FAQs

1. Have you already picked out your child? No, we have not. We chose to adopt through a traditional referral. We tell Bulgaria what age and special needs criteria we are open to. Then, Bulgaria selects a child that they believe is best suited for our family and meets our requested criteria. We primarily chose this path so we could adopt a kiddo younger than Violet and we could be prepared for any special needs he or she may have. This is one of our agency's rules--we may only adopt a child who is at least 10 months younger than our youngest child.

Some folks choose to adopt a waiting child. Many agencies have waiting children who they advocate for. There are websites like Rainbow Kids and Reece's Rainbow that maintain lists of waiting children, Reece's Rainbow is specific to children with special needs. There is another list Bulgaria keeps that describes the children available for adoption. Typically most waiting children are part of a sibling group (we are approved to adopt one child), are a little older (5-15 years) or younger (1-4 years) but have significant special needs that we did not feel equipped to handle. We watch the waiting child list just in case, but at this time do not expect to adopt from it.

2. Why does the process take so long when there are so many available children? The answer to this question is also long! Adoptions of Bulgarian children to America are governed by an international treaty (The Hague). First, we had to submit paperwork to be approved for adoption by our state (the homestudy), our country (immigration paperwork) and their country (dossier). This process and paperwork took about nine months; apparently we moved fast. Months of doctor's appointments, fingerprints, references, background checks of many varieties, interviews, home visits... Let's just say, we are about the safest people right now you could ever leave your kid with.

We've been checked out by the federal, state and local governments--those checks are required yearly, except for the FBI, that's every 18 months. Then Bulgaria has to verify that the children available for adoption are truly orphans. In poorer countries, many of the children are placed in orphanages when their families cannot provide for them, but the parents do not relinquish their parental rights. Sometimes the parents plan to come back to get their child and sometimes the parents do not. The goal is to make sure the children do not have family members who are available to take them. There are many laws in place to protect the children being adopted and the adoptive parents. We are working with a Hague member country, and that means there are many regulations in place to protect children from trafficking and abuse. While this is a good thing, it also means things move more slowly and there are more hoops to jump through and lots of "red tape." The goal is to protect children! Then there is the simple fact that governments just move slowly. 

3. Why does adoption cost so much? Wouldn't it be cheaper to adopt from the US? When adopting internationally, there are placing agency fees that protect us as adoptive parents, there are agency fees from the country you are adopting from that protect the children being adopted. Then there are government fees and travel fees. Yes, it is expensive, but sadly adopting from the US can be almost as expensive. If you choose to adopt privately you can still pay about $30,000 to adopt in the US. If you adopt through foster care it is dramatically less, but it's a much different situation. All adoptions are worth the time and money!

4. Will you get a baby? No. Most likely, our child will be a toddler or preschooler. It is possible they will be older than that, but usually they are about 2-3 years old.

5. Will you get to name your child? Because most adopted children are not infants, the child usually already has a given name. Whether we decide to keep the name will be dependent on the name. Some names do not translate well. That will be something we decide when we get our referral and meet our child.

6. How much more money do you need before you are fully funded? We are almost there!!! So many people have blessed us financially and our fundraisers have been very successful. Additionally, we have $15,760 pending in grants. We are fully funded with the exception of travel, assuming all our grants come through. That statement is a HUGE God-sized blessing!!

7. Why are you adopting internationally when there are so many of "our" children in need? This is a sensitive question. We knew we wanted to adopt from a poorer country where there was a great need. We knew we would love opening our home to a different culture and we were OK if our child did not look like us. International adoption to our country has been on a major decline for the last ten years and the need just keeps growing! We wanted to make a dent in that decline. We felt a specific calling and personal responsibility to international adoption.

All that aside, when it comes to children needing a family, we just don't see a difference or ranking of importance between "ours" and "theirs." Kids are kids, We believe God does not see nationality or ethnicity when He looks at orphans. We believe God wants all of them, regardless of their background, to experience the love of a family and a home. 

8. What if the child has problems you didn't anticipate? This is highly likely. We are prepared for inaccurate medical information. This could mean the child has potential medical conditions we are unaware of or it could mean they have been inaccurately diagnosed with other medical conditions. We view it much like we would view a pregnancy. There are no guarantees, people make mistakes and we will work with the cards we are dealt. 

9. When do you get to pick up your child? First, we will receive a referral. A referral is the official recommendation from the Bulgarian government of a specific child. It contains all known information about the child. Usually, there are pictures and sometimes video. We will have 

10 business days to accept or decline the referral. It is recommended we consult with a pediatrician that specializes in international adoption. Because of their expertise, they can see videos and even photos of the child and determine the accuracy of their medical information and sometimes potential prognosis. If we accept the referral, we have a lot of paperwork to complete during those ten days! Then our agency will give us travel dates for our first trip, most likely within a month. During our first visit we meet the child. Then we will come home for four to six months until we take our second trip back to Bulgaria. The second trip is when we may bring our child home.

10. How much longer until you get your child? Good question! I would love to know the answer to this one! When we began this process in 2014 they said we could expect about a two year wait from the time we were registered with Bulgaria as a waiting family until we received a referral. We were registered in June of 2015. We have been waiting about 20 months. So, your guess is as good as mine! We are certainly praying for sooner rather than later!

Thank you to all our friends who ask questions, think of us, pray for us and have shared this journey with us! Don't stop! We are so very grateful for you all!