One of Thirty-Six

       

       
          One of the major barriers to Kristin and me starting the adoption process is cost. The cost of infant adoption ranges from $20,000 to 50,000. We simply don't have that kind of cash right now. But what troubles me more than the high cost of adoption is the reason for the high cost.
          Unfortunately, the reason is seldom discussed. Like anything else, supply and demand influences the price; yes, this is true even of adoption. You are probably thinking, "but there are thousands of kids waiting to be adopted. Surely, there is plenty of supply." This couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, 36 couples are waiting to adopt every child who is put up for adoption. Plenty of children who need families are in the foster care system but the foster system is completely different. These children need temporary homes: very few of them are available to adopt and many of them have behavioral issues that require parents with specialized skills and experience.
          So what accounts for such a shortage in children available for adoption? Several factors contribute, but the most significant one is almost never discussed: abortion. The vast majority of women with unwanted pregnancies choose abortion, greatly reducing the supply. In fact, twenty-two percent of pregnancies in the U.S. end in abortion. Obviously, the real tragedy is not the low supply and resulting high cost of adoption but the lives of the millions of babies who are aborted. To put it bluntly, the lack of babies available to be adopted is due to the fact that most of them do not survive to birth. This is an incomprehensible tragedy.
          But what if this tragedy were largely avoidable by simply dispelling the myth that a surplus of babies is waiting to be adopted? Many pregnant mothers wrongly assume that if they put their baby up for adoption, their baby will not find a loving home, not realizing that a waiting list of loving couples is ready to adopt their child. Because of this misunderstanding, they conclude that abortion is a better choice for their baby.
          But what if these pregnant mothers understood that 36 couples have paid thousands of dollars and are waiting to adopt and love their baby and fulfill their dreams? What if they understood that the adoptive family would cover their expenses while they were pregnant? What if they understood that the adoptive family would love them and their babies and would care for them during their pregnancy?
          Together, we can make a difference and save lives just by spreading the word that thousands of couples like Kristin and I would adopt, love and care for the babies who face abortion. Just as importantly, we would love the birth mothers and honor them for their bravery. We would show them that God can turn their mistakes into immense blessings and dreams come true for the adoptive families.
          So spread the word, not just for Kristin and me and the thousands of couples waiting to adopt, but more importantly, for the lives of the thousands of babies who face abortion every day. Perhaps we can influence their mothers to choose life and one day, there will be 36 babies for every 36 couples waiting to adopt.