Big news! Taylor and I are very excited to announce that we have begun pursuing domestic infant adoption and are hoping and praying we'll welcome a baby into our family within the next year or so!
We have known for a while that we would like to adopt, but we weren’t sure what the timing would look like. At first, we thought that we might adopt after having a biological child, but after more than two years of trying to grow our family, we saw that our idea of how things “should” go may need to shift. And while some have asked us if we’ve tried fertility treatments or anything like that, the answer is “no”. Since we already knew we wanted to adopt, this was a no-brainer for us.
Have questions? We did too (and we still have plenty of them 😅). Keep reading to learn more about our adoption journey.
How Does Domestic Adoption Work?
Now that we’ve been accepted into the domestic adoption program at a local agency, there are some initial fees and paperwork to be done in order to be put into the active pool and get ready for placement.
We are required by law to have a home study and pass as an “approved home study” in order to move forward in the process.
Here is a rough timeline of the steps we will be taking:
• Preparation phase
This includes the home study, adoption training, creating a life book for birth mothers to see, and fundraising.
• Active Pool
This is the time when we will be waiting to be matched with a birth mother looking to place her child (this year’s average: 8.5 months).
• Match
Once chosen by a birth mother, we will review details of the situation and decide if we will accept, we will have a phone call with the birth mom and our case worker, and travel to meet the birth mom face to face prior to delivery. During this time will we stay in touch with the birth mom and case worker
How We Are Feeling
Honestly, it’s a pretty scary thing. There’s sooooo much money to raise (approximately $45,000-$50,000) and plenty of unknowns, but we also know that whatever baby we are supposed to have is the one that God will give to us - in his timing. We know we can trust him, even if sometimes we are shaking in our boots.
Why Does Adoption Cost So Much?
While we don’t know the final numbers yet, after legal fees and home study costs, we anticipate that our adoption will cost between $45,000-$50,000. The adoption fees go towards paying to work with an adoption agency, lawyers and legal fees, paying expenses for the expectant mother (medical costs, legal fees, living expenses, transportation, etc.). However, there are potentially other fees that could pop up as well. This huge number makes us nervous. Please pray for us as we trust the Lord to provide for us in this process.
How We Will Raise Money
We will be doing several fundraisers and applying for grants. Most of the grants that we are finding so far require a completed home study before you can apply, so we have to wait to apply to those. However, we will be announcing our first personal fundraiser very soon. We plan to do 2-3 personal fundraisers in addition to applying for grants. So if you’re interested in our fundraisers keep your eyes peeled for our first fundraiser which will be announced within the next week (we are so excited about this one)!
Why Adoption?
We believe that adoption is a beautiful picture of the gospel. Just as God has chosen us and adopted us into his family - not as second-class family members but as true, beloved family members who are wanted and cared for - so we can welcome a child into our little family as well. They will be ours, wanted, chosen, and brought into the family, just as Jesus made a way and brought us into the family of God.
There are so many children who need a home and we are longing for a child of our own - to love, to raise up in the Lord, and to walk through life with. Thank you for being on this journey with us. We appreciate all the prayers and support!
Love,
Kristin and Taylor
Ps- If you want to learn more about adoption, I’ve had several guest writers in the past on the blog that wrote wonderful and helpful articles:
6 Truths About Adoption That Every Christian Should Know
Called to Adoption: How Two Half-Sisters Were Adopted Into the Same Family
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