Adoptive Parent
Testimonials
Adoption Network Law Center has created this book of Adoptive Parent testimonials. We are touched by every story that has been included and are grateful to be a part of
“Helping Build Families, One Miracle at a Time®” We hope that you enjoy reading each personal and unique story. Testimonials or endorsements do not constitute a guarantee, warranty or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.
Try not to worry about the timing of it all. The timing of adoption is uncontrollable and uncertain, and yes, that part is hard. But what is certain is that with ANLC you’ll be working with an entity that will exceed your expectations.
The day my husband and I got married, it was 95 degrees and beyond hot to be outdoors in a ball gown and tuxedo. But who cared? We were blissfully in love and excited for all the future had to bring! On that joyful day though, we never anticipated one of our marriage’s low points would be facing infertility. We miscarried after two years of trying, and though we were devastated, we told ourselves that “everything happens for a reason.” While we were fortunate to have our son Cameron after the miscarriage, we soon learned we never could get pregnant again. While we were initially worried about ANLC being located hundreds of miles away, we never felt like we were any less important than another couple who might be sitting with them face to face. The staff at ANLC
became part of our extended family as we were working diligently to grow our own little family and we were so glad to have made that one phone call. Everything happens for a reason. We welcomed Max into our family on the day of his birth, only a few short months later. We’d heard stories from ANLC about fast adoptions (and of course we wanted that to be true for us, too!), but we were also cautioned that other couples had far different experiences. We reminded ourselves to push past the anxiety of waiting and just trust the process and the professionals who were helping us. And if we could give you one piece of advice as you go through this process, it would be the same. Try not to worry about the timing of it all. The timing of adoption is uncontrollable and uncertain, and yes, that part is hard. But what is certain is that with ANLC you’ll be working with an entity that will exceed your expectations not only in terms of their professionalism and competency, but also with their empathy and support. Due to their thorough vetting process, their guidance, and their years’ worth of expertise we experienced a swift and virtually stress-free adoption for us, and we want to give you the hope, the strength, and the confidence that the same is possible for you with ANLC’s help. Today, Max is seven months old, healthy as can be, and giggles uncontrollably as his feisty two-year-old brother bounces around. Life is busy, and on that hot afternoon several years ago when my husband and I said “I do,” we couldn’t have predicted this would be our life. But everything happens for a reason and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Trevor and Molly
Tom and I had been married for 15 years when we finally took the leap into our adoption journey. I had so many fears. We were older, our house was not a mansion and we were comfortable, but hardly wealthy. I feared a social worker would take one look at my tiny cluttered kitchen and not approve our home study. Would the baby be healthy? Would the birth mother change her mind at the last minute? Could I handle an open adoption? I wanted to be a mom so badly that I embraced those fears and jumped. Our adoption was anything but easy. A few months after starting our search we got “the call” that someone had picked us. I was elated, only to have my heart broken before the match was official. Then a second and a third disruption happened all in the first year. Each time I cried myself to sleep and wondered if my dream would be realized. Then, nearly two years after our first step, the perfect match found us. A birth family wanted us to be the parents of their miracle. After meeting them I just knew this was it. Our son was born in March of 2014 and has changed our lives in so many ways. My heart is so full of joy it’s nearly impossible to contain. We Skype, text and talk to his birth family frequently, and I consider them family. The waiting, the fear, the uncertainty… they all led to the creation of my family and I wouldn’t trade it or change my story in any way. Tom & Debbi
My heart is so full of joy it’s nearly impossible to contain.
Our story is much more different than most of the testimonials that you will read about here, because Jeff and I are a same sex couple. We both always wanted a family, but did not know whether it was ever going to be possible. We prayed and dreamed about having a baby and finally, after 14 years, we decided it was time to start making our dreams come true. We searched several adoption entities before deciding that the Adoption Network Law Center (ANLC) was the right one for us. There were numerous reasons for choosing ANLC, but primarily the expertise and open communication made us feel very comfortable and confident in making the final decision.
