Many of us think of November as the start of the holiday season, gathering with family and friends to consume thousands of calories for Thanksgiving. While this is true, it’s also a month to celebrate adoption through National Adoption Day, which has been observed the Saturday before Thanksgiving every year since 2000. Since its inception, over 75,000 children have been united with their adoptive families on National Adoption Day. 

Adoption Awareness and the Rising Cost of International Adoption

National Adoption Day’s primary focus is on foster care and foster to adopt; however, it’s also been an important opportunity to shine a light on adoption awareness in general. In the United States, there are approximately 1.5 million children who were adopted — that’s equivalent to 1 in 50 or about 2% of the population. Every year, there are approximately 140,000 adoptions by American families. 

Shining a bigger light and concern is on international adoption, which has had steep declines of over 60% in recent years. In 2020, the total number of international adoptions in the United States was 1,622, a decline from 2,971 in 2019.  Due to economic, political and social impacts, these numbers continue to drop dramatically. One barrier is that many countries require extended stays, which adds to the overall complexity of the process as prospective adoptive parents have to live abroad for an extended period while stopping work and essentially putting their lives in the United States on hold.

However, probably the number one barrier for international adoption continues to be the high cost to complete the process, with direct expenses ranging from $30,000 to $60,000. These costs put international adoption out of reach for many families who would otherwise love to build their family in this special way. For all the reasons we’ve stated above, it takes a great deal of fortitude to adopt internationally. 

Even so, there is help and hope! Many foundations provide grants, and sometimes loans, to families who adopt internationally. Though all grants have eligibility requirements and deadlines that vary from foundation to foundation, qualified families can often receive grants in amounts ranging from $2,500 to $15,000.     

Recently, the SECURE Act introduced QBOAD (Qualified Birth or Adoption Distribution), which allows prospective adoptive parents to each withdraw up to $5,000 from a qualified retirement plan without incurring the early withdrawal penalty. In addition, the Adoption Tax Credit benefits 90% of adopting families. However, given that it is a credit and not a refund, it is often of minimal help for those without a federal tax liability, such as those in the ministry or military. Lobbying efforts continue to encourage Congress to make the credit refundable again. For adoptions finalized this year, the IRS just posted that the tax credit will be $15,950 for adoptions finalized in 2023, an increase of nearly $1,000 from 2022.

Fundraising is another option to assist with funding an adoption, although this is often a more challenging way to come up with adoption funds. Some families lack an appropriately sized network of friends and community members to support an adoption fundraiser; others just lack the skills to know how to create and manage a successful fundraising campaign. 

Employers are also stepping up to provide adoption benefits that include reimbursement and paid time off. Over 650 corporations are currently offering an adoption or family benefit to their employees. 

Even though there are many resources available to help families adopt, not all of them apply to every family and most fall short of funding the entire journey. While families should be at stake for funding a portion of their adoption, the overall cost of international adoption has simply become too high even for many middle-income families.

To help families afford to adopt, agencies like Holt now fund additional adoption grants and offset many of the added costs for adoption through philanthropic gifts. But this means that adoption fees no longer cover the full cost of an international adoption. To sustain international adoption, donations are needed to fund the agencies that provide all the support and placement of the child with the family.  

This is one reason that the field of adoption providers is now shrinking as many adoption agencies that used to do both domestic and international adoption have closed their doors or just decided to pursue domestic adoption. Other reasons include the number of legal and political barriers and regulations in place. We won’t delve into all the reasons for the decline in the number of international adoption providers in this article, but it’s an important point to make that if adoption agencies could get more support in the form of donations from foundations, families and corporations, it would result in the ‘tide rising for all boats.’  Nearly all adoption agencies are nonprofit organizations and can easily receive donations from individuals, corporations and foundations.  

Children Need Families, and Families Need Help

Even though the number of international adoptions in the United States is declining, there is still a great need, as there are an estimated 140 million children growing up without families worldwide. While some children can now join domestic adoptive families in their birth country, for many, international adoption is the only remaining path to a family. Many families have the heart and fortitude for international adoption, and would love to provide a stable home for a child who needs one. 

Please consider giving a gift to Holt International to help fund adoption grants and protect international adoption as a path to a family this National Adoption Month!

Help Protect International Adoption for Children

Your gift today will help a child be adopted, care for them while they wait, and even ensure that they receive critical post-adoption help for life!

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ABOUT KELLY ELLISON AND YOUR ADOPTION FINANCE COACH

Kelly Ellison is the creator of Your Adoption Finance Coach, which partners with Holt International to help families create a comprehensive financial plan to complete their adoption. Kelly’s team of professional coaches help families with grants and loans, fundraising and more. Her partnership with Holt International is intended to help bring more families to international adoption — no matter what their financial needs are.

The post National Adoption Month 2022: How Donors Can Help More Families Afford to Adopt appeared first on Holt International.

Adoption Myth #1: Infants need families through international adoption. 

Fact: Due to shifts in culture and greater efforts on the part of country governments and advocacy organizations, more children are now able to join domestic adoptive families — giving them the opportunity to grow up in the country and culture of their birth. In many countries, the central adoption authority designates the first 6+ months of a child’s life to looking for a family domestically. Only then will they consider international adoption for a child. We typically do not see internationally adopted children joining families before the age of 2. Holt is primarily seeking families who are open to children ages 3 years and older at the time of arrival with their family in the U.S.

Adoption Myth #2: Only girls need families. 

Fact: Boys need families just as much as girls do. In fact, boys typically wait much longer than girls to be matched with families. This myth grew from a time when, following the implementation of China’s one-child policy, girls in China did exceed the number of boys waiting for families. But today, as a result of policy changes and the growth of domestic adoption in China, that is no longer the case — in China or in any other country. Today, most country programs require families to be open to a child of either gender. But with the few countries that do allow families to specify a gender preference, more than 80 percent of families continue to request a girl — leaving many boys waiting.

