Geoff got a call from a friend at work one day. “I’m not sure anything will come of this, but I gave your number to a friend from work. She adopted a little girl a few years ago and the mother is pregnant again.” Speechless, Geoff jotted down a couple of notes and then sat down with his head in his hands.
They weren’t ready.
They hadn’t started the home study. They didn’t have immediate funds for legal. The information he had about the potential baby was something they might be open to, but they hadn’t even had a definitive conversation about it yet. And, to make matters worse, the birth mother was due in three short weeks.
On the plus side, the birth mother was only three hours away, in their same state. She wanted only limited contact and since she had made an adoption plan previously, perhaps she knew what it would be like so would be less likely to change her mind. And this would save them time and money on advertising and looking for a birth mother connection.
He knew in his heart that his first call to be to his wife, but he decided instead to call his coordinator. Before he got his wife’s hopes up, he wanted to see if it was even a possibility. To be honest, he almost hoped it wasn’t because he was really busy at work and taking time off now would be tough.
As the information spilled out quickly, Geoff found himself getting excited at the possibility. It was like it had taken a little time to sink in.
His coordinator gave him the home study referrals again, and instructed him to contact them right now and explain the situation. He did, and quickly reported back that they were emailing him the info and could expedite everything. Next came the legal referrals which Geoff called to learn that there wouldn’t be any problem there either. And the good news was that both providers took credit cards.
Reassured that this could work, Geoff met his wife Ally at the door with a huge grin and a hug. “You’re never going to believe it, babe,” he said. And she didn’t. Ally was in shock. They both had put off starting things until there was more free time or a break in their jobs, but it hadn’t yet come.
They went to work as quickly as they could, and within the next day or two, had completed the paperwork, been to the doctor, had their fingerprints taken, and had a home visit with their social worker.
They weren’t ready when they got the call, but they moved quickly in order to be ready to adopt. I’m happy to report that the birth mother was happy to agree to place her baby with them and they are now waiting for the child to be born, which should be any day.
What would you say if you received the same call that Geoff did? Are you ready? Are you prepared to move quickly to make it happen?
If you are ready, excellent! If not, then I would encourage you to speak with your coordinator diligently for accountability and for assistance with the next step for you.
Any adoption, no matter the type of professional you use, is a team effort. As your coach, we want to be sure you are headed in the right direction for adoption success!
