Deciding to adopt
Deciding to adopt was a bit intimidating for us, mostly because we knew it was a process that is aggravating, tedious, long and heartwrenching. Once we got over that, it just became a really annoying means to a fabulous end. When we think of the end result (our nephew Josiah is usually a great reminder of why we are doing this), we know it is all worth it. After talking with Heather and Archie and Kim Johnson, who have gone through international adoption, the whole process began to sound a bit more doable. Once we got out the Bible and began looking up the verses with 'orphan' in them, we became more convinced this was something for us and a beautiful way to bring a child into our lives.
Once we decided to go ahead with adoption, we had to decide what country. We always had Ethiopia in our mind, but wanted to look into other options as well. So, as we started looking into countries we discovered how strange the requirements for adoption are. We ran into many countries that do not allow couples under 30 to adopt. Others have a certain income requirement. China even has a body mass index you have to be under. Certain parts of India require that you have a statement from a doctor saying you are infertile. Most require that your youngest child in your home be at least two years old. Not all countries allow you to adopt infants and some don't allow you to adopt at all. Some programs require two separate trips. Certain eastern European countries have an expense titled "gifts to the local government." The total costs have a range of $20-$50+ depending on the country. Wait times are from 3 months to 3 years.
With all of these given, we quickly learned that our options were quite limited. We knew we wanted to adopt an infant (everyone else gets to begin parenting with a baby, why not us?) as soon as possible and that our financial resources were not unlimited. So, Ethiopia seemed to be the country for us. Now that we've begun to learn more about the country, we're loving it even more.
Once we decided to go ahead with adoption, we had to decide what country. We always had Ethiopia in our mind, but wanted to look into other options as well. So, as we started looking into countries we discovered how strange the requirements for adoption are. We ran into many countries that do not allow couples under 30 to adopt. Others have a certain income requirement. China even has a body mass index you have to be under. Certain parts of India require that you have a statement from a doctor saying you are infertile. Most require that your youngest child in your home be at least two years old. Not all countries allow you to adopt infants and some don't allow you to adopt at all. Some programs require two separate trips. Certain eastern European countries have an expense titled "gifts to the local government." The total costs have a range of $20-$50+ depending on the country. Wait times are from 3 months to 3 years.
With all of these given, we quickly learned that our options were quite limited. We knew we wanted to adopt an infant (everyone else gets to begin parenting with a baby, why not us?) as soon as possible and that our financial resources were not unlimited. So, Ethiopia seemed to be the country for us. Now that we've begun to learn more about the country, we're loving it even more.
Labels: Process
posted by Heidi Bayly at
4:43 PM
2 Comments:
What made you decide to go international as opposed to within the U.S.? Aaron and I have considered adopting, but we have at least one more year before seriously considering it.
We'll be with you all the way through, from step 1 thru 7. Or was it 8? We are so excited for you guys, and we hope and pray that God will give us this opportunity later, too.-Michal and Ben
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