Adoption Myth #3: I can adopt a child who is completely free of any physical, developmental or emotional special needs.

Fact: Almost all children eligible for international adoption today have at least some degree of physical, cognitive, developmental or emotional needs — from minor developmental delays due to premature birth or institutionalization to more moderate health conditions to conditions requiring lifelong care. Very few of the children waiting for adoptive families are severely disabled. However, the vast majority of children have at least some minor or moderate needs, are part of a sibling group, or are older, school-aged children. Older children have spent more time living in institutional or foster care settings and bring unique challenges and joys to their adoptive families. Children who have experienced abuse, neglect or trauma have different emotional needs, and their families should have — or be willing to learn — how to support and care for a child with this background.

While adopting a child with additional needs is not a good fit for every family, many parents grow more open as they research different types and degrees of medical conditions — or once they learn that “special need” doesn’t always mean a physical or intellectual challenge. During the homestudy process, your social worker will assist you as you consider the needs that your family might be open to. Holt provides specialized resources for families adopting children who have experienced early life trauma as well as support for adoptees and families throughout their lives. Ideally, we need families who are open to exploring the various medical, emotional and developmental needs of children who are waiting for families through international adoption.

Adoption Myth #4: I will have to go outside my comfort zone when determining what needs I am open to.

Fact: Families determine their level of comfort when considering age, gender and needs. What drives the matching process, however, is finding the right family for every child — and what’s best for each child is to be placed with a family who can wholeheartedly embrace their emotional and physical needs. With that said, you know your family best and are best equipped to determine whether to parent a particular child!

Adoption Myth #5: All children waiting for adoptive families are on Holt’s waiting child photolisting.

Fact: Most children never appear on the waiting child photolisting! Only children for whom we need extra help finding families have online profiles you can look through on your own. These children are often older or have more involved needs, which is why they require greater advocacy to find the right family capable of meeting their unique needs. Most families who adopt through Holt go through the standard application process, in which they state the profile of child they are open to as part of the homestudy process and Holt’s social workers then match them with a child who fits that profile.

Adoption Myth #6: I can’t afford to adopt.

Fact: At Holt, we never want finances to come between families and children who need loving homes. But we recognize that finances are among the biggest obstacles families face when considering adoption. Thankfully, countless resources exist to help offset the cost of adoption! Through partnerships with funding organizations like Gift of Adoption and the generosity of individual donors, Holt offers a number of different grants to ensure finances never stand between a child and a loving family. There are also federal and state adoption tax credits, employer assistance programs and reimbursements for military service members. It can be difficult to know where to start! That’s why Holt also partners with a team of professional adoption finance coaches who are available to provide advice and guidance to every family adopting through Holt. This service is completely free of charge to all Holt families. Learn more about financial assistance for adoption!

Have a question we didn’t answer here? Email us at adopt@holtinternational.org or call 1-833-346-9044.

Learn More About International Adoption

We work with families in all 50 states to find loving homes for children from 11 locations around the world!

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The post Top 6 Myths (and Facts) About International Adoption Today appeared first on Holt International.

Grants and low-interest loans are a great way to fund your adoption, but often, you can’t rely on them alone. Thankfully, countless resources exist to help families offset the cost of adoption through creative and community-based projects. In fact, many families are able to cover a significant portion of their adoption fees and expenses by raising money independently.

Below, we’ve put together a list of popular adoption fundraising organizations and articles about adoption fundraising to help you complete your adoption journey. 

Please note: The information provided on these pages is for your information and consideration only and is not an endorsement of these organizations or companies.

Adoption Fundraising Organizations

Pathways for Little Feet
Interest-free loans to adoptive families. No religious criteria.

The Sparrow Fund
Grants awarded for professional adoption support services, such as medical consultations and pre-adoption counsel, for both non-special needs and special needs adoptions. Visit their website for a broad list of adoption-related medical/counseling resources.

AdoptionBridge
AdoptionBridge’s goal is to bring waiting children and families together by helping ease the financial burden of adoption through crowdfunding.

AdoptTogether
AdoptTogether is one of the largest adoption fundraising platforms online. Similar to a crowd funding platform like GoFundMe, you can create a profile for your family where people are able to donate and designate their gift toward your adoption fundraiser. You can set your fundraising goal, track progress, send thank you notes and tell your story through updates to your supporters. AdoptTogether is a non-profit 501c(3) organization, and all donations are tax deductible, allowing donors to use their employee matching services through work, donor advised funds, etc.  Several Holt families have used this service and raised thousands of dollars toward their adoptions!  

GoFundMe
GoFundMe is a popular crowdfunding site and is not adoption-specific. It is free to launch a campaign and they take processing fees out of each payment.

PlumFund
PlumFund is a free-of-charge crowdfunding site that offers 100% free options and low transaction fees.

Give1Save1
A community of adoptive families who share their stories and help in reducing financial barriers to adoption.

CauseTeam
CauseTeam sells products to buyers who then choose which fundraiser to help fund. You are able to promote your cause while receiving 40% of the proceeds. 

The Both Hands Project
Christian organization Both Hands helps families raise funds for their adoption while also providing community service.

Just Love Coffee
Just Love Coffee Roasters was founded by two adoptive parents! The company partners with prospective adoptive families to sell fair- and direct-trade, organic coffee and provides the prospective family with a portion of the proceeds.

Milkglass Market
Milkglass Market partners with prospective adoptive families to host fundraisers selling Milkglass candles and products from their baby care line. One family is selected to receive a grant each year.

Things to Consider When Fundraising for Your Adoption

Fundraising Dos and Don’ts

Thoughts About Adoption Fundraising From a Birth Mother & Adoption Professional

Need help funding your adoption?

Families adopting through Holt receive free, professional guidance and support from a one-on-one finance coach throughout their adoption process. Even if you’re just considering adoption, email us to set up your first consultation today!

email adopt@holtinternational.org

The post Adoption Fundraising Organizations & Resources appeared first on Holt International.

