I've been researching different adoption agencies, country programs and their requirements.
That is a ridiculous understatement. My family does not just casually "read up" on subject matter. We get obsessed and consumed by research. I come from a long line of dorks, I guess! ;) Don't hold it against me!
I found it interesting that each country has its own set of requirements for an adoptive couple. Some requirements are: age, income, net worth, number of children already in the home, education of the parents, BMI, health problems, depression...
We were completely ruled out of adopting from certain countries by some of these requirements. I've had to come a long way in my thinking about this. At first, honestly it didn't bother me because none of the countries we were interested in were affected from first glance. The more I thought about it and found out the vast numbers of orphans around the world, it frustrated me. Perfectly good, loving families were seeking to adopt only to be disqualified for seemingly unrelated reasons. Obviously you have to have enough income to care for the child, but how dare "they" decide your standard of living!?!?!? So a child is better left in an institution rather than be adopted by a loving family that might not be able to afford the latest gadgets or fashion item? Then I came full circle in my thinking and just accepted that each country has reasons for their requirements based on their cultural ideas and past experiences with adoptions.
We have jumped some initial hurdles in meeting requirements and have another big hurdle ahead. I will be calling the agency we want to work with on Monday to see what all can be included in estimating our assets. We do not own many large items (and we are fine with that). Because of that, we don't have much debt either! Pray with us to have at least $30,000 in positive net worth so we can apply to the Russia program!
Blessed beyond measure,
Stephanie
Hi. I found your blog through your sister's, and given that I know a number of people that have adopted/are looking to adopt I decided to comment.
ReplyDeleteI wish you and your family the best of luck on the journey. Yes it is absolutely sad, that anyone with a working reproductive system can have a child and neglect (either physically or emotionally), but individuals who would provide a child with a loving stable home are put through the ringer and forced to meet requirements biological parents don't have to meet to simply avoid accusations of neglect!
Thanks for stopping by! My main thought is isn't almost anywhere better than some of those horrible orphanages?!? But I guess there are plenty of crazy people out there and they must take precautions!
DeleteNo problem to stop by!
ReplyDeleteAlso though, a lot of adoption polices stem from politics, nationalism etc, rather than the best interests of innocent children. It's a long road but I know you'll make a difference in the life of many.