Everything you need to know about the adoption process
I have created this website to give everyone an opportunity to get an overview of what is involved in an inter-country adoption. The more nitty-gritty details, the access to Q & A, the opportunity to contribute to the forum, being kept up to date with e-mail alerts and to receive a montly newsletter then please join our community here.
Do not hesitate, do not even wait for another second before starting on your adoption journey. You will waste years when you could be a parent, enjoying doing wonderful things with your gorgeous child.
I spent so many years 'thinking about adoption'. Pondering if it was the right thing to do? The best thing for me? Could I do it? But they were just flights of fantasies and I was never really committed to myself to follow them through. And now I can put my hand on my heart and say I made a mistake - I should have done it years earlier. It would mean so much to me to adopt another child, a sibling for my son, but alas it is too late. How do I explain that to him each time he asks me to adopt a baby, a younger brother or sister for him, that mummy waited too long?
The process can be long - if you pick up the phone today and say you want to do an inter-country adoption you may not be home with your child before three years. That is a long time and if you carry on 'thinking' about it is may be a few more years before you make the committment.
Many people fear the unknown. Some of you reading this will not know anyone who has adopted a child, some will only have heard of someone. Not knowing something is fearful, and that fear causes you to freeze or flee. This is why I have bought fellow adopters to you - so you can listen to their stories, share in their feelings and learn from their experiences. It has been in my experience that making something tangible takes the fear out of it. Mary and Peter were 'pondering' about adoption and approached me because they had so many concerns which were based only on fear of the unknown. I invited them to an adoption event where they met other adopters and the children who had come home. After a couple of hours they were glowing, the decision had been made and they are now the proud parents of a three-year old girl from Russia.
If you are still working things out, may I suggest, as I do when anyone has to make a major decision, project ten, fifteen years into the future and see the scenarios of your decisions. Visualize yourself in different scenes in the future and see which sits most comfortably with you. This is a good exercise if you are confused about which decision to make.
The path of international adoption can be complex, confusing and difficult, make no mistake. But it is doable and with the guidance I offer you here easier than stepping alone.
I, for one, am very, very happy that I took a leap of faith - had I not, my beautiful son would not be running free with the wind in his face and sun in his eyes.
Your child is waiting for you to take that leap of faith.
