Ababa and I are thinking and praying and talking and researching and trying to determine what is possible for our family (we both very much want more children soon, but the realities of only having 2 small bedrooms, childcare logistics and expense in NYC, both of us working, both of us being in school, and B's young age and unique needs, make starting another adoption at this time challenging).
We are looking into different waiting child situations, as well as learning more about domestic infant adoption and adoption of legally freed children in the fostercare system. We want to grow our family, we know that there are children who need families and whose only and best option is to be adopted, and we want to make sure that our desire to grow our family is not creating situations that negatively impact children or first/birth/expectant families.
As we grapple with these issues, I wanted to highlight some children who have been heavy on my heart. If you are a family seeking to adopt, maybe these children are meant to be in your family!!! Despite all the above issues, if Ababa and I were both confident that we should move forward to pursue one of these situations now we would, butAbaba we are not both there yet so, until we are both ready, it seems clear that these children are not meant for us, at least not right now.
As with everything in adoption, please ask questions, verify paperwork as best you possibly can, and demand verbally and in writing that your agency be transparent. Ask where your money is going, how your child came into care, why they need to be adopted, why their siblings don't need to be adopted, why their birth family couldn't care for them, what their special needs mean for them and for your family. Require written receipts for all expenses, meet with in-country staff when you are there, ask hard questions, and try to discern the truth, even if it is not what you want to hear.
Adoption is a hard and complex process whether it is happening internationally, domestically, and/or through the dense red tape of social service organizations and governments. There are a lot of grey areas and a lot of hot button issues right now as some of the seamy, unethical, and grey areas increasingly come to light. Please move forward with your eyes wide open, advocating for children but also seeking the truth and working to improve life for all children, including the much, much larger number of children for whom adoption is not an option. I am not necessarily condoning any of these agencies, but want to advocate for these children, and for waiting children in general. With those caveats, please consider these children.
I know that there are families waiting at other agencies who have specifically requested children with these parameters. Consider switching agencies to pursue these children rather than waiting to adopt a child who has not yet been born, or who is not legally free for adoption.
I know that these children are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of children who are waiting for families now, but these are the children who have been in my heart recently.
Sibling group of 4 ages 8, 6, 5, 4 (Boy, Girl, Boy, Boy) in East Africa-Children's Home and Family Services
Brothers, ages 3.5 years old and 8 months old, the younger brother is HIV positive, in East Africa-Children's House International
Baby Girl-1 month old, Spence-Chapin waiting baby with probable significant alcohol and drug exposure
Think about it...pray about it...find out some more information...maybe you are meant to be their family?
We are looking into different waiting child situations, as well as learning more about domestic infant adoption and adoption of legally freed children in the fostercare system. We want to grow our family, we know that there are children who need families and whose only and best option is to be adopted, and we want to make sure that our desire to grow our family is not creating situations that negatively impact children or first/birth/expectant families.
As we grapple with these issues, I wanted to highlight some children who have been heavy on my heart. If you are a family seeking to adopt, maybe these children are meant to be in your family!!! Despite all the above issues, if Ababa and I were both confident that we should move forward to pursue one of these situations now we would, but
As with everything in adoption, please ask questions, verify paperwork as best you possibly can, and demand verbally and in writing that your agency be transparent. Ask where your money is going, how your child came into care, why they need to be adopted, why their siblings don't need to be adopted, why their birth family couldn't care for them, what their special needs mean for them and for your family. Require written receipts for all expenses, meet with in-country staff when you are there, ask hard questions, and try to discern the truth, even if it is not what you want to hear.
Adoption is a hard and complex process whether it is happening internationally, domestically, and/or through the dense red tape of social service organizations and governments. There are a lot of grey areas and a lot of hot button issues right now as some of the seamy, unethical, and grey areas increasingly come to light. Please move forward with your eyes wide open, advocating for children but also seeking the truth and working to improve life for all children, including the much, much larger number of children for whom adoption is not an option. I am not necessarily condoning any of these agencies, but want to advocate for these children, and for waiting children in general. With those caveats, please consider these children.
I know that there are families waiting at other agencies who have specifically requested children with these parameters. Consider switching agencies to pursue these children rather than waiting to adopt a child who has not yet been born, or who is not legally free for adoption.
I know that these children are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of children who are waiting for families now, but these are the children who have been in my heart recently.
Sibling group of 4 ages 8, 6, 5, 4 (Boy, Girl, Boy, Boy) in East Africa-Children's Home and Family Services
Brothers, ages 3.5 years old and 8 months old, the younger brother is HIV positive, in East Africa-Children's House International
Baby Girl-1 month old, Spence-Chapin waiting baby with probable significant alcohol and drug exposure
K, girl age 9 in New York Case # 6601100766 (adoptuskids.com)
J, boy age 7 in Texas Case #TX0151295(adoptuskids.com)
Sibling group of 3 ages 8, 6, 5 (Girl, Girl, Boy)link
Sibling group of 3 ages 8, 6, 5 (Girl, Girl, Boy)link
Register for rainbowkids.com to view profiles of waiting children internationally and in the US. Visit adoptuskids.org to view adoptable children in the US Fostercare system. Consider infants who have significant risk factors (but make sure that you know what those risk factors can mean for the child, for you, and for your family) Waiting Babies. Call agencies and AAAA attorneys to ask if they have children waiting for families.
No comments:
Post a Comment