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We adopted…
“We were a childless couple who applied to adopt with Families United Network. We knew to be patient and that it would take time. Then we got the call and we were shocked. Even though it was our dream to be called we were still overwhelmed with questions and excitement. In our situation the baby was already born and the birth mother was at the hospital and wanted to meet us. We could not have asked for a better interview. The birth mother was welcoming and easy to talk with. Then the next day we brought our baby home from the hospital. The next 9 months were exciting and emotionally difficult. In our situation the birth father contested the adoption. The agency was there to support us through the whole process. We finalized our adoption and a extremely grateful that the opportunity was given to us.”

We adopted…
“We were an older couple and my husband had two older children to a prior marriage but we did not have children together. We worked with the agency for close to 2 years. We were first matched with a potential adoption case. We had several interviews with the young lady and things were very positive. We were present for the birth of the child. Everything seemed wonderful. However, the next day the mother of the baby changed her mind and decided to parent. We were crushed. The agency was there to support us and took care of everything at the hospital so we did not have to return. Then almost a year later, the agency called us again. This time the baby was already born prematurely and in the NICU. The agency again explained the risk involved but we of course said yes. We gained temporary custody within 3 days and spent the next month at the hospital while our son was in the NICU. In our situation the birth father was unknown so we had to wait 4 months before we could file with the court to terminate parental rights. Again the agency was with us during the whole process and 10 months later we finalized the adoption of our son. Thinking back, the first failed adoption was terrible but we would not have changed a thing. We understood there were risks involved, but also understood we had to be willing to take a risk to be the family we wanted to be.”

If you are considering adoption or have any additional questions, please contact Heather O’Neill, MSW, Private Adoption Supervisor at hnoneill@families4kids.org or 717-492-9338.