Are you a waiting family? Then you NEED this information

Day 207 Waiting for our baby through the miracle of adoption

Are you a family that is waiting to adopt a child? How long have you been waiting? I bet it feels like forever. So I'm going to say the "scary words" that a lot of adoptive couples avoid-

Special Needs Adoption

My question for all of you is, "why?" Why are you reluctant to adopt a child with special needs? Every day, I am thankful that I get to work with adults with disabilities. They are some of my closest friends, and very dear to my heart. And YES, some of these adults have SEVERE disabilities. But that doesn't matter. I love them love them love them!

Now, I know what some of you are thinking. You're thinking- "Well, she doesn't have room to talk. She hasn't adopted a special needs child, and she's matched with a birthmom who is expecting a healthy infant." So, please know that Malone and I were considered VERY seriously for at least four different special needs situations. We tried our dangdest (yep, I really just used that word) to bring one of those babies into our family, and we were extremely disappointed when each situation fell through. Heavenly Father just had another plan for us. For now.

Now, on to the meat of this conversation... Today I saw pictures of four absolutely precious brand new babies. These babies are waiting for their forever families. So this is my challenge. For just a moment, lay aside all of your "requirements" for the baby you want to adopt. Open your mind completely. Now, go take a look at these adorable children. I dare you not to fall in love. Click HERE to check out Christopher, Johnny, Ryan, and Sarah with Spence-Chapin adoption services. If you are worried about finances, just toss that thought away. This adoption agency is VERY affordable. I will warn you that they are difficult to get a hold of though.

Now, I have shown you four amazing opportunities. But keep your mind open for a moment longer, and let me introduce you to one of the greatest resources out there for waiting families.

Not long ago, we attended the National Families Supporting Adoption Conference in Layton, Utah. It was FANTASTIC. Every class was extremely informative, but there was one class that really stuck. It was taught by a woman who has adopted a number of special needs children internationally. And she has done so incurring very little expense. She has recently begun a sort of matching service where she connects waiting families with waiting infants who have special needs. These disabilities range from mild to severe. The best part? Her services are FREE. Let me just say that again... FREE! Did you catch on to that? Let me emphasize that one more time... FREE. What in the adoption world is FREE? NOTHING. You're crazy if you don't take advantage of this opportunity.

Anyway, in the class she said that in just a short time she had already placed lots of babies with families, and had to send away TEN little babies because she couldn't find enough families. We were shocked. When we got home from the conference, we signed up for her service right away. Ironically, just shortly after we finished all of the paperwork for her, we were selected by our birthmom, J, through LDS Family Services. BUT, right after our paperwork was completed, we received tips about FIVE different babies that were immediately available for adoption. Some of these babies had very severe disabilities. Some had only minor problems. Had J not matched with us right before that, we definitely would have said yes to at least one of those babies. I am not exaggerating when I say that after signing up with this service, you could potentially be parents within the next month. That's how badly they need families.

So, do I have you chomping at the bit? I hope so. Click HERE to visit her website and read more about her services. After all, just reading about it doesn't obligate you. So give it a go.

Now, I know this is getting long, but let me give you one more incentive. Go and sign up with this service. Then, if you receive information about a child with a disability that you are unfamiliar with or have questions about, I want you to CONTACT ME. Although I am not a total expert on disabilities, I am very familiar with many of these disabilities. If it is a disability that I work with, I will tell you EXACTLY what it is like to work with a person on a day-to-day basis with that disability. I will also be able to provide informational resources about that specific disability.

Now, why would I do this? The answer is simple. I'm willing to do this because I think most of you are either completely uninformed about specific disabilities OR you have been given misinformation. And it makes me sad that you are rejecting opportunities based on that. I have been asked before which disability I find easiest to work with. My answer? Downs Syndrome. Does that surprise you? I know it surprised the person I was talking to. This is just one example of a disability that is WIDELY misunderstood. I could go on forever with more examples, but I'll stop. (FOR NOW) However, I will leave this open invitation- if you have questions ASK ME. I'm not afraid to answer questions openly and honestly. If there is a disability that is VERY difficult, I will tell you. If there is a disability that is VERY expensive, I will tell you. Email me at maloneandbrittanyadopt@gmail.com. My only request is that you pray, and ask God to help you open your mind and heart to the possibility of adopting one of his special children. After all, they need love too.