Hurry Up, Homeland Security!!!

Newest update!!! Okay, maybe nothing overly exciting, but it's the major *last* step before sending paperwork to China.

We sent our i800a (along with a "small" check of 890.00) the other day to the U.S. Immigration Citizenship and Immigration Services (department of Homeland Security). ((I said "small" check, because in comparison to other checks you write in the process, it. is. indeed. unfortunately. small.))

So what's the i800a? 

While we've been approved so-to-speak to adopt from our homestudy agency, and we've met several state-level pre-adoption requirements -- we still, of course, need to be approved to adopt from China on the federal side of things, and USCIS (US Immigration and Citizenship) is the department that approves that.

(When we are matched with our Little Stump, we will have to file another application to adopt him/her *specifically.*)

I've been hearing in these neck-of-the-woods (er adoption community), that USCIS has been approving homestudies/apps lightning fast -- around 40 days. So that's what we're hoping for!

So, what are we doing now? 

First:: We wait to get a text telling us that USCIS has received our app and is processing the app. We then wait for them to send us a fingerprinting appointment (hopefully within a couple weeks), and we'll go have our fingerprints done (again) at our USCIS office downtown here. That's when we'll be assigned an officer who will process our application (hopefully fairly quickly!).

Second:: We have just a few things to finish up our dossier paperwork (the paperwork that gets sent directly to China). So, our goal for this week is to have our dossier paperwork sent to our agency so they can process all our documents (they will do the certifying and authenticating for us -- and this will take at least three weeks). The dossier paperwork consists of:: your home study report (report written by your social worker), police clearances, reference letters, medical exams, pictures (inside/outside of house, family pictures, individual), passport pages, family application letter, family data form, financial document, newly issued birth certificates, newly issued marriage certificate, employment letters, and the very last piece will be our I800A (which is what we're waiting on now!). 

Third:: Now that we've had our home study approved/completed/in our hands, we're beginning to apply for adoption grants. This alone is like a part-time job in itself, but ya-gotta-do-whatcha-gotta-do! 

So below is a chart I whipped up on the China adoption process. It's messy, I mean, messy -- which probably makes it more realistic. :-) 

Yea, when looking at my chart...it'd be easy to get a little depressed because we're only on #3/4. But, the first approximate 6 months is eaten up with these steps alone. So, look again, and the *REST* of the steps can happen in just 5-7 crazy months! Whew! 

If you'd like to read my thoughts on the New Year, you can read it here on my personal blog:: http://rstumpblog.blogspot.com/2016/01/new-year-and-challenge-for-all-of-us.html

再见了!

So Why International Adoption?

Why not adopt from foster care?? :: "Just look at all the kids who need homes right in our country!"

Why not domestic adoption?? :: "Isn't it, ya know, a safer "bet" to adopt a newborn?"

Every family is unique. Each family has a unique background. Unique experiences. They're in different stages and phases in life. Unique personalities. Basically -- every family is as unique as our own individual fingerprints. Perhaps even more unique because you have an entire set of different people (with different fingerprints), personalities, backgrounds, and more -- all compiled into one incredibly unique family. Not one is the same. Needless to say, since every family is so unique, their choice for which form of adoption they choose will be unique as well. That choice will be based on which form best suits their family -- which will best match a child to that family -- and ultimately will best suit the interests of a child (which is undeniably at the heart of the matter). 

With that said -- we analyzed all forms of adoption before deciding on international (as all families do). I admit -- I think very early in the process we just knew international was the path we'd take. But believe me when I say this -- adoptive families have thought long and hard about this stuff. Please don't underestimate that. Give these families respect in that. They're not flippantly making decisions regarding adoption. And most families take many days, months, and even years to come to these decisions. They do not come to these decisions lightly.

I could give you the various reasons we ruled out domestic adoption and foster. As a quick disclaimer -- please don't take our reasoning as a way of undermining the need of adopting from foster care or domestically. I'll simply focus attention on stating why we feel our hearts have been softened and geared towards adopting internationally -- and namely, from China.

