Home Study Part I: The Packet and Fee Schedule

Hello everyone!

Today, we met with the domestic infant adoption specialist at our local Bethany branch to begin the home study process, which consists of paperwork, interviews, a home visit, and more.  Step one is the packet.

The home study packet

This packet includes many forms and even requires us to submit additional documents like copies of our driver's licenses and recent tax returns.  Over the next several weeks, we will be writing detailed information about our families, completing a statement of faith, providing several referrals, getting health physicals, confirming health insurance coverage for an adopted child, undergoing background checks, getting fingerprinted, and more.  As I type this, I am reminded that this long, inconvenient process is nothing compared to what God did to adopt us Christians as His children:  "In love He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to his favor and will..." (Ephesians 1:5).

When we return this packet, we will pay a second installment of $500.  (The first was paid with our preliminary application.)  However, when we have the home visit, $5,000 is due.  Then, at placement we must pay the remaining balance, which will be anywhere from $10,000-$17,000, depending on whether we are eligible for a subsidy from Bethany.  Unfortunately, most adoption grants cannot even be applied for until after completion of the home study.  Therefore, we need your prayers for faith in God's provision.  Also, if you feel led to participate in our journey, I will be sharing some giving opportunities soon!  Mark your calendars for our adoption garage sale on August 8th.  People are already donating some good stuff!

Finally and most importantly, we ask for your prayers about the decisions we must make.  Some forms ask us about our openness regarding the birth parents' characteristics (birthparent contact/involvement, medical history, prenatal care) and the child (age, multiple births, drug exposure, special needs).  To be honest this is probably the most intimidating part.  Pray that we seek God's will concerning this future child of ours.

~ Ashley and Jared

How We Got Here

Dear Family and Friends,

I have created this blog because my husband, Jared, and I are beginning our Anderson Adoption Adventure!  (Today, we were notified that our preliminary application was approved!)  It will be a long, grueling journey, but we both believe that God is leading us to grow our family at least in part through adoption.  In this initial post, I feel I should tell you how we came to this milestone.

First, we have been trying to have a biological child for two years, now.  After a year and a half of medications, procedures, and a surgery, no pregnancies have occurred yet.  This trial has brought us closer together, and has opened our hearts to God's call to care for the fatherless.  (James 1:27)  We have not given up on having a biological child; we want biological and adopted children.  At the moment we have reason to believe the surgery may have helped so the next few months will still involve some remaining fertility treatment.

Second, God has recently placed us smack in the middle of a wonderful network of resources regarding adoption: the people in our church group.  Roughly a year ago, we decided to visit a church closer to our home and found a class of young married couples, some with kids and some without.  How is this related to adoption?  Well, four of the couples are/were foster parents (two couples just adopted multiple children and the other two hope to adopt soon), and one couple has adopted internationally!  What are the odds?!

Now that we have agreed to embark on this adventure, I expect God will use the next few years to test us and grow us spiritually as he has already been doing through our infertility struggles (James 1:2-4, Romans 5:3-5).  There are many hurtles to be faced in this adoption process, but we believe that if we are following God's will, he will make a way.

In future weeks, months, and years, I hope to share with you about our progress and about bringing our children home!  This way we can keep friends and family updated, share giving opportunities and prayer requests, and hopefully be useful to others who are considering adoption or who are already on that journey.

~ Ashley and Jared

Bible verses referenced above:

James 1:27 ♥ Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

James 1:2-4 ♥ Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

Romans 5:3-5 ♥ And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope.  This hope will not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Mailing the preliminary application (taken two days ago)