Although she is a gift born in December. Although it was a very fast process, we from God, we truly were very much prepared and ready. There are not enough feel that the Birth words to express the love that we have for our little girl. She Mother and staff at has filled our lives with more love, laughter and joy than ANLC were the human we could have ever imagined. Although she is a gift from God, we truly feel that the Birth Mother and staff at ANLC angels helping to bring were the human angels helping to bring her home...home to her home...home to her her forever family. A family is not always about the genetic forever family make-up or blood, but the family that you create and the Our profile officially went live in August of 2014, we found a match in October of the same year and our daughter was
love that you share.
From the beginning to the finalization of the adoption process all of our questions and concerns were handled in the most professional and caring manner. We appreciate the fact that we were never treated like a “customer.� There will never be enough words to express our gratitude for the amazing gift you all have blessed us with. With the warmest heartfelt Thanks, Jeff and Charlie
Our lives seemed perfect. We had just gotten married, were enjoying our time with Kevin’s two biological children and living our daily lives. It wasn’t until we received the news that Mollie would have to have a hysterectomy that we realized a missing piece to our family. Adoption was the
It wasn’t until we found ANLC that our fears were lessened
only option for us. At first, we used a private attorney to start the process. With the attorney we had 3 disruptions. These disruptions were some of the scariest and saddest times of our lives. It wasn’t until we found ANLC that our fears were lessened. During the process we were open to any race of child and even matched with different races. Our matches were all across the country. We traveled to different states and met different birthmothers. In the end, we were matched with a birthmom that was from our same state and same race. We honestly feel that each disruption lead us to our little Liam. We couldn’t imagine any other child than him as our son. Our family continues to keep in contact with Liam’s birthmother with letters and photos sent twice a year. It is important to us that Liam knows about his own journey and how God led him to us. Our lives now are the normal day to day crazy with an added bit of “fire” from our little man, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Kevin and Mollie
ANLC helped us find our miracle not once but twice. The ANLC staff did a wonderful job working to get us matched with a birthmother. After a stressful first year which included several ups and downs, and with the continued support and efforts of ANLC we were selected by the birthmother that would bring our wonderful daughter in to our lives. Adeline was born May of 2012 and we could not have been more blessed. It was the best experience ever. We said our goodbyes, thanked everyone for all their love and support and headed home with the most beautiful baby girl. In Adeline, God had given us such a gift. Addie is amazing, so smart, funny and loving. Our family was complete; we now had a sweet 3 year old daughter and life couldn’t get any better. Or could it? In June of 2015 we received a call from ANLC; our daughter’s birthmother and birthfather were about to have another child, a full sibling to our Adeline. Yes, God blessed us again, and Annabelle was born in August, 2016. We now have 2 miracles in our family, sharing a bedroom and their lives together. Thanks for all the wonderful people at ANLC! Thanks, Jim & Monica
Adoption was an easy choice for us. After years of trying to have a baby we decided that we wanted to adopt. We knew we could love any baby and just desperately wanted our family to feel complete (I have a daughter from a previous marriage). Before we were chosen to be the parents of Bodhi we did experience a failed adoption and it was devastating, but we stayed strong because we really believed our baby was still waiting for us. The moment Bodhi was placed in our arms our hearts melted and we loved him with a thousand hearts. We truly believe he was always meant to be ours and that it was part of God’s plan. We have a deep love and compassion for our birth parents. They did a wonderful and amazing thing for our family and we are forever grateful. We keep in contact with them through email and photos. Not a day passes where we don’t feel blessed and we look forward to what the future holds for our family. Jason & Melissa
