We’ve thought about adopting a child {or three} to add to our family. We’ve actually discussed adoption long before Calvin…back when my husband and I were engaged.
We put off having children for a long time…until we were both not living transient lifestyles courtesy of the United States Air Force. However, even once I was pregnant, and Calvin joined our family, we’ve still discussed the joys of finding a pair of siblings to adopt.
We’ve considered overseas adoptions because of all the news of hardships in orphanages. However, learning about the long waiting process and expense involved has deterred us…for the moment.
Recently, a friend of mine told me about domestic adoptions in the United States…typically a much faster process (although still quite involved) compared to overseas. I’ve started to learn more about it through the AdoptUsKids program.
The mission is to recruit and connect foster and adoptive families with waiting children throughout the United States. Funded by the Children’s Bureau of the Administration for Children and Families, the national photolisting website contains photos and information about children in foster care.
A national adoption public service advertising recruitment campaign was launched in July 2004 in a partnership of the Children’s Bureau, the Ad Council, and AdoptUsKids, with the goal of raising awareness of the significant number of children in this country waiting to be adopted. Thirty-one percent of the children in foster care waiting to be adopted are African American; African American children are overrepresented in the foster care population relative to their percentage in the U.S. general population. Because of this, African American children often wait longer to be adopted.
Learn more about adoption from foster care and how to help spread the word about children in care waiting for a forever family. Search for children in awaiting a family in your area.
Follow @perfectparent on Twitter and become a fan of AdoptUsKids on Facebook.
On Tuesday, November 10th, there’s a Twitter event at 2 PM (EDT) to discuss the benefits of adoption, and provide information on adoption from foster care. Use the hashtag #adoptuskids to participate.
YOUR TURN:
Have you adopted children? If so, from where?
OR
Have you considered adoption? If so, from overseas or from the United States?
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Filed under: Family | Tagged: adoptUSkids
Dolly, I can’t help but post a comment on this since adopting our sweet Caroline has been the highlight of our life!
We met her birthmother through mutual friends & used an agency to assist in the adoption. We were present at her birth & still enjoy keeping up with her birthmom through emails, etc. So happy to hear you guys are thinking about adoption!
Amy, reading your blog has been an inspiration to me about the joys of adoption parenting. I hope to meet your Caroline someday!
Having suffered from infertility, we had considered adopting. I would still love to, whether it be here in the states or overseas. I’d love to have another child to love!
thanks for sharing about that, Sky! The Adoption process might create a whole other blog!
we planned to adopt before we were even married as well.
and just this month we’ll be (assuming all goes well in the ‘taking enormous amts of time off work & finding enormous amts of babysitting for free or nearly free’ department) starting the classes to become licensed foster parents, thus beginning the ‘foster-to-adopt’ process!