FAQ's

When we tell people we are adopting from Ethiopia, there are understably many questions that arise, usually after the initial shock wears off. Below I have tried to recreate the questions we have encountered so far and our usual answers. If you have a question not addressed below, feel free to email me.

1. Why adopt?
There are many reasons. After we had Grace (born 4/6/01), I was resistant to the idea of being pregnant again. It's wasn't an entirely unpleasant experience, it just wasn't something I was eager to repeat. Plus, I have always thought that there are so many kids out there who need homes and it might be a good way to grow our family. So, after we decided we wanted to have another child, it seemed logical to consider adoption. We started researching the pros and cons and different ways to adopt.

2. Why adopt internationally?
We looked into adopting domestically, and with the exception of special needs children, it is a very competitive process. There are long waits, it is expensive and there is always the risk that the birth mother may change her mind. Also, many domestic adoptions are open adoptions and that did not appeal to us. So we looked to international adoptions and researched our options.

3. Why adopt from Ethiopia?
We started talking to folks we know who have adopted internationally and doing our homework. U.S. citizens are somewhat limited as to what countries we can adopt from because the U.S. is not a signatory to the Hague Conventions on international adoption. We considered what was available to us--China, Russia, Ukraine, Colombia, Guatemala, Korea., etc. It was a process of elimination more than anything. We looked at how the children were cared for, the ages of children adopted, waiting times, the ease of the process, the cost, ability to travel to the country, etc. Ethiopia won in all of those categories.

4. Why choose Wide Horizons for Children as your agency?
Ethiopia is a relatively new program. There are only four agencies licensed by the Ethiopian government and Wide Horizons is one of them. Again, we talked to many friends and acquaintances who used Wide Horizons for their own adoptions. We talked to other agencies. We checked references. We attended an informational meeting and were favorably impressed with their presentation and style. Obviously, adoption is a very emotional process, full of ups and downs. Wide Horizons' presentation was very fact-based and they managed expectations very well. The staff has been responsive to all of our inquiries. Plus, they are based in Massachusetts and hopefully we will be able to form some support systems with other Wide Horizons adoptees in the New England area.

5. How long will the process take?
One of the reasons that we chose Ethiopia is that the time between the submission of all of your paperwork and the referral is very quick--sometimes days as opposed to months for other countries. We hope to have our paperwork completed and our home study done over the summer and then we will just wait and see. We have football season to contend with so we'd prefer not to travel until after November. We'll keep you updated.

6. How much does it cost?
Some costs are fixed-agency fees, visa applications, etc. Other costs, such as travel, are more fluid. Both Steve and I want to travel to Ethiopia to pick up our child, so we estimate the total cost for the adoption will be between $15,000-$20,000.

7. How do you know which child you will get?
We don't. It's potluck. We have yet to decide whether we will ask for a boy or just leave it to God to decide. We can ask for a boy because we already have a girl. We can also indicate a preferred age range--which we have done--6-18 mos. After that, it's up to the agency to match us with our child. We will get some basic medical information. All children adopted from Ethiopia must have a minimum of three negative HIV tests and other testing is done for Hep A, B and C and syphilis. The U.S. embassy will also do the same testing before a visa is issued. We may get a photo and some basic biographical information. There are millions of orphans in Ethiopia so it is hard to get much information about each one. We hope to get some information about our child to help him or her understand his or her background and heritage. But that may not be possible.