Fees and new updates

Okay, so I am not sure if I have posted a link (or if this link will even work) on the fees that are involved so here is the link:

http://www.adoptionhelp.org/fees-in-state.html.

It shows a chart for the new fees that will be in effect starting Jan 2012. In our income bracket, the fees are the same-thank God!

Also, in new news (idr if I have shared this or not) but Travis & I have decided to send off our application to IAC in the beginning of Dec and we hope and pray we get accepted. After we get accepted we are going to start what is called the homestudy only option. We are doing this for now to get the homestudy and other necessary paperwork and physicals out of the way. There is A LOT of paperwork (FBI fingerprinting, questioners, criminal checks, etc. ) that needs to be done in order to complete a homestudy. We will then have someone come out to our home and check it out :). Scary-yet exciting! Hopefully after all that, we can then be finalized and have the homestudy done and we can apply for grants/loans and move on. :). We'll see how things go! Please be in prayer that God will provide all we need and help us to bring our baby home!

Open adoption??

What is open adoption? You might ask this question a lot. And to be totally honest, I really didnt know what it was either until I attended the information session. here is are couple of myths about open adoption that might be helpful.

Open Adoption Facts

CONCERN: Open adoption is risky.
FACT: At the IAC, we believe that open adoption is less risky. Based on 25 years of experience working with thousands of adoptive parents and birthparents, we carefully evaluate to make certain that there is a sound match between both parties. This lays the groundwork for stable, legally binding adoptions.

CONCERN: Open adoption is very expensive.
FACT: Based on your net income, the federal tax deduction for adoption expenses is now as much as $11,390, making the average cost range only $4,000 to $6,000. Adoptive parents who sign with the IAC pay fees in steps as the adoption progresses, with the final fee not paid until their baby is born. This fee covers any counseling support needed until their child is 18 years old. In the majority of our adoptions, the total expenses run between $12,000 and $16,000 before the $11,390 federal tax credit is applied; this can reduce the total paid to less than $6,000 for all fees and expenses.

CONCERN: Isn't it harder for a woman to accept the placement if she sees her child regularly?
FACT: Because birthparents are able to see the child being well cared for and loved in the adoptive home, they are reassured that the child has the kind of life they wanted for him or her. Had they not been able to see their child, it would only increase their fear that the child was not being cared for.

CONCERN: I'll feel jealous of, or threatened by, the birthparents if they are in our lives.
FACT: The majority of adoptive parents do not feel this way and are glad that the birthparents are part of their child's life. Most open adoption participants soon find that post-birth relations between birthparents and adoptive parents can be just as positive as with any new addition to a family, whether by marriage or adoption. Our counselors are there to ensure that the extent of visitation and contact are agreed to in advance by both adoptive parents and birthparents.

CONCERN: There are no boundaries in an open adoption. The birthparents will visit whenever they want.
FACT: Adoptive parents and birthparents create an open adoption agreement, an individualized plan that outlines in advance the number of ongoing visits, and the exchange of letters and photos.

CONCERN: Ongoing contact will only benefit the birthparents.
FACT: Openness benefits all involved. It allows an adopted child to go on with life and development without mysteries as to their birthparents, brothers or sisters, health history and genetic roots. It solidifies the adopted child's relationships, as they know that the people who are raising them are their true life-long parents. They will feel more secure in their family and home, while having the comfort of other special people in their life, from aunts and uncles to birthparents. Without unnecessary mysteries or secrets for all parties, lives can go on more peacefully.

CONCERN: In an open adoption, my extended family will be less welcoming of my child.
FACT: The openness of an adoption has major advantages. Most prospective adoptive parents involve their family and network of friends in the adoption process right from the beginning. They talk to everyone they can about the details of open adoption and their decision to adopt, and ask for assistance in spreading the word about their efforts to find birthparents. Some people are skeptical because they know little about open adoption. However, most adopting parents and birthparents can explain open adoption to friends and relatives in ways that help to alleviate their fears.

CONCERN: I am afraid open adoption will be confusing for my child.
FACT: Children in open adoption are not confused by knowing both their adoptive parents and their birthparents. They understand their birthparents represent their biological origins and their adoptive parents are simply mom and dad. They know who their parents are: they are the people who are raising them, who are always there, and who love and take care of them every day.

CONCERN: When my child is a teenager, she will want to live with her birthparents.
FACT: This is less likely to happen when children know their birthparents, as they have no fantasies about their birthparents. Children of open adoption bond with their adoptive parents just as strongly as children who are raised by their biological parents.

CONCERN: I'm afraid the birthparents will try to undermine my relationship with my child.
FACT: In an open adoption, the birthparents' role is to support the adoptive parents as the child's parents. The birthparents do not compete with the adoptive parents. Healthy open adoption relationships feature reasonable and mutually respected boundaries.


