On Friday November 18, 2016; five AFTH adoptive parents finalized their adoptions, at the Camden County Court House in Camden, NJ. The day of the finalizations fell on National Adoption Day, which made the day all the more fitting and special. We spoke with two of the families, Jennifer and Joe , as well as Leanne and Ryan, who shared a few details about their adoption journey.
Jennifer and Joe
Q: Tell me a little bit about you and your family.
Jennifer: Joe and I met a little over ten years ago. We were married in 2010 in Newark, New Jersey. We both work full time, I am in Sales and Joe works in operations for an office coffee company. Up until we adopted Zoe, our little family consisted of the two of us and our pets. We loved to travel, to go to the movies, to go to the beach, to play with our pets and more things young(ish) couples do. Since Zoe, we still love all of the same things, but try to make them more family friendly. So nights at the movies have been replaced with long walks with Zoe in the stroller and so on.
Q: What does adoption mean to you?
Jennifer: Both the ultimate sacrifice (for the birth parents), and a priceless gift (for the adoptive family).
Q: What was the adoption journey like for you? Were there any difficult moments?
Jennifer: Through the entire process, we met some amazing people, from social workers to other prospective adoptive families, to birth parents who had previously placed children for adoption. While at times it could seem a bit overwhelming, it gave us a chance to learn more about the process, the people involved in every aspect of it, but most importantly, ourselves.
Q: What is the best part about having an open adoption?
Jennifer: The fact that it promotes a healthy relationship between birth parents, adoptive parents and child. Zoe will always know that this was one of the toughest decisions her birth mom will ever make, and she did it to give her the best life possible.
Q: Do you plan on adopting again?
Jennifer: It is definitely something that we are considering. If we do, it will be shortly after Zoe’s first birthday.
Q: How does it feel to be finalizing your adoption?
Jennifer: Fantastic. Early on, it seemed so far away, but now that we are here, it seems to have come in the blink of an eye. Although Zoe joined our family more than six months ago, we are extremely excited to make it official today.
Q: Describe adoption using one word.
Jennifer: Love.
Leanne and Ryan
Q: Tell me a little bit about your family.
L: It’s me and my husband Ryan. We’ve been married just a little over 5 years. We adopted Caleb in March 2016, and he is our first child. 
Q: What was the adoption journey like for you? Were there any difficult moments?
L: Overall the adoption journey went well. The paperwork was the toughest part – however, I didn’t find it as difficult as I thought it would be. It took us a while to get through everything. We had a few situations in which we were really close [to bringing the baby home], but it didn’t fall through. So that made it emotional times.
Q: Why did you choose adoption?
L: Well, we have close friends and family that adopted, and I’ve always thought about adopting internationally – but it seemed as though there were too many restrictions. And our second and third year of marriage I experienced two miscarriages, so that’s what pushed us towards adoption – we’re both 44, so we didn’t want to wait too long.
Q: Do you plan on adopting again?
L: Yes, we’ve talked about it, however, we are completely happy right now. Although, it is a possibility.
Q: How does it feel to be finalizing your adoption?
L: It feels really good. It’s good to have closure. We’re glad to get that birth certificate.
Q: Do you have any advice for prospective adoptive parents.
Yes. Just be patient, because you want the perfect child for your family. It is so worth the wait, no matter how long it is.
Q: Describe adoption using one word.
L: Blessing. He’s just a big blessing.
