Adoption is a truly wonderful thing

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It is heartwarming to read blog posts with people telling us about their successful adoption experience and praising PROCARE for their help. My wife and I are in the same position and are blessed with a gorgeous little boy whom we totally adore. We join everyone by saying a huge thank you to PROCARE for their absolute professionalism, inextricably linked with warmth and experience, and we know we could not have done it without them.

However, I want to write this post with a slightly different emphasis on adoption. Those of us who have been through the process know and understand that it is not easy. Even completing the initial form takes time as well as considerable thought and care. Preparing a profile book is so important and having contributions from family and friends is crucial. Then we must accept and understand that there are strict interviews with some invasive questions; financial and emotional assessments; Police clearance; obtaining evidence that you do not appear on the Child Protection Register; and altogether, some tough decision making. Do we regret any of that? Definitely not, and in fact it has made me think a great deal about the whole aspect of parenting.

 

People who are fortunate enough to have children biologically, sometimes planned sometimes not, do not go through any of this. No one assesses them in any way. No one does background or financial or criminal checks. No one inspects their homes to ensure suitability.

 

Therefore, my message to adoptive or prospective adoptive parents is to be so proud because we have qualified to be parents. We are not failures in any way nor are we second class citizens. If we can feel this good, then that same pride will pass to our precious little ones and help them to deal with the kind of comments that they may face at some stage in their lives. I am bursting with pride, as is my wife, and we revel in telling everyone and anyone how proud we feel to have this precious gift by adoption. A very good South African friend of mine sums it up in six simple words, “Adoption is a truly wonderful thing”.