We Chose to Adopt

My husband, Bob, and I have decided to adopt a child from Ethiopia.  We've been married for 2 years and have contemplated having children.  We've decided to proceed with a foreign adoption, because we feel that we have a social responsibility to help save a life.  If we have the capacity to provide for another human and choose not to, we're not living to our full potential.

We have also decided on foreign adoption because this would be much more life-changing for the child.  Adopting a child from an area of need will ensure the child will have a higher survival rate.  There are hundreds of children locally that need to be adopted and need love and attention, however, they have a greater chance of growing up healthy, attending public schools, and being able to choose to go to post-secondary education.  For many children living in the Horn of Africa, this is not an option.

We have contacted a local adoption agency and set up a meeting to meet with them at the end of January.  In the meantime, we are undergoing medical assessments and working with an accountant and financial planner to prepare for the process of adoption.  We know this will take at least 6 months to 3 years before we're able to bring our child home.  We wanted to write about our experiences to share our decisions and maybe someone will read this and feel compelled to help a child in need and love them as their own.