Through this service, you can build a one-on-one partnership with a professional coach who will provide guidance and direction throughout your process. Your coach can help you determine which grant organizations you are eligible to apply for, review your applications and even advocate for you with grant organizations — increasing your odds of being awarded a grant. Your coach can also provide fundraising advice and help you identify other benefits you may qualify for such as the Adoption Tax Credit or employer assistance. Finance coaches have insider knowledge and experience that will give you a significant advantage. 

So, why sign up with a finance coach now? Even if you’re just beginning the adoption process, talking to a coach and asking questions early can help you prepare for what’s to come. The cost of adoption can feel overwhelming at the start, and coaches will help you break it down and make a funding plan that feels more manageable. Also, finance coaching through Your Adoption Finance Coach is fully covered for Holt families — coaches will never pressure or try to upsell you into buying more services.

All services are provided through Your Adoption Finance Coach, a program founded by Kelly Ellison. Kelly is an adoptive parent with over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She is passionate about helping prospective families reach their financial goals and ensuring they feel supported and encouraged along the way.

 “I want people to know that there’s a path, that there is support, that there are resources out there for families that have a heart for intercountry adoption — and that we do understand what you’re going through,” she says. “We’ve been there. All of my coaches have been touched by adoption.”

In her years of experience helping families fund their adoptions, Kelly also says it’s very rare that her coaches have not been able to help a family fulfill their dream of adopting a child. “We’ll turn over every box, turn it on its ear, to help a family bring a child home.”

For questions or to schedule a call with a coach, email coach@youradoptionfinancecoach.com!

Need help funding your adoption?

Families adopting through Holt receive free, professional guidance and support from a one-on-one finance coach throughout their adoption process. Even if you’re just considering adoption, email us to set up your first consultation today!

email adopt@holtinternational.org

The post Why Use an Adoption Finance Coach? appeared first on Holt International.

For Kevin and Sarah Brown, adoption felt like a natural choice. High school sweethearts from Nashville, Tennessee, they – like many young couples — knew they wanted a family someday. But also like many young couples, they weren’t in any hurry. “Then we turned 35,” Sarah says. After watching a documentary about children growing up in orphanages in China, they made up their minds.

“It got us thinking and we realized that is how we wanted to do it anyways,” Sarah says. “So we reached out to our local homestudy agency and to Holt and started barreling down the path.” A path that came with a number of decisions — country, China, gender, girl, special needs, yes. But then came the one question that didn’t have an easy answer.

How will they ever afford this?

The cost to adopt can be steep. With $24,000-52,000 in fees, expenses and international travel, hopeful adoptive parents face a total amount that often exceeds their available funds. While the Browns had ample resources to care for a child who needs a family, what they didn’t have was a spare $32,000 needed to adopt. 

Determined, they started to research different ways to fundraise for their adoption. As their income did not qualify them for many grants, they knew that they would have to become creative. They planned a garage sale at their church and held a benefit concert featuring singer-songwriters from their hometown. “We raised almost $7,000 in one weekend from those two events, which is pretty incredible,” Sarah says.

While family and friends rallied around them, they realized how much just sharing their story* would inspire their extended community to support their adoption. “We created a blog so people could have insight into why we’re adopting,” Sarah says. Soon, people started commenting, asking how they could help.

With the momentum from their blog, the Browns built a profile on Adopt Together — a crowdfunding site that helps families raise funds to cover their adoption expenses. All donations are tax-deductible, and families receive 100 percent of what people donate to their cause. Any amount raised over and above their fundraising goal then gets distributed among families that don’t reach their goal.

“It was very difficult to think about the idea of asking people for money. At least, that’s how it felt until we started sharing our story.”

“It was very difficult to think about the idea of asking people for money,” Sarah admits. “At least, that’s how it felt until we started sharing our story… We were blown away by how many people became invested in this child that none of us had ever met.”

Key to their story was the fact that their daughter, Julia, had special needs that might require medical care or specialized therapies once home — an extra expense that more and more adoptive families are now facing.

Recognizing this growing need, many organizations now offer grants specifically for families adopting children with special needs. Brittany’s Hope Foundation offers seedlings gifts to pay a portion of a family’s country program fees. The United Healthcare Children’s Foundation awards grants to cover prescribed medical services not fully covered by insurance. Holt also created our own Special Needs Adoption Fund to ensure finances never stand between a loving family and a child who needs one.

Amazingly, however, the Browns raised enough from their independent fundraising efforts that they didn’t need to apply for any special needs adoption grants.

“It was beautiful how many anonymous donations we received,” says Sarah. “It was difficult because we wanted to thank them, but I think it speaks to the authenticity of people wanting to be part of this story and not because they felt guilty or pressured. People were rallying behind this child.”

Uplifted by the support of friends and family, the Browns joyfully united with Julia in April of 2014 at 22 months old. Although Sarah and Kevin were open to a child with a more serious health condition, Julia didn’t require surgery or involved medical care.

She did, however, have fairly severe developmental delays. But through physical, occupational and speech therapy — and most importantly, the devoted loving care of her parents — Julia made rapid progress. “She’s so sharp and bright and wants to learn,” says Sarah. “She was very cautious at first, but once she started trusting us, she just opened up.”

Although Julia’s medical care was minimal compared to what the Browns were expecting when they started their adoption journey, they feel grateful for the funds they were able to save for the cost of her therapy — which, “oh my goodness, got expensive,” says Sarah.

In reflection, Sarah says learning to accept support, without guilt, was vital to their fundraising effort. “ The hardest part for us was getting over that hurdle of asking people for money,” she says. “But once we did, we got our story out there and realized how much people wanted to give. … Learning that lesson of how to receive and be grateful and not guilty was beautiful for us.”

So what’s Sarah’s advice to families starting to fundraise for their adoption?

