We entered into the adoption process much like any other couple does: with great excitement and lots of hope. We had no idea what to expect but felt strongly that at the end of this journey we would have a child in our arms that we would be able to love and nurture. Like many couples, we had pursued having a child through biological means, but unfortunately Adam and I have experienced 4 miscarriages and it has certainly changed our perspective on the positive aspects of me giving birth, given our circumstance. Our decision to adopt was not based on our inability to have a child biologically. In fact, we had discussed adoption even before we started to try having children. Admittedly, the hardship that miscarriages brought to our lives did encourage us to pursue adoption more wholeheartedly because it gave us a sense of hope that was lacking. Adoption quickly became our Plan A- and we were very happy to enter into this new world to build our family.
In Canada, there are three forms of adoption that can be pursued: Public, Private, or International. Public adoption is any adoption done through a public agency (eg. Family and Children's Services). Typically there are no fees involved, but when pursuing this option you must be open to fostering a child first and expecting that many of the children will have special needs, or have undergone some form of trauma. Private adoption does involve a fee- most of which goes to the agency that the family has chosen to work with. The cost can range from $10,000- $20,000. The expectation is that the time frame will also be shorter, but that is not always the case as there are many factors that decide that reality. International adoptions account for most of the adoptions that happen in Canada. The simple fact is that more babies (not newborns) are available overseas, which is why many parents pursue this option. There is a great cost that comes with this form of adoption, ranging from $25,000- $50,000, dependent on what country a child is adopted from. Adam and I chose Public adoption for our first adoption for several reasons. Mainly we wanted to adopt a child who needed a home within our area and appreciated the work that Family and Children's Services did to protect children.
We completed our PRIDE training and our Homestudy and did not expect to receive a phone call for a child anytime soon, but did everything we could to expedite the process. We made a point to create a family profile, printing it out as a high quality book and then handed it out to as many social workers we could, mainly at the Adoption Resource Exchanges (ARE) we attended. We made a connection with a worker and received the call for our son only a couple of months after we had completed our homestudy. We said yes to our son's file and felt very strongly that he would be ours, even though he would start out as being fostered by us. He came to us through the foster-to-adopt program, which essentially means he was in the foster system, but there was a chance he would be adoptable. We were willing to take the chance that he would be taken from us because we loved him, almost immediately, and wanted to spend as much time with him as we could. We fostered our son for roughly 7 months before he was officially adopted.
Our first child came to us through extraordinary circumstances. He is the best thing that has ever happened to Adam and I. I am so grateful for his life and thank God everyday that he gave Adam and I the privilege to raise him. Adoption built our family- Adoption gave him two parents that love him more than themselves- Adoption is a beautiful thing.
And now we enter into our next adoption journey. We are at the beginning stages of adopting a child with special needs from Eastern Europe. We know that this journey will carry with it many stresses, but from past experience we also know that for our family it is the right choice.
In Canada, there are three forms of adoption that can be pursued: Public, Private, or International. Public adoption is any adoption done through a public agency (eg. Family and Children's Services). Typically there are no fees involved, but when pursuing this option you must be open to fostering a child first and expecting that many of the children will have special needs, or have undergone some form of trauma. Private adoption does involve a fee- most of which goes to the agency that the family has chosen to work with. The cost can range from $10,000- $20,000. The expectation is that the time frame will also be shorter, but that is not always the case as there are many factors that decide that reality. International adoptions account for most of the adoptions that happen in Canada. The simple fact is that more babies (not newborns) are available overseas, which is why many parents pursue this option. There is a great cost that comes with this form of adoption, ranging from $25,000- $50,000, dependent on what country a child is adopted from. Adam and I chose Public adoption for our first adoption for several reasons. Mainly we wanted to adopt a child who needed a home within our area and appreciated the work that Family and Children's Services did to protect children.
We completed our PRIDE training and our Homestudy and did not expect to receive a phone call for a child anytime soon, but did everything we could to expedite the process. We made a point to create a family profile, printing it out as a high quality book and then handed it out to as many social workers we could, mainly at the Adoption Resource Exchanges (ARE) we attended. We made a connection with a worker and received the call for our son only a couple of months after we had completed our homestudy. We said yes to our son's file and felt very strongly that he would be ours, even though he would start out as being fostered by us. He came to us through the foster-to-adopt program, which essentially means he was in the foster system, but there was a chance he would be adoptable. We were willing to take the chance that he would be taken from us because we loved him, almost immediately, and wanted to spend as much time with him as we could. We fostered our son for roughly 7 months before he was officially adopted.
Our first child came to us through extraordinary circumstances. He is the best thing that has ever happened to Adam and I. I am so grateful for his life and thank God everyday that he gave Adam and I the privilege to raise him. Adoption built our family- Adoption gave him two parents that love him more than themselves- Adoption is a beautiful thing.
And now we enter into our next adoption journey. We are at the beginning stages of adopting a child with special needs from Eastern Europe. We know that this journey will carry with it many stresses, but from past experience we also know that for our family it is the right choice.