I am a single lady and my biggest dream in life was to be a mother. ANLC made my maternal dream come true! I decided to look into adoption and began my search with domestic adoption agencies because I wanted to adopt a newborn. I had a difficult time finding an agency that would work with a single parent. I thought since I was single I would not be selected by a prospective birth mother for at least 2 or 3 years. I was shocked when I received a phone call a short 5 months after I had completed all of my required paperwork and home study. I was so excited and nervous. The call with the birth mother and ANLC advisor went great. This adoption opportunity unfortunately did not work due to issues with the birth father. ANLC was so supportive and informative during the entire process. ANLC asked me if I needed time to recover from the lost opportunity or if I was ready to be placed back on the website. I knew in my heart that there was another child waiting for me, so I asked to be placed back on the website. I received a phone call 3 weeks after the first opportunity ended. I could not believe it! I was able to talk to both the birth mother and birth father a couple of days later. The conversation went great and a match was made. The baby was due in less than 2 months and the birth parents wanted to meet me before the baby was born. I live in Indiana and the birth parents live in California. So, I flew out the next month to meet them for a day. I was so nervous, but everything went perfect! The birth parents wanted to have a closed adoption after the baby was born, so I was able to ask the birth parents a myriad of questions about themselves and their families. They were very open and provided all the potential answers to the questions that the child would someday ask about the birth parents. I was able to watch the birth of my perfectly beautiful precious daughter. I was even given the opportunity to cut her umbilical cord. The birth mother wanted me to bond with the baby right after birth. Words cannot express the emotions I had the first time I held my daughter. All my worries vanished and overwhelming love, happiness and joy filled my heart. I was able to stay at the hospital with my daughter until we were discharged the next day. We were cleared to leave the state of California and return to Indiana 4 days after she was born. But before we left, we were able to visit ANLC and meet all the wonderful ladies who worked in perfect unison to provide us a smooth adoption journey. With many thanks, Lisa and Isabella
But before we left, we were able to visit ANLC and meet all the wonderful ladies who worked in perfect unison to provide us a smooth adoption journey.
To Kristin and everyone at ANLC, When my husband and I decided we wanted to adopt, we were looking for someone who would provide a positive personal experience. After researching, we chose to start the process with one of our local agencies. Even though the agency was in our home town, we would learn that they were not what we had expected. They did not return our calls and failed to support us when we had questions or concerns. I was devastated. We had spent a lot of time and money with them.
Not only were we supported, ANLC made sure that our daughter’s birth mother had the support she needed as well
But in my heart, I knew there was a child out there that was meant to be in our family. I was so nervous to look at other places across the nation. If I couldn’t get the help and support locally, how could I ever expect it from someone in another state? From the moment I spoke with Betsy, she instantly calmed my nerves. She took the time to explain and answer my questions. Never once did I feel pressured. Each time I spoke with her, I became more sure of the decision we were about to make. After speaking with Kris, we took the leap with ANLC and it was the best decision we ever made. With each step, I felt like someone was right beside me holding my hand. My phone calls were quickly returned, my questions were answered, and everyone was always positive and reassuring. In less than a month we were preparing to bring a baby home. After a couple weeks, we learned that child would not be coming home to us. Even though we had hit a hurdle, I still had faith. Never would I have imagined that 2 days later our lives would change. We received a call early in the morning that our little girl was already born. Even though we were flying across the nation, I felt like Mary, our advisor, was with us. She made sure everything was arranged for us when we showed up. She made sure there was someone at the hospital to help us. She checked in with us frequently to make sure everything was going well. Not only were we supported, ANLC made sure that our daughter’s birth mother had the support she needed as well. We have a wonderful open adoption. Our little girl is the light of our lives. I thank God each day for bringing us to you. THANK YOU ALL for everything! Because of you, Miracles do happen. Meghan and Dave
Thank you so much for reaching out to us. We are all doing very well. Sophia is growing so fast! She is a true joy to our lives. She is “talking,” and smiles all of the time. She is the most amazing blessing in our lives. We cannot thank ANLC enough! Without the National Adoption Month pro bono services contest, we would not have our sweet girl. Our hearts are full of love and gratitude for you all!! She is sleeping on my chest as I type this email. Being her mom has brought so much meaning and purpose to my life. I never realized how our struggle with infertility had created such deep wounds in my heart. I had such a desire to be a mother, and now thanks to ANLC and the selflessness of our Birth Mother, I finally am. “Thank you” doesn’t seem to do justice. We will forever be grateful. Toby & Stephanie
The wait is the hardest part. Looking back now, waiting was almost physically painful. The not knowing when or who or where. Our client liaison at ANLC was always there to talk and give us updates whenever we needed. We never felt left out of the loop. Looking at the website “views” was hard too, because then of course you wondered who was looking at your profile, hoping that this time the birth mom would pick you!