“Don’t hold back. Don’t be bashful,” she says. “You just have to put yourself out there and be vulnerable. And then get ready for an outpouring of love and support.”

* While we encourage families to share why they’re adopting, be mindful of how much personal information you share about your child. It’s important to be conscientious of their loss and that their story belongs to them. While the temptation to share photos of your beautiful child is hard to resist, overseas officials, governments and child protection workers may also be researching your family online. Sharing personal information about a child in their care or ours violates international safeguards for children waiting for adoption. Click here for more adoption fundraising dos and don’ts!

Need help funding your adoption?

Families adopting through Holt receive free, professional guidance and support from a one-on-one finance coach throughout their adoption process. Even if you’re just considering adoption, email us to set up your first consultation today!

email adopt@holtinternational.org

The post No Holding Back: How One Family Funded Their Adoption appeared first on Holt International.

In our Q&A with Kelly Ellison, the creator of Your Adoption Finance Coach, she recommends thinking of financing an adoption as “a third, a third, and a third.” One-third of your adoption expenses will likely come from savings or personal income, one-third a loan or possibly a family gift, and the last third will come from grants and fundraising. On our website, we provide an outline of financial assistance and a list of resources organized by type to help you consider all of your options. Here is some useful information to help you get started:

Grants

Before applying for grants, it is necessary to check for grant eligibility criteria and application deadlines. Most grant organizations require an approved homestudy before they will accept your application. And if you are awarded a grant, most will administer funds directly to your service provider.  Learn more about different grant organizations on our website here.

DIY Fundraising

Countless resources exist to help families offset the cost of adoption through creative and community-based projects. Whether you choose to partner with a fundraising organization or come up with something unique to you, here are some dos and don’ts to consider.

Tax Credits

Families may be eligible for up to $14,300 in nonrefundable federal tax credit per child for qualified adoption expenses. These include reasonable and necessary adoption fees, court costs and attorney fees, traveling expenses (including amounts spent for meals and lodging while away from home), and other costs directly related to and for the principal purpose of the legal adoption of an eligible child.

Some states have tax benefits that are in addition to the federal tax credit. Consult a licensed tax preparer in your state for more information.

Employer Assistance

Some employers offer adoption benefits like financial reimbursement and paid leave. Ask your human resources department or visit davethomasfoundation.org for a list of adoption-friendly employers.

Military Families

Under the Department of Defense Adoption Reimbursement Policy, military service members who adopt a child may be eligible to claim up to $2,000 per child and $5,000 per calendar year in reimbursement for qualifying adoption expenses. Also, the military offers active service members 21 days of non-chargeable adoption leave for one caregiver.

Low-Interest Loans

While not always ideal, adoptive families may find that taking out a low-interest adoption loan is necessary to cover a portion of their expenses when financing an adoption. Some organizations even provide interest-free adoption loans for eligible families. Before moving forward with a loan, be sure to research multiple options and lenders and get quotes to make an informed decision about the right fit for your family.

Families Not Finances

At Holt, we believe money should never stand between a child and a loving family. That’s why we launched the Families Not Finances campaign — to help cover the cost of adoption for families who have the desire and capacity to care for a waiting child but may lack the financial means to cover all the fees and expenses required to adopt. Funded through the generosity of Holt donors, adoption grants as high as $10,000 will go to help find families for children on Holt’s waiting child photolisting who have waited the longest or need the most help finding the right loving family capable of meeting their unique needs.

Need help funding your adoption?

Families adopting through Holt receive free, professional guidance and support from a one-on-one finance coach throughout their adoption process. Even if you’re just considering adoption, email us to set up your first consultation today!

email adopt@holtinternational.org

The post How to Finance Your Adoption appeared first on Holt International.

This Q&A with Kelly Ellison is an edited version of the original interview. 

How did you become the “Adoption Finance Coach?”

I am an adoptive parent myself. My husband and I brought our daughter home from China in 2007. Prior to that I was in the nonprofit sector, so my lens on life was really about fundraising and community involvement and development. And so it just became very apparent to me going through the adoption process myself that there was just a huge gap between the adoptive family and the money that’s affiliated with the high cost of adoption.

How does it work when a family seeks out your services? What’s the next step?

A family comes to us from their agency, so in this case, they’d come to us through Holt. They would receive a welcome email and then they’d fill out a simple client intake form and they’re connected to a coach. The coach will then do an assessment of what that family’s situation is, what their particular financial picture looks like. Part of the challenge of this work is that not everyone has the same financial picture. Everyone is different. We are very customized in helping the families to come up with a financial plan that fits what their finances look like.

What’s the biggest misconception families have around adoption financing?

Probably the biggest misconception for families is thinking that they’re going to get grants to pay for their entire adoption. Not true. They’re not going to get that. Our formula for this is kind of “a third, a third and a third.” So if you took a whole view of their budget, a third of it is their own money, a third of it is going to be a loan or possibly a family gift, and a third is going to be grants and fundraising.

At what point in the adoption process should a family start working with a finance coach?

The moment they sign the application with Holt and they’ve been approved! That’s when we want to start working with the family. We can work with a family right up until they step on the plane, but it makes it more difficult. That timeline then gets shorter and shorter and it makes it more difficult in terms of what kinds of resources are available.

What do some families fail to consider when planning their adoption finances on their own?

Sometimes they don’t approach the grant-writing process effectively. Some families will just write grants to every foundation. So it’s a waste of time [because they haven’t pre-qualified] themselves with that foundation. We have a pretty specific process that we go through that helps the family say, “Okay, I do qualify for this foundation, and I am going to apply and therefore I have a higher chance of maybe getting a grant.” We have some families that, by the time they get to us, they’ve already written a lot of grants and sent out information, and it’s really wasted time and energy because their homestudy is not done, or they haven’t done their research and they’ve just applied to everybody. They think they’re going to get all this grant money and they end up not. It can be disappointing for them.

