Timelines, tomatoes and termites. . .

It’s time for a roundup on what’s been going on with our family. . .let’s start first with our adoption. Our agency confirmed last week that it will likely be mid-2009 before we receive a referral. They projected our timeline of being matched with a child anywhere from March to September of next year. That’s what I expected, and it’s nice to have an update from our agency. Only time will tell how accurate that estimate is. . .

In the meantime, we have been staying busy around our house. My husband has been growing tomatoes, zucchini and a few other vegetables in our garden. So far we have harvested a few zucchini and made chocolate zucchini bread and poor man’s crab cakes (made with zucchini instead of crab meat). The tomato plants look like they will be ripe for harvesting sometime in July - not sure whether we will be able to eat all of the tomatoes we harvest, but perhaps I can offer some to our neighbors. If you have any good tomato recipes, send them my way!

Our house has also been in need of some repairs and upkeep, so for the last two weeks our home has become a mini-construction zone.  A crew working at our house last week came across termites and carpenter ants. . .not a pleasant way to start a Monday morning but fortunately the damage was minimal and we were able to go ahead and have it treated without too much trouble. We had debated whether to have this work done, since we are trying to also save for the adoption. But it was a blessing to discover these problems and go ahead and take care of them.

One last note - Dave has been using Earth Boxes this year for some of our vegetables, and they have been great. We had not planned to do the house repairs before he planted our garden, but because he was using the Earth Boxes, he was able to move the plants out of the way. And the plants have really thrived in the containers. Dave is experimenting now with growing pumpkins in an Earth Box - we’ll see if those plants are as successful as our tomato and zucchini plants have been so far!

 

Affording Adoption

The cost of adopting can seem daunting, and I think many people decide they are not able to adopt because of the cost. There are fees for the adoption agency, the home study, immigration paperwork, plus travel expenses if you are doing an international adoption. And because our wait will likely extend into next year, we will have to renew our home study and immigration paperwork.

But there’s hope! The US Government offers a federal adoption tax credit, which is currently at $11,390. Several states also offer tax credits or deductions. Virginia is not yet one of them, although the General Assembly did consider an adoption tax credit proposal during the 2007 session. If you are considering adoption, check with your state’s tax office to see whether there are any tax credits or deductions for which you would be eligible. (This is not tax advice. Please check with your accountant.)

David’s employer offers adoption assistance benefits. We hope to apply some of those benefits to our adoption expenses. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption has a listing of adoption-friendly workplaces. And if your employer does not offer adoption assistance benefits, perhaps it is worth asking the human resources department to consider establishing a new policy. The Dave Thomas Foundation offers a toolkit to help you prepare a presentation on adoption benefits.

There are also grants available from organizations for families who qualify for financial need. There are often more applicants than money available, but it may be worth checking into to see if you would qualify. Shaohannah’s Hope, the ministry started by Steven and Mary Beth Chapman, is one organization that offers grants.

You should also check out the website for Adoptive Families Magazine. It offers a great overview on adoption costs, and advice from families who have adopted.  For those of you who have or are adopting, I would love to hear your ideas on financing adoption. 

Waiting Children

One aspect of our adoption journey that has left me heartbroken is learning about the children who are waiting for forever families.  Our agency sometimes sends out emails with children available for adoption, and we have also signed up to receive updates from Rainbow Kids. I often look at the profiles of the children and wonder with each child, if this one could be the one God has chosen for our family. When special needs are listed, I try to research and learn a little more about the child’s needs.

There is a beautiful little girl at St. Lucy’s Orphanage in Taiwan right now who is waiting for her forever family - her name is Chia-Ling and she is just about 18 months old. She was born with a genetic condition that will require extra care as she grows up.  More information about her is available on Heartsent Adoption Agency’s website.  

Update (July 2008): A family is now in the process of adopting Chia-Ling! 

Enjoy a Wendy’s Frosty for a good cause

Treat yourself to a Frosty at Wendy’s this weekend, and the restaurant will donate 50 cents of each Frosty sold to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.  The money raised on June 14 & 15 will help children in foster care find permanent homes and loving families.  Click here for more information about the Frosty Fundraiser.

HT: House Mix

$275K in donations to Shaohannah’s Hope

The Associated Press has reported that about $275,000 has been donated to Shaohannah’s Hope.  What a blessing amidst such sadness.   Steven Curtis Chapman’s family had requested donations be made to the organization in honor of their youngest daughter, Maria, who was killed in a tragic accident in the family’s driveway on May 21.  Shaohannah’s Hope  is an orphan care ministry which provides grants to families who are adopting.  The Chapmans started the organization after adopting a little girl, Shaohannah, from China.  They went on to adopt two more girls, Stevey Joy and Maria, from China.  Please continue to pray for the Chapman family as they mourn for Maria - pray that God would be their Comforter and their strength, and He would be glorified.