After meeting our birth mom, I wanted her to be a part of our lives. I didn’t want to lose contact with the woman who gave us the greatest gift of our lives.
As with most things in life there is always some risk involved. Our first match didn’t work out, the birth mother changed her mind. We had always known that was a possibility, but it was devastating. We had traveled to her town and held the baby, spent time with the birth mom and the next day she changed her mind. I’m not going to sugarcoat it and say it was okay, it wasn’t. We left to go home and it was the longest, hardest drive of our lives. We didn’t even know what to say to each other. For a long time I moped around, but I started to remind myself that somewhere there was a baby for us. We got matched just two short months later. This time was different, right from the beginning. We drove to meet the
birth mom prior to her delivery and it was an instant connection. We both cried upon meeting each other, it just felt right. I remember thinking how when we started the adoption process, I didn’t want contact with the birth mom after the child was placed with us, or that maybe just photos would be okay. After meeting our birth mom, I wanted her to be a part of our lives. I didn’t want to lose contact with the woman who gave us the greatest gift of our lives. So, we still talk. Not every day, or even once a month, but we email and we are friends on Instagram. She gets to see as many photos of Theo as she wants and we have a wonderful connection. The birth of our son has been the greatest moment of our lives. He has made the wait totally worth it. Every piece of the adoption process was a learning experience for us, and I wouldn’t change any of it now that it’s done. Our family is happy and complete! We are 11 months into our life as a family of three. It’s been the fastest 11 months of our lives. I tell Theo of his adoption story quite often, and about his birth mom. I recognize that he is not old enough to understand what I’m saying yet, but every time I tell it, it connects him more fully to us and connects him to his birth family. I want him to always know where he comes from and what makes him who he is. It is something we will spend our lives talking about. Michael & Leslie
Our adoption journey began in the summer of 2010 when, after several unsuccessful pregnancies, my husband and I were led to grow our family through adoption. We had two sons already; Lane (whom we adopted at the age of 7 months from Russia) and Connor (our biological son). We had lost a son, Parker, due to a full-term stillbirth, and I had experienced two miscarriages as well. Even after all of the losses, we knew that God wasn’t finished with our family; we were not yet complete. We chose ANLC because we felt that our wait time for a child would be relatively short; my husband and I were in our forties, so the short wait time was very appealing to us! Our previous adoption of Lane had been many years before and it was an international adoption; adopting domestically would be new for us and I did have concerns. I worried that a birthmother might not select our family because of our age and the fact that we already had two children. I worried about the “open” adoption process as it would be very different than our previous experience. But we dove into the process, knowing that God had a perfect plan!
Once our paperwork was complete and our profiles went live, we were chosen by a birthmother almost immediately!
Once our paperwork was complete and our profiles went live, we were chosen by a birthmother almost immediately! We spoke with her on the phone once briefly and learned that she was having a baby girl. However, not long after our conversation, this birthmother chose to keep her daughter and not proceed with the adoption process. My husband and I felt the familiar sting of loss, but knew that we would carry on and wait for OUR BABY to arrive. This wait became very long and exhausting at times; we had to update our home
study because it expired, and we had still not been chosen. Many times I thought, why is this taking so long? But God continued to assure us that HE had a perfect plan and in HIS time, it would all come together! Then finally, in May, 2013, I got THE CALL! A baby boy had been born and was available for adoption! We traveled the very next day and met him in the NICU of the hospital. As soon as we entered that hospital, the staff treated us as his Mommy and Daddy. Our particular birthmother opted for closed adoption, so we never met her and she never met her son. But we KNOW that God chose her son for us, and we are forever grateful. Our lives are complete and full and BUSY with three boys ages 17, 11, and 22 months! The feeling of contentment and joy that we have is really impossible to describe. Easton is a loving, energetic, happy and PERFECT little boy! We are beyond thankful for him and for the blessing and miracle of ADOPTION! Robert and Angela
Adoption Network Law Center 23161 Lake Center Drive • Suite 210 Lake Forest, CA 92630 1-800-367-2367 | adoptionnetwork.com *Testimonials, endorsements, past performance and statistical data do not constitute a guarantee, warranty or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.