#1: International adoptions have plummeted by up to 70% in recent years due to Hague Treaty implementations, countries outright closing their programs, and stricter adoption guidelines - which bar many potential parents from adopting. This would be great if it meant that there were simply less children needing families - but the harsh reality is the fact that there are in fact *more* children needing families. So if you do the math, 70% less adoptions, yet more orphans than before --- that is simply tragic. With that said however, I understand the need for stricter guidelines and the Hague Treaty. It's just too bad there couldn't be more of a balance so more children would be placed in loving families. Just in China alone, there are over 567,000 orphans, and some outside sources claim that number is closer to a million. Ethiopia? Are you ready for this? An alarming SIX million orphans. The number of adoptions per number of orphans abroad are *very* few in between. 

According to the last recorded data, in the year 2011, only 2,587 children were adopted from China. Does that number seem large? Far from. That is still only 0.4% of the orphaned children in China.

#2: The grave reality behind waiting children abroad is that these children are among the most vulnerable. Very vulnerable. Many go without basic medical care. And many have life-threatening conditions that will go untreated. Many have more minor to moderate conditions that could be easily corrected or treated with therapy, attention, or with surgery - yet they will go without. And so many will even lose their lives. Many are starving. Others literally have nothing. And the majority are living in overcrowded orphanages with little one-on-one interactions and little stimulation. Some are outright beaten and abused, even in government-ran orphanages and facilities. And many age out -- leading to a life of devastation in poverty-or-war-torn countries or countries that simply lack the numerous resources ours has.

Take a moment and quickly research pictures of inside orphanages around the world. There are videos. Articles. But please be cautious and do so without little ones around. Some of what you will find is absolutely horrifying. Gut-wrenching. 

With all that said -- there are definitely orphanages out there that are doing the best they can. Thanks to non-profit organizations like Half the Sky, conditions of orphanages in China over-all have largely improved in past recent years. With that said, orphanages are still overcrowded, and even the "best" orphanage is no replacement for a loving home with a mother and father. The negative effects of institutionalized children are endless. Institutionalization affects a child's development in many ways; i effects their behavioral, physical, intellectual, and social emotional health. Again, an orphanage is not a way of life for any child.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/09/15/russia-children-disabilities-face-violence-neglect


#3: Most obvious reason -- because every child is precious. Every child deserves a family. Every child deserves to have their basic needs met. And so -- our view of meeting needs of children isn't limited to those inside our own country; just as God's love isn't limited to those in our country. We believe we *all* have a responsibility to *all* children; here and around the world. 

#4: We didn't feel the immense need to have a newborn baby. I definitely know many that do -- and that's perfectly alright. And, it's true, the younger the child you adopt, the more likely they will more easily healthily attach. After-all, the longer a child has spent in institutionalized care (or foster care), the longer it will take for them to heal once placed in their adoptive families. So in some ways, it is "safer" to adopt a newborn, if you choose to use that cringe-worthy choice of word. But I can't tell you how many times I've read or talked with other families who just gleam from the progress they see in their adopted children, whom they adopted as young toddlers and older. They will tell you what a treasure it is to see them blossom -- not just emotionally, but socially, and even physically (many come home, to some degree, malnourished).  And research, although daunting on the effects of institutionalized care like I brought up earlier, is also encouraging. There is hope for even the child who's been institutionalized for many years.