Can you give a glimpse of how you would help a family navigate fundraising for their adoption?

The first thing is really assessing the family’s readiness. Are you ready to put yourself out there? You have to be prepared to be on Facebook and social media. You have to be prepared to really work hard. Your timing is also very important. A good example is we find families start fundraising the minute they start their adoption. Well, if you’re doing an intercountry adoption and you’ve got [2-3 years] until you bring your child home, that is a long time. We find that sometimes families start too soon and they might get an uptick of money from their community, and then it kind of drops down and we have this long wait period. That’s what we call “donor fatigue.”

Fundraising around adoption is really about community. It’s less about, “Oh we’re doing this expensive adoption, and so therefore we should raise money and you should help us.” It’s more about, “We’re on this amazing journey and we’re building our family in an amazing way, and we want you to be a part of it.” So it’s inviting them in kind of a softer way that helps people want to be a part of something that’s bigger than them.

The final thing I will say about fundraising is “if you build it, they will come” is not necessarily true. So just going out and putting up a GoFundMe page … that’s good, but it’s not gonna’ seal the deal. We really invite families to create unique fundraising campaigns. Are they involved in a trivia club? Do they run marathons? Are they bike riders? Are they musicians? What is unique about that family?

When advising families, we always emphasize the importance of being sensitive to their child and their child’s story. Is that something you also talk about with families?

We really try and help families understand that if you’re going to go out there and fundraise … no pictures, no identifying information. You have to be very careful about your child’s story. You have to be very sensitive to that being out there for them and how they’re going to feel by having that out there when they come of age to be able to find it.

What are the key takeaways that you want families to have about your services?

I want people to know that there’s a path, that there is support, that there are resources out there for families that have a heart for intercountry adoption. And that we do understand what you’re going through. We’ve been there. All of my coaches have been touched by adoption. So when families step on a path of intercountry adoption or domestic adoption or hosting to adopt or whatever the case might be, we can really wrap our arms around them and help them as a resource. And we’re not going to stop. We’re going to help them. It’s very rare that we would have a family that just can’t make it happen. We’ll turn over every box, turn it on its ear, to help a family bring a child home.

Holt believes finances should never stand between a permanent, loving family and a child who truly needs one. That’s why we cover the cost of Your Adoption Finance Coach services — giving families in the Holt adoption process free access to everything from personalized coaching and an on-demand video library to downloadable planning templates, monthly webinars and more.

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The post How to Fund Your Adoption: A Q&A With the Adoption Finance Coach appeared first on Holt International.

1. Decide what age, gender and special needs you’re open to.

Deciding on the profile of child you’re open to is one significant decision that every family has to make. If you’re looking into international adoption, the profile of child can vary. On average, most children adopted internationally are between the ages of 2 to 3 years old when they arrive home. But many older children urgently need families, and if you’re open to an older child, your process could move quicker.

Another factor to consider is gender. Because most families prefer to adopt girls, most countries also require families to be open to either gender — but some, like China, allow you to specify a gender. In many countries, boys also wait longer for families than girls — and if you’re open to a boy, you may be matched with a child quicker!

Special needs are another consideration for families. The definition of “special needs” can vary from agency to agency, and you can always talk to a staff member to clarify. For example, Holt considers that all children adopted internationally have a special need since all adopted children have experienced loss, and they will need extra support to adjust to their new life in an adoptive family. But today, most children joining families through international adoption also have at least some minor, manageable or correctable — even sometimes self-correcting — conditions. These conditions include everything from cleft lip and palate, orthopedic issues and heart conditions to vision or hearing loss or delays in development.

For domestic adoption, the typical profile of child depends on whether you are pursuing infant adoption or foster care adoption. Babies placed through infant adoption come from a diverse range of backgrounds and ethnicities. Children in foster care are also diverse, and their ages can range from infants to older teenagers. Foster care adoption also opens the door to sibling groups of two-to-six children.

The profile you are open to can determine how long you wait to be matched with a child. The more open you are, the quicker the process will generally be. But above all, when considering profile, think about how your family can best meet the needs of a child who is waiting. You know your family best and are best equipped to determine whether to parent a particular child!

And remember, from the beginning of the Holt adoption process, you will determine your level of comfort when considering age, gender and special needs, and may change your specifications at any time.

2. Choose between international or domestic adoption.

Once you’ve decided to adopt, one of the first decisions you will have to make is whether to adopt domestically or internationally. But before you decide, carefully consider the differences between the two, and what they mean for your family.

Through domestic adoption, as opposed to international adoption, families adopt a child that already resides in the U.S. — or will soon be born to a mother who resides in the U.S. Families work with an agency or attorney to adopt a child whose parent(s) feel adoption is in the best interest of their son or daughter. Often times, when adopting domestically, families can adopt an infant. With domestic infant adoption, potential families provide profile books, photos or letters to birth mothers – and sometimes birth fathers – as they choose the adoptive family that best matches their vision for their baby’s future. Once you are chosen by the birth mother, the timeframe can range anywhere between four weeks to over a year for the adoption to be complete. Domestic adoption also opens the door to an ongoing relationship with the child’s birth family after placement.

Pros for domestic adoption:

• You are chosen by a birth mom who feels you’re the best family and fit for her baby.
• You will typically have good medical histories of the child and birth mother.
• Your child and family can create an ongoing relationship with the child’s birth family, which can be the most emotionally and socially healthy option for a child placed for adoption.

With domestic infant adoption, consider the following:

• Because you will wait until a birth mother selects your family to parent her child, there is no set timeframe for your adoption process to begin.
• Birth parents can change their mind at any time during the pregnancy and many of the fees are nonrefundable.

Some agencies can also help families adopt through the U.S. foster care system, which is a service Holt provides in Oregon and Washington. When children are unable to safely reunite with their families, we strive to find a loving, permanent family for them through adoption. Children in the foster care system can be of any age and have diverse social and ethnic backgrounds. The timeframe also depends on the profile of child you are open to adopting, but generally, the process will take 1-3 years. If you work with a private agency like Holt, your process will be significantly faster.