CONCERN: If my child's birthparents see how cute and happy he is, won't they want him back?
FACT: No, when birthparents see how happy the child is, it reinforces that they made the right decision.

Independent Adoption Center

Independent Adoption Center (or IAC) is the adoption agency that we plan to use for our upcoming adoption. The closest office for us is in Raleigh, which is still a good 4 hrs away. We have met with the agency once at the information meeting a couple of months ago and I have spoken with someone over the phone and via email a few times per month (yes, per month-I admit that-haha).

This information is taken from the website (www.adoptionhelp.org)

Statistics for 2010

1. IAC placed 168 newborns in adoptive homes in 2010. IAC annually places between 150 and 200 infants with adoptive families.
2. IAC matched 227 birth and adoptive families in 2010.
3. IAC was contacted by 1,621 pregnant women in 2010 who were considering adoption.

The Average Wait Time

1. The average wait time from when a prospective adoptive family completes all of their pre-adoption paperwork and a child is placed in their home is 14 months.
2. The median wait time is 11 months. (Half of families have a wait time less than 11 months, half wait more than 11 months)
3. More than 50% of families have a placement within 12 months. 70% have a placement within 18 months and 90% of families have a placement by 28 months.

You can see more details on our Adoption Statistics Graphs page.

Ethnic & Racial Backgrounds of Children Placed from 2007-2010

55% Caucasian
10% African American
9% African American/Caucasian
8% Caucasian/Hispanic
7% Hispanic
3% have three or more racial and/or ethnic backgrounds
2% Asian American/Caucasian
2% African American/Hispanic
1% Asian American

The remaining 2% come from the following ethnic backgrounds: East Indian, Middle Eastern, Native American, & Pacific Islander.

Adoption Awareness Month

November is adoption awareness month. And in honor of that, I thought I'd post a few facts that I found online about adoption. (I did not write all of these, I found them on various blogs and websites)

* Are there different types of adoption? Yes. To meet the varying circumstances of everyone involved, several different options of adoption are available. There are adoptions handled by a state agency, often after the state has had to terminate the rights of a birthmother/family. There are infant adoptions that can be handled through private agencies and/or attorneys to facilitate the process between a birthmother/family making an adoption plan for their child and potential adoptive parents. There is also international adoption where orphans of other nations may be adopted, usually again through the assistance of an agency and attorneys, in addition to the US Department of State.

* Why is adoption so expensive?

Expenses vary depending on the type of adoption. In the case of private agency adoption

the costs involved usually are to provide for services such as counseling to the birthmother

(offered to her at no charge), the time and skills used by a social worker to conduct a

homestudy, provide resources and tools to the adoptive parents during the adoption

process, and resources to the child throughout their life as a minor

* What is an open adoption?

An open adoption is when a birthmother/family and the adoptive parents choose to

continue a relationship after the birth and placement of the child. This is not shared

custody, but a mutually agreed upon arrangement that can include anything from sharing

pictures and letters several times throughout the year or in some cases, meeting in person

over the course of the child’s life. This aids in the healing of the birthmother/family, by

allowing them to see a healthy and happy child; assists the child in understanding the

circumstances of their family life, and the adoptive parents to have a resource for potential

health, medical, or social issues that may transpire throughout the life of the child.

One Cause

Today I got a link from a friend from a website called OneCause. Here is what the link showed in pdf form:

http://www.nafadopt.org/fund-your-adoption/brochure.pdf

Im not exactly sure how it works just yet, but if you would like to check it out and shop there for a % of your purchase going towards National Adoption Foundation and towards our adoption just send me your email address and I will get the info out to you!

Christmas Tree Wreath Fundraiser

For a fundraiser for our adoption we are doing a Christmas Tree Wreath Fundraiser! We will get the profits of what we sell. These trees are deluxe mixed greenery. (the event picture is one i found online, not of the actual wreaths that will be made).

Here are the prices: (measurements are from the outside edges)

Small (14 inches) $15
Medium (20 inches) $18
Large (24 inches) $25
X-Large (36 inches) $40

If you need one shipped, you will need to add an additional $17 to cover the costs of shipping and a wreath box to ship it in.

If you'd like a red velvet bow-they are $3.50

If you would like a wreath, please contact me and let me know which one!

Thank you so much to Honeycutt Christmas Trees in Ashe County, NC.

What is too big for God?? NOTHING!!!

Nothing is too big for God :-)

I am so excited and thrilled to announce that we have reached over $2,000 in our fundraising! We have only been "adoption waiting" for a little over 2 months. In those 2 months we have raised, been given and saved over $2,000. I know its not much and we still have about $13,000 to go, but like I said-NOTHING is too big for God!!!