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Why adoption?
A lot of people probably wonder, "Why Adoption?" For us, it didn't take long until the answer became clear...

After deciding it was time to start a family (and not having much luck), we one day brought up the subject of adoption. As we continued talking about it, we soon began to realize how much it was in our hearts. We fell in love with the idea... after all, there were already so many children out there that needed a warm home and loving family. And we were a family without a child who could provide just that. It seemed to make perfect sense. The more we got into it, the more we came to understand that this was truly the plan that God had for us. We feel extremely Blessed to have been given this incredible opportunity, and appreciate the love and support that we've received with this decision.

Why China?
It's hard to explain why exactly, but from the beginning we felt drawn to international adoption. During an adoption seminar we attended, we met a man who, with his wife, had adopted two little girls from China. He shared his wonderful story and experiences with the audience, which we look back on as an important moment in our journey.

A Little Background:
In an effort to control the country's exploding population, in 1979 the Chinese government instituted a law that limited most families to one or two children. This law is still in existence today and, sadly, results in thousands of abandoned children every year (only a fraction ever find a permanent home). After learning about these dire circumstances we felt heartbroken, but also deeply moved, as we realized there was a desperate need for families for these children. Furthermore, both of us have always had a fascination and respect for the Asian culture.

Even though we had this strong emotional pull towards China, we decided to go ahead and research several other countries. As we continued doing our "homework" on the various programs, we found that China's was one of the most established and trusted. This only reinforced our feelings that China was the right choice for us and lead to our final decision.

"It's a Girl!" (How do we know?)
In China, an overwhelming majority of children available for adoption are girls. This is due to the one child per family policy and a traditional preference for boys. In Chinese culture, sons are more valuable to the family because they carry on the family name, and they provide & care for their family elders. Because of this, girls who are born are often hidden, abandoned, or even killed. There are some boys available, but approximately 95% of orphaned children in China are girls. Knowing there is such a need for families for these little girls, we have requested and planned to bring home a daughter.

Will you travel to China?
Yes. The China program requires a two week in-country visit. We will be traveling with a small group (approx. 6-10 couples) of other parents-to-be from our agency.

We will most likely depart from Chicago, and endure a 14 hour flight to Beijing. We will spend a few days sight-seeing in Beijing, which also allows us to adjust to the time change. Next, we will travel to our daughter's province, where we will spend approx. five days. This is when we will finally get to meet our new baby girl! She will be in our care from this point forward (yikes!). Then we will fly to Guangzhou, where the U.S. Embassy is located. It is here that we will spend the remaining days, while we are completing the rest of our paperwork and finalizing the adoption.

How long will the process take?
The process time for China adoption can vary widely, but the average from start to finish is approximately 12 to 18 months. It takes about three months to get "paper-ready". The next chunk of time is the greatest variable, which is the wait from when your documents are sent to China until you receive your referral. This can be anywhere from 10 to 14 months (give or take). Once you receive your referral, you will typically travel five to eight weeks later. If things continue at the current pace, we hope to have our referral by the Fall of 2007 (pray for sooner!). For more detailed information on the process, please visit The Process (nuts & bolts) link.

How old will she be?
With the China program, most children come home between the ages of nine and eighteen months. In our adoption petition letter, we requested an infant girl as young as possible. It is most likely our baby will be nine to eleven months old when we meet her.