#5: Because China is where our child is. That's the answer most will give when people ask the "why" to choosing a particular country. Quite honestly -- our reasons in the beginning for choosing China were more practical than heart-felt (although it definitely quickly grew into a "our hearts feel led toward China" thing). We were actually originally suggested by our agency to go with the India program -- mostly because we were *just* out of reach age-wise for China. After reviewing the programs, we quickly and mutually decided China fit our family best. China is one of the most dependable/stable programs. You only have to travel once instead of twice. The process to adopt from the Waiting Child program is not only dependable, but fairly "quick" in comparison to other programs. Additionally, the need is there. There are many waiting children in China -- the majority having some sort of special/medical need. 90% of children abandoned in China have a special/medical need of some sort (many are minor and/or correctable). So, more than likely, when you research programs, one will stick out from the others. And that was China with us. And now -- we couldn't imagine choosing another program. Our son or daughter is undoubtedly Chinese, because they're undoubtedly in China.

http://www.lwbcommunity.org/why-international-adoption-still-matters-2

For information on sponsoring a child through Holt:: 
https://holtsponsor.org:4443/sponsor/holt.writepage?page=photolisting5

To give to support family preservation:: 
https://www.holtinternational.org/gifts/

We're Adopting!; Official Announcement

Dear Family & Friends,

After much prayerful consideration, we have decided to further build our family through adoption! We made the decision months ago, but felt we needed to wait to tell until we had officially started the process.

We know you’ll have plenty of questions. We also know you’ll have plenty of concerns. Despite that, we pray and hope that you’ll provide much needed moral support and prayer through this journey of ours.

After intently weighing our options, we have settled on adopting through the Waiting Child - China program.

We put together a FAQS page for you to answer some of the questions you may have -- you'll find this from our blog home page in the top page bar. These will be the questions you may have after reading this initial announcement. :-) We'd appreciate it if our closest family and friends quickly took a look at the FAQS in order to hopefully help them answer others' concerns or questions when talking to them about our adoption process.

What’s interesting to know is that our child is most likely already here! How exciting (and mind-boggling) is that? Please pray with us for him/her on a daily basis. We pray that God will reveal and get them to us as soon as possible. We pray for protection over their life. We pray for healing in whatever way that’s needed. We pray the orphanage sees and takes care of their every need to their greatest capacity while we're working our way to them. We pray that while we’re worlds apart, they’ll feel every ounce of our love through our Heavenly Father’s warm embrace. We may not know who our child is yet, but our hearts are already nearly filled to the brim with love for them.

We do not take lightly that our precious baby boy/or girl will come with a back story. Adoption, as much as it is a blessing in so many ways, always begins in tragedy and loss. This loss usually occurs with abandonment. With that said, we respect that the details of our child’s story (their birth parents, how they got to the orphanage, etc) will be just that -- their story. It is not ours to tell, but theirs to tell someday if they please, to whom they please. We say this in hopes that you understand when we do not give details when asked.

Adoption is at the heart of God. Numerous scriptures speak very boldly about the need of taking care of the fatherless. In fact, there are numerous people from the Bible who were, indeed, adopted! Jesus was adopted. Moses was adopted. Esther was adopted.  And, those who have received Christ into their hearts are adopted as well! (Ephesians 1:5) Adoption is foundational to the Gospel. And though while we affirm it is spoken of repeatedly throughout scripture in various ways, please don’t misinterpret this as being our sole reasoning to adopt. We’re not adopting because we think we’re “saving a child” or that it’s necessarily a biblical mandate. We’re not adopting out of self-righteousness; in fact, we’ve had to and still are trying to overcome feelings of inadequacy in this process. We simply want to further build our family through adoption; offer our family and home to a child that needs both; and while we know we can bless a child, we also know that child can over-and-abundantly bless *us!* Children are blessings from the Lord -- period. Will this process be emotionally straining? Yes! Will it be physically exhausting? Yes! Will it be financially exhausting? Yes! But our child will be worth every ounce of it all.

We’ve heard others say, “If the same steps that are involved in adopting a child were involved in biologically having one -- hardly anyone would be making babies.” In other words, it’s not for the faint of heart. We’ve read several books already, articles, blogs, talked to others -- and all say the same, but all agree and know it’s been the greatest blessing at the same time.

So we hope you're excited in joining us in this journey. We'll certainly keep you updated through our blog -- so please come again! Thank you in advance for your moral support and your prayers! They mean so much to us.

                                                                                                                                               Grace and blessings,

                                                                                                                                               Billy (Will) & Robin