Tuesday, July 8, 2014
To Vlog or not to Vlog; that is the question.
Are you more inclined to watch a short video post or read a blog post to keep up with our journey? Please comment below. Thanks!
Saturday, July 5, 2014
My best answers to why adoption cost so much and my best ideas for solutions.
Q. Why does adoption cost so much?
A. I don’t know.
It seems to me like the local church would have set up an adoption network long ago. The state is busy handling its own adoptions, and has done a fairly good job of getting children into safe homes with little or no cost to those resource parents who are rescuing the at-risk children. For this, I applaud the state. As a licensed Foster parent I see first-hand the care and concern that the state has for children. They make decisions that the church may disagree with, but I have not seen any church start a foster initiative. Please correct me if I am wrong. Ministries like this need to be publicized.
When adopting a child in the US that is not already in the state’s care (DCFS) the only two options that we have learned of are using an adoption agency or an adoption attorney. Option one is a flat $15,000 to the agency before any legal fees, court cost, birth mother care, home study, or out of pocket expenses. Option two is billed at $300.00 an hour with some cost of the process pre-determined.
In our case, in order for the birth father to say that he is willing to sign over his rights, we need a $2,500 retainer. That is simply to eliminate one parent. In a DCFS situation simple failure to appear in court could be termination of rights.
What can the church do?
Several things! The first thing that almost any church of any size can do is to start an adoption grant or missions fund. This fund can be administrated by the deacons or an elected committee. When a couple does try to adopt a child the church can be a first responder in several areas: recommend a reputable attorney in that state, make the first sizable donation, provide support to the adoptive parents and birth parents if possible, and assist in providing man power for local fund raisers like rummage sales and silent auctions.
The next thing that the church needs to do as a whole is establish an interdenominational nationwide adoption attorney network. Each state has its own laws for adoption so a lawyer in Indiana cannot, in many cases, practice in Florida. This network should be supported by the local church. It could then afford to provide free or greatly discounted services in the amount of donations received. This could greatly reduce the financial load on adoptive parents. One of the church’s main focuses should be caring for the widows and the fatherless, and in my opinion, we are sorely lacking in both of these areas.
A. I don’t know.
It seems to me like the local church would have set up an adoption network long ago. The state is busy handling its own adoptions, and has done a fairly good job of getting children into safe homes with little or no cost to those resource parents who are rescuing the at-risk children. For this, I applaud the state. As a licensed Foster parent I see first-hand the care and concern that the state has for children. They make decisions that the church may disagree with, but I have not seen any church start a foster initiative. Please correct me if I am wrong. Ministries like this need to be publicized.
When adopting a child in the US that is not already in the state’s care (DCFS) the only two options that we have learned of are using an adoption agency or an adoption attorney. Option one is a flat $15,000 to the agency before any legal fees, court cost, birth mother care, home study, or out of pocket expenses. Option two is billed at $300.00 an hour with some cost of the process pre-determined.
In our case, in order for the birth father to say that he is willing to sign over his rights, we need a $2,500 retainer. That is simply to eliminate one parent. In a DCFS situation simple failure to appear in court could be termination of rights.
What can the church do?
Several things! The first thing that almost any church of any size can do is to start an adoption grant or missions fund. This fund can be administrated by the deacons or an elected committee. When a couple does try to adopt a child the church can be a first responder in several areas: recommend a reputable attorney in that state, make the first sizable donation, provide support to the adoptive parents and birth parents if possible, and assist in providing man power for local fund raisers like rummage sales and silent auctions.
The next thing that the church needs to do as a whole is establish an interdenominational nationwide adoption attorney network. Each state has its own laws for adoption so a lawyer in Indiana cannot, in many cases, practice in Florida. This network should be supported by the local church. It could then afford to provide free or greatly discounted services in the amount of donations received. This could greatly reduce the financial load on adoptive parents. One of the church’s main focuses should be caring for the widows and the fatherless, and in my opinion, we are sorely lacking in both of these areas.
Rambling about my proposed Interdenominational Nationwide Adoption Network
You should stop reading here.
Why interdenominational? Question for you – if a child were hanging over a cliff, and you were losing your grip, and the only people close enough to help you save the child’s life were a Methodist, a Catholic, and John Piper, would you let them help you? No denomination, and no religion is big enough to solve the problem of abortion, adoption extortion, and children being dumped into foster care. The collective churches in America can solve these problems! An adoption network will keep law offices accountable to bill their services at a fair industry standard rate. There are enough families in the church to solve all abandoned children cases in the US. There is enough money in the church to fund this mission.
I fear that an initiative like this will never gain any ground because religious men and women are too short- sighted to see that we either come together to rescue these children or continue to allow them to be thrown into foster care where many families take children for the money from the state and no other reason.
Why National?
We need these cases to be handled with care by professionals who know their state's laws. I am not for the church starting a fellowship of Christian attorneys who take on cases for free and provide substandard services because they have little or no funding in a very costly marketplace. I am a firm believer that you get what you pay for. And why would we not want to flood both Christian and secular law offices statewide with well-intentioned people who want to rescue children? Are we not called to bring salt to a spiritually bland landscape and light to the dark world around us? We have given up salt and light for internalized, in-focused Bible lover clubs, shunning anyone who doesn't look, sound, and act just like we do.
Gross illustration in closing: How do you “change” a baby? You have to get in there where the mess is. You have to clean up the filth. You have to apply healing and cooling ointments, and you have to clothe the child in clean garments. How on earth will we ever “change” this world if we aren't willing to get a little messy?
Why interdenominational? Question for you – if a child were hanging over a cliff, and you were losing your grip, and the only people close enough to help you save the child’s life were a Methodist, a Catholic, and John Piper, would you let them help you? No denomination, and no religion is big enough to solve the problem of abortion, adoption extortion, and children being dumped into foster care. The collective churches in America can solve these problems! An adoption network will keep law offices accountable to bill their services at a fair industry standard rate. There are enough families in the church to solve all abandoned children cases in the US. There is enough money in the church to fund this mission.
I fear that an initiative like this will never gain any ground because religious men and women are too short- sighted to see that we either come together to rescue these children or continue to allow them to be thrown into foster care where many families take children for the money from the state and no other reason.
Why National?
We need these cases to be handled with care by professionals who know their state's laws. I am not for the church starting a fellowship of Christian attorneys who take on cases for free and provide substandard services because they have little or no funding in a very costly marketplace. I am a firm believer that you get what you pay for. And why would we not want to flood both Christian and secular law offices statewide with well-intentioned people who want to rescue children? Are we not called to bring salt to a spiritually bland landscape and light to the dark world around us? We have given up salt and light for internalized, in-focused Bible lover clubs, shunning anyone who doesn't look, sound, and act just like we do.
Gross illustration in closing: How do you “change” a baby? You have to get in there where the mess is. You have to clean up the filth. You have to apply healing and cooling ointments, and you have to clothe the child in clean garments. How on earth will we ever “change” this world if we aren't willing to get a little messy?
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