The #1 hindrance across the board for families desiring to adopt is the cost! Cost kept us away for years. Money was a WALL between us and a child needing a family. The number one comment I hear when speaking to couples desiring to adopt is "I just wish it wasn't so expensive". Along with.... "I would adopt but we could never afford it". And another "It just doesn't seem like adoption should cost anything at all, if children need homes it should be free". And I agree. Adoption should NOT cost so much. But in a perfect world, Adoption would not even exist. But as we all know, this world is far from being perfect. Immorality, tragedy, addiction, sickness, and corruption runs rampant throughout the entire world, and it has been so since sin entered the world. We live in a very imperfect world where abandonment exists. Where addiction exists. Where extreme poverty exists. Where death and tragedy exist. Where infertility exists. All of these scenarios lead to a world where adoption exists. A world where parents so desperately want to build a family but naturally cannot do so. It is not fair for that innocent child who had no control over their own circumstances. It is not fair for that couple who dreams of having a baby but can't make it happen on their own. Obviously we live in a broken world. It all points to the need of a Savior. God saw us as being very valuable. He didn't want us to perish in our sin. He sent us an answer in the form of his Son, Jesus. And it COST Him everything. His life. He didn't just look at us and say "I would love to bring them into my family, but it just costs too much". He found a way. And because of His sacrifice we now have HOPE! We have riches beyond measure. We have eternal life with our Heavenly father. We are now and forever part of God's family. We are his own.
And just like anything of value, Adoption costs.
We live in America. We are blessed.
Why are fees so high?
Most of us don't own a money tree...so no matter your income, those fees can be daunting. It was a barrier for us for many years. There came a time though where we realized that it didn't matter what the cost would be, adoption was meant for our family, and it would happen. The Lord lead us to this path and He would provide. If we HAD the money...and it was easy...and we didn't "need" God....and we didn't rely on HIS provision.....then we would have missed out on so many blessings along the way. In our first adoption of Carter, we experienced some down right Miracles!
Hope~ There is Hope! There is Hope for those of you who tinker with the thought of adoption, but have often blocked it out because of the cost. Let me just say that if cost is the ONLY thing holding you back then please consider what I am about to tell you. I say "Only" because there are SO many factors that you have to consider before saying yes to adoption. Cost is just a big one.
When we said yes to our first adoption, we did not have the funds up front. Our bank account was drained because of some hospital bills, and our adoption was still paid for in full. When we said yes to our 2nd adoption (currently in process) we did not have the funds available. We had enough saved up to begin the process. That's it. We also knew through much prayer.... years of prayer, that we were supposed to start this adoption. I know it seems crazy through our human eyes! It does. We are facing about $30k in costs and only had about a tenth of that saved up. The China adoption process often goes quickly so we also knew we would have to come up with this amount in about a years worth of time. But often in chunks throughout the year, as certain fees become due. We immediately began fundraising. From the beginning of this adoption,we trusted the Lord was going to provide every penny. I also knew it was not going to be easy. It was not going to be a hand out. We were committed to working hard. Often the money is available right there at our fingertips if we are willing to do the work. Michael works overtime and side jobs whenever possible. I organize fundraisers and apply for grants like my life depends on it. There are many types of fundraisers you can try. Just for example: Yard sale, T-shirt sale, Car wash, Bake sale, auction, providing childcare, doing a puzzle fundraiser, and organizing a 5k race. There really are so so many more I could list. There are also quite a few organizations you can find that will offer a product for sale and you keep a portion of the profit. But I will go into more detail about theses in my next blog. There are also many grant and loan organizations that will offer a larger amount of money to help fill the gap between funds raised and funds due. They are there to help families like you. Many of them are faith based and desire for you to be able to answer the call God has placed on your life. They want to be there to help fill in the gap. There is a great cost to adoption. Don't let it be a Barrier between you and your child. Pray hard, Work hard, and Believe.
During our International adoption process we often thought of these truths:
There is a little soul across the ocean depending on us. He is my son. He is my husband's son. He is a grandson. He is a little brother to four siblings. I no longer look at the cost of his adoption as a barrier separating us. Every time a fee is paid, I rejoice. Every time a fee is paid, I think of all the people who helped make that fee disappear. I think of all the prayers and I remember His promise. He placed this desire in our hearts, and He is faithful.
There is Hope. Hope for you, your finances, and for a sweet little child to be welcomed into a loving family.
If you have any questions regarding adoption, I would love to help you!
Email Me HERE
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