Pros for foster care adoption:

• Lower costs and broad parent eligibility.
• You will typically have good information about a child’s needs, medical history and social development.
• Children can keep in contact with their birth families, which is often the most emotionally and socially healthy option.

With foster care adoption, consider the following:

• Wait times for homestudy services can be staggering if you choose to go through the state (non-agency) process.
• Many children in foster care have experienced neglect and/or abuse, and you will need to prepare to parent a child who has experienced these traumas.

For international adoption, families welcome a child home who has already been legally cleared for adoption in another country. From the beginning, families determine their level of comfort when considering age, gender and special needs, and they can change their specifications at any time. Timeframes vary from country to country, but expect the process to take around 18-36 months. Some smaller programs may take a bit longer. However, in some instances, the process may be expedited in less than a year.

If families adopt through Holt, the timeframes tend to be stable and predictable. Holt also works with families from all 50 states – providing international adoption support nationwide. Some states will partner with a trustworthy homestudy agency, but Holt can guide you through a majority of the process.

Pros for international adoption:

• Eligibility, timeframes to adopt and fees are generally well-established, giving families a predictable adoption process.
• There are few instances in which the adoption won’t be completed, as the children are already legally cleared for adoption in their birth country.

With international adoption, consider the following:

• Sometimes, there is no information about a child’s birth history or family.
• Children placed for international adoption have endured the trauma of losing both their family and their culture.
• Families are usually required to travel once or sometimes twice to finalize their adoption, which can be an amazing chance to learn about your child’s birth culture — but can significantly add to the total cost of adoption.

3. Pick a country program.

Before you choose a country program, make sure that you are eligible to adopt internationally. Eligibility varies – depending on the country – and the requirements are specifically set by the country’s government. The age, marriage length, family size, medical conditions, income and other requirements differ from country to country, and comparing each country’s eligibility criteria can help you narrow down your options.

Holt provides a great list of eligibility requirements for our adoption programs, separated by country. But before you rule anything out, be sure to reach out to an adoption services specialist! Many countries will be flexible about eligibility if your family is open to older children, or children with more involved special needs.

4. Choose the agency.

When thinking about adoption, you might be tempted to browse photolistings of children waiting for families and reach out to the agency only after you’ve identified a child. But most children eligible for adoption will never appear on an agency photolisting! In most cases, only the children who need the most advocacy will appear online — often children who are older, part of a sibling group or have more involved special needs. Unless you’re hoping to adopt a child who fits that profile, it’s better to start the process by choosing an agency.

First, you will want to research your options. Some factors to immediately consider are whether the agency provides services in your state, whether they require a statement of faith that aligns with your faith, and whether they facilitate the kind of adoption that you’re open to — i.e., international, domestic infant or foster care adoption. Once you pick a few agencies that meet your basic criteria, contact the social workers and ask them questions. Talk to other adoptive families for their insight on an agency’s adoption process to get a feel for the agency. You could also look into the care the agency provides for waiting children, the post-adoption programs it offers or even, in the case of domestic adoption, the involvement of birth families. Keep in mind that you will work with an agency for several years to complete your adoption, so choosing the agency is one of the most important decisions you will ever make!

When deciding on an agency, you can also look at the mission, services and heart of the agency – what makes them stand apart. At Holt International, we find permanent, loving families for children domestically and internationally. Even though we pioneered international adoption over 60 years ago and remain a leader in adoption services, Holt is much more than an adoption agency. Around the world, Holt has long-standing in-country programs that work in many ways to help children grow and thrive – providing support through sponsorship to care for children waiting in orphanages and foster care, and to help keep children in the loving care of their birth families, whenever possible. At Holt, we recognize that every child’s situation is unique, and the best interest of the child is always our number one priority. Above all else, we are a child-centered adoption agency.

Holt also provides ongoing support for families beyond placement. We are one of the very few agencies that has a post-adoption services department – giving adoptees and families resources and support for life.

5. Establish your budget and financing.

It’s important for you to know what to expect financially before you begin the adoption process. The first step is to set a budget around adoption fees. The cost of adoption can feel like an obstacle for many families, but there are abundant resources available to help!

Once you set your budget, you can start researching ways to help fund your adoption. Talk to your employers since they may offer an adoption reimbursement program. Also look into adoption grants, but be sure to check the eligibility criteria and application deadlines.

Adopting a child with special needs? Many organizations give grants for families adopting a child with a special medial or developmental need. Ask your agency about these grants when you begin your process! Holt also assists families through Special Blessings grants, through our Special Needs Adoption Fund and by reducing program fees for some children with moderate to major needs.

Families can also fundraise! Whether you host a garage sale or crowdfund online, you can use your creativity to help fund your adoption. And seek out advice from other families! One Holt family fundraised the entire cost of the adoption process to bring their little girl home!

At Holt, we never want finances to come between families and children who need loving homes. For families looking for financial assistance and advice, Holt provides a list of grant providers, DIY fundraising ideas and other resources.

Mai Anh Boaz | Digital & Content Marketing Specialist

Learn More About International Adoption

We work with families in all 50 states to find loving homes for children from 11 locations around the world!

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The post Five Decisions Every Adoptive Family Needs to Make appeared first on Holt International.

This story is re-posted with permission from Alex’s blog.

Adoption costs quite a lot, that is a well-known fact and one of the main reasons people don’t pursue adoption even after they feel called to. But something I have learned through this process is that these costs have a purpose. There are hardworking people that are caring for these children and working on piles of paperwork and helping you jump through so many hoops to be able to bring your child home. I can only speak from our process, but even though our adoption costs seem like a lot of money, it provides jobs for those helping us along the way, a home for our baby girl and her foster family, and a way for our family to bring home our daughter.

