One of the most important aspects of my experience so far has been that my expectations for myself and my son have evolved over time. Human nature teaches us to seek perfection, to try to have the perfect family where everyone agrees on everything and problems don't exist. As I look back on the past few years, my idea of the perfect situation has changed. I realize that my experience as a parent is perfect-having some problems as well as good times and surviving it all! When your child says to you that this is the place he needs to be, then you realize that you have made an impact."
Kevin, single adoptive father

"Bellefaire has helped our family a lot. We now have five more children in our life, which has brought so much joy. Bellefaire helped to move the adoption quickly and was very supportive throughout the entire process. We were kept well informed whenever we had a question or concern, which was very helpful. Bellefaire kept in close contact from beginning to finalization. The home visits were also helpful and supportive."
JoAnn, foster-to-adopt/kinship adoptive parent of five waiting children, ranging in age from one to 10

"My daughter's counselor was really wonderful. The counselor was an advocate for my daughter and the baby's father. She not only looked out for the baby, but also for my daughter and the baby's father. I would absolutely recommend Bellefaire JCB to anyone. It is really an excellent program."
Ann, mother of a birth mother who chose adoption

"When we talk about our adoption experience to other couples, we always recommend Bellefaire. Questions we're typically asked include: Why did you choose Bellefaire? How was the home study process? Was the experience difficult?
We chose Bellefaire because we had heard that it is a very reputable agency. We also discovered through our research that they believed in and encouraged the open adoption experience, which we also thought was important. But as we worked with our social worker through the very emotional adoption procedure, Bellefaire became more than just an agency. There were faces and people that came into our lives to help us build our family.

The home study process can be grueling and invasive, but it was not for us. Our social worker really made the difference. She never made us feel as if she was judging us, our lifestyle, or the decisions we made. Instead, she was there to really find out who we are, and she used that to best help us build our family. She helped us to understand why she needed to ask certain questions and how it might help in the future. This made a big difference to us and our relationship with Bellefaire in general.

We have since adopted a wonderful baby girl! The adoption went very smoothly from the initial call to placement. Again, Bellefaire did more than just the "paperwork." Our social worker and the entire adoption department shared in our joy. They provided an enormous amount of support before, during, and after the adoption.

We know we can at anytime find a support system at Bellefaire. We are currently working with Bellefaire again in hopes of adopting our second child. We did not even consider going anywhere else."
Laura & Joe, adoptive parents

Life often gives us opportunities for learning and growing as individuals. In this case, I write so that you may learn from my "less than proud moment" during our overseas adoption process. It is my hope that parents waiting to adopt will take heed and stay relaxed. I needed to let go and let things evolve naturally.

My husband and I discussed at the very beginning stages of our adoption paperwork that we would do our best to complete all the requirements and then let go of the process. Once our dossier was turned in and approved, that is just what we did. We relinquished all control over trying to pinpoint exactly when we would be matched with a baby. Bellefaire JCB and Holt are topnotch organizations, so we knew we were in good hands. We received continuous updates on the wait to match timeframes, which gave us an idea of where we were in the process.

Our plan was working well until it was our time to receive a match. To our dismay, we were told that we just missed being part of the latest match group. This was a real blow to my fortitude. I felt sorrow over having to wait another month to receive our match. My husband, more rational than I, reminded me that in the big scheme of things, it was only a month's delay. What I realize now was that, although I had the demeanor of being at ease over the months of waiting, I was fanatical about plotting the days. I knew exactly when we should hear news of our adoption, given the continuous updates from Holt, and I was holding steadfast to this knowledge. This was my grip on the process, and yet I had convinced myself that I'd given up control of the process long ago.

I am humbled by this moment in retrospect, because if we had been with the match group I expected to be part of, we may have never been matched with the beautiful daughter we have today. Thank goodness things did not work out according to my plan. In fact, waiting that extra month proved to be the greatest blessing we could ever have hoped for. Things worked out for the better in the long run, not only because we had a wonderful trip to China and brought home the most amazing souvenir, but also because one of the families in our travel group is from a neighboring suburb. What an unexpected surprise! We have had the good fortune of sharing our overseas adoption together. Our daughters, who are from the same province, will have the opportunity to get to know one another. They may even become lifelong friends. A rewarding, meaningful bond exists between our families.

Things happen for a reason, so they say. I hope that anyone reading this who may be feeling anxious about the wait to match comes to know that it is all worth it, even if the wait is longer than you had anticipated.
Linda & Emmanuel, parents to a daughter adopted internationally

"We are strong advocates of Bellefaire JCB. Our Bellefaire workers have always been very nice to deal with. When problems arose with our children, our workers were open and communicated well. They tried to resolve the children's issues and were supportive to our children as well as to us, the parents. Our workers are cooperative and professional, making appropriate referrals and sending documents in a timely manner. Bellefaire provides its own services, such as therapists and training. We would definitely recommend Bellefaire to anyone considering foster or adoptive parenting."
Lisa & Cornell, parents to three adopted daughters, three adopted sons, and one foster daughter

"The greatest thing Bellefaire has done for us is help us grow our family and introduce us to our son, who we fostered and adopted. Now that we know more about adoption, we appreciate Bellefaire's careful attention to the many guidelines involved. Mostly, we are very grateful that we worked with an agency that makes the best interests of the birth family and child its top priorities, that offers support and education to adoptive parents, and that responds quickly to questions and concerns. Because of this experience, we foster babies who need stability as they make their way to their forever families."
Bryan & Karen, adoptive and foster parents

To learn more, call the Adoption Center at Bellefaire JCB.
Cleveland area: 216-932-2800
Toll free: 800-205-8534
Or email infoADP@bellefairejcb.org

This project funded in part by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau, Adoption Opportunity Demonstration Grant #90 CO 0995, Adoption in Ohio's Heartland.