Your FAQ's of What Happens Next

"Great," you might say, "you're adopting!" But this revelation doesn't really paint a picture for you of what that actually means for us right now, a couple months from now, or a year from now, and you're not sure how to temper your expectations or ask questions without sticking your foot in your mouth.

But never fear--because we're new at this, too. And I'd like to test the theory that there are no stupid questions by inviting you to ask whatever it is you're hesitant to put into words. From our loved ones so far, here's what I think you may be wanting to ask... (And so far, my theory checks out! None of these questions are silly at all!)

Why are you adopting?

It has always been my (Kait) desire to grow my family through adoption, and this was something Jonathan and I discussed at length when we were dating. After four years of marriage, we are ready to move forward with this plan we've had from the start.

Where are you adopting from, and how old will the child be?

There are different types of adoptions, and many of the stories we know have been families who've adopted internationally. We will be adopting an infant domestically (in America). The abbreviation for this is DIA (domestic infant adoption). An infant for us can be anywhere from newborn to six months, though it is most likely we will be placed with an expectant mom before birth or a newborn at the hospital.

Where will your child come from?

We are partnered with a local agency called Adoption Support Center. They primarily work throughout the state of Indiana. In a DIA, the expectant mother has the opportunity to choose an adoptive family for her baby. ASC has adoption coordinators working with expectant mothers through their adoption plan and introducing them to potential adoptive families like us through online profiles. When an expectant mom chooses us, it is likely we will get to meet her face-to-face for the first time prior to the birth of her baby.

How long will it take? Why?

This is probably the main question you have, because an adoption announcement doesn't come with a due date. It is the goal of ASC to help families adopt within a year of "going live." Our timeline will have a lot to do with our flexibility when it comes to race, substance abuse, and openness with an expectant mother, because our profile will be relevant to many different types of expectant mothers. Families with a lot of flexibility generally wait less than a year. But really, it is all up to an expectant mom connecting with our profile and choosing us. There really is no good rule of measurement to guess how long we will be waiting.

And "going live"? This time of waiting will begin after we have our home study complete and approved and have the next step of our funding in place. Then the adoption coordinators will be able to start showing our profile to expectant mothers.

Does this begin to frame our journey for you? I hope so. Anything we share is only something we have learned ourselves very recently, but you're welcome to ask more. It's all a work in progress!