With all of that said, the cost of this process was still one of Todd’s biggest fears, but standing on this side of the journey he said “can you believe I was scared about how we would be able to raise the money?” I strongly believe that God places you in a spot where you are not enough, so that He can show that He is.

Through God’s grace, our family and friends raised $45,000 in 8 months. Praise Jesus!

Through God’s grace, our family and friends raised $45,000 in 8 months. Praise Jesus!

Along with the pictures I will talk about that specific fundraiser, but first a few overall tips that I hope are helpful for those of you raising money to bring your precious child home:

• Y’all. There is no other way to explain how quickly our money came in other than GOD IS OUR PROVIDER. There is no way we can do this without Him but the awesome news is, adoption is HIS heart! And He moves heaven and earth to put the lonely in families. He adopted us and that is why He puts this love and longing in each of our hearts. So seek His will above all else. He will always come through for His children. His ways are always good. And y’all, He created the heavens and the earth, so $40-50k (or whatever your need is) is nothing to Him.
• If you don’t have a tribe, get plugged in and find one! God created us for community for a reason. Because we are not supposed to walk this journey alone. He gifts us all differently and watching as God provides friends with amazing talents to help us bring our daughter home has been amazingly beautiful and humbling. He uses his children to help his children.
• Talking about talents, God blesses us each with gifts. He uses these gifts to accomplish his will. Whether you make delicious homemade bread/desserts, beautiful art, can watch children while their mama and daddy have a date night, and so so much more! Pray about what gift God has given you to use.
• Use social media to its fullest and tell your story!! People will feel more invested if they know exactly what you are doing! We told lots of details about our steps and how much money was due. We also kept everyone up to date about how much we had raised and how much we still needed to raise. Be transparent with your finances!!
• Be willing to “work for it!” We had countless people tell us that they were very happy to give because we weren’t simply asking but were willing to do whatever possible to raise the funds we needed.
• We were matched before our homestudy was complete and then God simply poured the rest of our money in so we never had a chance to apply for grants, but there are wonderful grants available for adopting families.
• Keep a spreadsheet of where funds are coming from. I am so thankful we did this after someone gave us this advice.

Our T-Shirt Campaign

We did our t-shirt campaign through Fund The Nations and highly recommend them! These shirts are seriously SO soft!!!!! Everyone loves them! You get to design your shirt and then you pre-order. They ship the shirts to you and you distribute. We charged $25 per shirt and an extra $5 if they needed to be shipped. This raised about $2,000.

Calligraphy Fundraiser

Again, God gives you talents for a reason. I have always loved playing around with handwriting and calligraphy. My husband told me “Hey, people always like your handwriting. Why don’t you makes some signs?” I honestly thought we may make a couple hundred dollars from it, but custom calligraphy pieces have brought in about $6,800. I used social media to promote this and took custom orders. Again, think about something you enjoy doing on the side and see if you can use it to bring money in! People are totally willing to donate when they are getting something in return!!

Our Yard Sale

We really couldn’t have done this without our tribe. They were such a huge help. We all posted all over FB and asked for donations. We had over 65 families donate and it filled 2 two car garages!! Be willing to go pick up donations! Be super grateful for everything!! Sort things into categories and sort as you add donations. We started collecting donations about 2 months ahead of time. We didn’t price things, we all walked around in matching shirts and gave people prices as they asked. We didn’t price anything very high. We made sure everyone knew this was an adoption fundraiser. We opened the sale on Friday night and Saturday until about 2pm. I stayed at the “cash register” the whole time and we always had a line to pay. Have a jar for donations. Have “grab bags” for clothes and tell people they can fill a bag for $5. Sort clothes by sizes. We lined up a thrift store to come pick everything up at 2pm that hadn’t sold. This fundraiser raised about $6,200.

Our Silent Auction Dinner

This fundraiser raised about $9,300. We made this an event that you had to RSVP to and pay (to cover costs of food). We used a clubhouse that is a part of my parents’ condos so it was free of charge. My husband catered it (he’s pretty awesome) and did a Korean theme. We had 75 people. My tribe totally helped so very much with this too. We reached out to everyone we knew and asked for donations and giftcards and experiences. I am a travel agent so I got a trip to give away and we did a raffle with that. We announced the winner at the silent auction. Having an emcee really helped and took pressure off of us. Also setting items on tables and then “closing” the tables at different times really helps people to not scramble as well as gives you time to figure out winners and add totals. We also had an artist offer to “live paint” the event and then she auctioned her painting off. It was so fun!

Our Puzzle Fundraiser

My husband ordered this puzzle from a Korean artist on eBay who turns his artwork into puzzles. It is a 1000 piece puzzle. This fundraiser raised $10,000. Really use social media for this. You can do giveaways, like use the puzzle pieces as raffle tickets. We did this several times like “if you sponsor a puzzle piece it will put you in the running for a free custom calligraphy piece,” etc.

We posted the following instructions with updates:

This is how it works:

1. We had a 1000 piece puzzle, “Spring in Korea,” purchased from a Korean artist.
2. We are “selling” each piece for $10. You can buy 1, 2, 3, or 10! There is no limit!
3. To purchase you can send money through my paypal, mail a check, or send it through the Square Cash App.
4. Once you purchase a piece, we will write your name on the back of one of the puzzle pieces!
5. Once every single piece has been “sold”, we will put the puzzle together and hang it in a double-sided glass frame for our babies’ room so that they can always look back and be reminded of who had a “piece” of bringing our child home.

Sweet & Savory Fundraiser

We have a sweet friend who owns a cooking classroom and offered to do a fundraiser night for us. So think about who you know and ask around if they would be willing to hold a fundraiser night for you! This raised about $570.

Fundraisers not pictured:
– my husband buys items at yard sales and thrift stores and resells on eBay. (Again, talents and gifts given by The Lord.) This raised about $3,300.
– We had strait donations of about $6,900.

