… the agencies ended up being shady… and they didn’t receive a child after everything they went through… Again, a solid agency is huge… HOLT, Bethany, All God’s Children, Children’s Home Society, Lutheran Social Services, etc. We’re also thankful that we chose an agency with an office in the same town we live in… that’s not always possible… but it’s soooo nice with all the paperwork (which is endless). They can really guide ya through the process instead of having to figure it out on your own or by phone.
Domestic VS International.
Another major decision is whether to adopt a child within the country or outside the US. This is really something you have to pray through and be led with… there isn’t a right answer. From my standpoint, the main difference is the process… there are pros and cons to both. Surprisingly enough, it seems like domestic is usually just as expensive or more so than international.
Financially.
There’s no way around it… adoption is expensive. It’s the most frustrating thing about adoption. I actually get downright mad whenever I think about it.) How can it possibly be this expensive to help a child who needs a family? HOWEVER… if you are supposed to adopt… I know God will provide. If we can financially adopt, anyone can. For us the process as a whole (start to finish) was right around $26,000… but listen to this… we were given $22,000. A complete stranger started the process giving us $3,000. We were blessed to receive 3 different grants and then had a couple other people surprise us as well. It was truly amazing.
Grants.
In order to start applying for most grants… you first have to finish a home study. Most agencies will do this for ya and the cost can be as high as $3,000 for the study (or higher). This was our first main obstacle. For us $3,000 is a lot of money… Once you’re through with the study, then you’re able to start applying for grants. Here are a couple of grants I’d encourage you to look into:
Other Financial Help.
–Speak with your employer to see if they have adoption grants. Some companies offer up to $5,000 worth of help
–There’s also an “adoption tax credit” to speak with your tax person about
–Speak with your pastor or missions committee at your church to see if there are any grants or gifts that they would consider
–Get creative: garage sales, selling crafts, etc
Questions.
I wanted to get this up before I waited any longer… PLEASE ask if you have any questions… I’d be honored to answer them below. Feel free to ask absolutely ANY question that you have. I’m so thankful you’re considering adoption.