First Steps in Adoption

Hi Everyone,

As some of you might know, Sean and I are going to Gladney in Fort Worth, Texas tomorrow for our adoption orientation. We've decided to set up this blog thanks to our friend Janet who knows someone who did this and it was a very effective way to get the message out to everyone so they know the process and estimated timeline on things (and to build excitement of course.) We are so new at this and have no idea what our first steps are after this orientation but we are very excited just to get the process started. It's been a long road for us and we're putting all the pain and anxiety behind us and going full steam ahead.
What has happened so far is that Sean and I applied to Gladney (www.adoptionsbygladney.com) back in March. We applied for the agency assisted domestic adoption for a newborn which is a program they offer only if couples meet a certain criteria. Sean and I met that criteria and were accepted into this program which we were thrilled about. The agency assisted program offers us the ability to select from options which offer various levels of control and gives us flexibility in the adoption process. We had planned on going to Texas in July but some things came up which forced us to postpone this trip. We received our orientation packet that included some information (not all because they really want you to learn about it during orientation.)

Our orientation will take place all day on Friday starting with breakfast, a domestic program workshop, then lunch. After lunch we'll sit through a financial overview (Sean's excited for this one), a Gladney video of a birthmothers story, a birthparent panel (hearing from current pregnant mommies making an adoption plan for their child), and then we have a break. After the break, we regroup and there is an adoptive parent support group which will teach us how to get involved in the Gladney family association. This is followed by an adoptive parent panel where we'll hear from people who have experienced a Gladney adoption and we'll have the opportunity to ask them questions. After that, we'll hear about the security of the adoption and all the legal aspects of the adoption. The last thing we do on Friday is take a tour of their campus. What is really unique about this agency is that they have a large campus available for birth mothers where the mom's can come and live. They provide healthcare, vitamins, healthy meals, etc. for those mothers who are in need of this support. I am very excited to see this set up - I am sure it's going to be very emotional.

Many people ask us "Why Texas?" The answer to that is that we've found Texas laws to be pro-adoptive parents as opposed to the alternative. We don't know what's in store for us but we are putting our trust in the Gladney Group to make our family complete. The average waiting time for this program is 9 months (3 months minimum and 18 months maximum.) Of course this count down starts after the homestudy is complete and we've actually been cleared for the placement. (Again, I need to learn more about all of that.)

Some people have asked us if we will choose a boy or a girl. Well, with Gladney's domestic newborn program, we do not get this option. At first I was a little disappointed in this but then I thought about it and it actually excites me even more because I wouldn't have that choice if I had gotten pregnant. This also allows for our program to keep momentum and hopefully our placement will occur even faster.

Thank you all for being supportive of us doing this. Many of you have been there for us as a shoulder to cry on for the past 4 years and I appreciate that more than any of you can know. I look forward to happy times ahead and I know when our baby finally comes home to us (whenever that may be), we will be whole.

I'm looking forward to sharing all the news, the ups and the downs, with you throughout this journey. Sean and I are in unfamiliar territory with this but we're looking forward to gaining so much knowledge about it to help us make the right decisions.

Texas here we come!
Love Desiree and Sean