This was originally posted on Alex Smith’s blog, Bringing Home the Newest Smith.

For more ways to help finance your adoption visit our Financial Aid page!

Need help funding your adoption?

Families adopting through Holt receive free, professional guidance and support from a one-on-one finance coach throughout their adoption process. Even if you’re just considering adoption, email us to set up your first consultation today!

email adopt@holtinternational.org

The post How We Fundraised $45,000 for Our Adoption appeared first on Holt International.

When Koni and Ken Maat decide to adopt a 3-year-old girl from China with significant medical needs, they begin adoption fundraising — and are moved by the generosity of others who help them bring her home.

Everything in life was great! Our four biological children were all healthy, successful adults and the youngest was halfway through college. We could go where we wanted, when we wanted, without a thought to childcare or bedtimes. And I was finally able to have a dedicated guest room that I had always wanted in our modest home.

I was excited as I planned, painted and decorated the guest room, imagining the family and out-of-town friends who would stay there. When it was completed, I would periodically open the door and look in. It was the one room in the house that was always perfect and glancing in gave me a sense of peace. The satisfaction was short-lived. It seemed so pointless to have this empty room when there were children without a home. I began to research foster care, domestic adoption and international adoption. I would read waiting children’s bios knowing I could help them. I began frequently mentioning my desire and my findings to my husband, Ken, but was met with silence. On the occasion he did respond, he made it clear that he thought I was crazy for wanting to mess up our clearly perfect lifestyle.

We have a friend from Ken’s college days who has worked closely with orphanages in China for 20 years. He had been trying to get Ken to come to China on a mission trip for years. In 2013 Ken finally agreed to bring a team from our church to China. As he left for the airport, I half-jokingly said to him, “Look for a child to fall in love with.” His response was just a laugh and an eye roll.

Ken has been on a lot of mission trips over the years and the trip to China was not typical for him. He likes to do physically challenging things, and rocking babies and feeding and playing with children did not qualify. However, by the time he came home, his heart had changed. Not only did he see spending time with children at an orphanage as a true outreach, he was touched by what he saw. He saw real children with real needs and he knew we could help at least one of them.

After he shared this with me, we began the adoption process immediately. We were matched with a 3 ½-year-old girl. Chinese doctors had given her a life expectancy of 15-20 years because of a kidney/bladder issue. We had a lot working against us. We only had six months to take our classes, complete our homestudy and get the pile of necessary paperwork logged into China before my husband’s 50^th birthday.  Happily, with diligence on all fronts and the grace of God, we made that deadline with two weeks to spare.

Along the way, funds were needed and we were more than willing to completely deplete our savings, which we did. We were also willing to go into debt to bring our daughter home, though it would not have been an ideal start given her significant medical need. As our story became known, so many wonderful people came forward and gave towards our adoption.  One man who gave generously told us, “I figure that if you can give your lives to raise this child, the least I can do is give my money.” The Special Needs Adoption Fund at Holt International was also a blessing that kept us from having to go into debt for our adoption.

We brought home Chen Jing — we call her “Jing” — almost exactly one year from the time we started the adoption process.  I know without a doubt that Holt International, their attentive, persistent staff and their presence in China were the reason it moved so smoothly and quickly.  They also helped us gain access to an ultrasound from Jing’s file in China, which enabled us to consult with a local specialist before she came home — preparing us to quickly correct her medical issues.

The specialist we consulted with at Children’s Hospital in New Orleans diagnosed Jing with a duplicated right kidney and an infection so uncontrolled that no antibiotic would remedy it.  Jing had a five-hour surgery to correct this abnormality and, after three years and numerous checkups, she is thriving. She is very smart and excels at school. She loves to sing and takes piano lessons and gymnastics. In all regards, she is a normal, healthy child. But she was so close to being shut away, untreated and left to die of something so easily treatable. All she needed was someone who cared enough to do so.

When I see how bright and full of life Jing is and I recall the faces of the other children pictured with her at the orphanage, I wonder how many of them are just like Jing. How many of these precious children simply need someone who cares enough to bring them home and love them? Someone who has the resources to give them the needed surgery or medical care that is so easily attainable in the U.S.? Someone who can give them a promising future just like Jing’s?

Oftentimes, the label “special needs” means a child needs medical attention that they can’t or won’t receive growing up in an orphanage overseas. It does not always mean an overwhelming, life-consuming issue. I have embraced the sentiment of our generous friend – if there are loving people willing to give their lives raising children with “special needs,” the least we can do is give our money.

Koni Maat | Slidell, Louisiana

Funding Your Adoption 101: Getting Started

First things first: set a budget. Buildingyourfamily.com provides a great toolkit of downloadable worksheets to help you plan your adoption.

Does your employer have an adoption reimbursement program? Ask your human resources department or visit davethomasfoundation.org for a list of adoption-friendly employers. For members of the military, visit militaryfamily.org/info-resources/adoption.

Are you eligible for adoption grants? Before applying, it is important to check eligibility criteria and application deadlines. Most grant organizations accept applications after the family has an approved home study. For a list of grant providers, visit holtinternational.org/adoption/assistance.

Adopting a child with special needs? Many organizations provide grants specifically for families adopting a child with a special medical or developmental need. Holt also assists families through Special Blessings grants, through our Special Needs Adoption Fund and by reducing program fees for some children with moderate to major needs.

Fundraise! From selling coffee purchased at a discount to coordinating a sponsored service project to crowdfunding online or hosting a good old-fashioned garage sale, options abound to raise funds for your adoption! Visit amotherslovefundraising.com, BothHands.org, adoptogether.org, adoptalovestory.com, raginiproject.com and gofundme.com for ideas and inspiration.

Learn More About International Adoption

We work with families in all 50 states to find loving homes for children from 11 locations around the world!

learn more

The post The Least We Can Do — Adoption Fundraising appeared first on Holt International.