kvSheldon's comments

Myth #3: It Takes Years to Adopt a Newborn in the US

22 Sep 2011 06:27 PM

Hi Banthony. I read your comment and can understand the frustrations and emotions that you go through while waiting for an adoption. My now 7 year old son, took one year from the time we completed our initial paperwork to adopt. My daughter took 16 months. Please keep in mind this article was written 5 years ago. When we adopted my son 7 years ago, the domestic adoption process was just emerging on the internet as a means to match birthmothers with families. I was shocked when 4 years later how much had changed in the domestic adoption process with the number of agencies that were now on the internet. It felt more competitive.

I imagine factors with the economy, greater use of the internet to match couples, and even changing state licensing and regulations in adoption can also make wait times longer today.

From 2005 until 2010 I worked for an adoption agency completing homestudies. I saw some families adopt in a matter of weeks while a few others I made yearly visits to update their homestudies. I could see their frustrations and offered them encouragement. I remember one couple who waited two years for a baby. But once the were matched and their baby was with them their was no more discussion on the legnth of time it took, because they knew that was the baby they were meant to have.

I remember when we came up for our yearly renewal for our homestudy for our daughter feeling slightly discouraged since we were already at the year mark with no match. However, I believed in my heart we would have another baby and my son and I prayed everynight. We had one failed match during that time as well. But I would tell myself everyday that my baby was out their and I had to be patient. I will never forget the day when I was least expecting it, I got a phone call that our baby was born and waiting in a hospital 30 miles away from us and could we pick her up tomorrow.

My best advice to you, is to continue to live your life as normally as you can and put your energies into your daily lives whether that be your job, hobbies, or spending time with friends and your spouse. But also believe that you will have the child that you are waiting for. It will happen for you.

Adoption Books are Hard to Find in Bookstores

14 Feb 2006 05:00 PM

Thanks for the feedback Jodi. The Library is a great idea for a resource to find books on adoption. I also think it's great that they were so receptive to getting adoption books in that you requested.

Kathy Families.com Adoption Blogger