[rebeccab]

Hello,

Now that we have 2+ years to wait, I want to try to gather the funds we will need to finish the adoption and travel, etc. If this isn't too personal, how have you gotten your adoption funds? Are there good adoption grant or loan sources out there?

Thanks.

Rebecca

[NashvilleGirl]

Check out Shaohannahshope.org for adoption grants.

[mko]

hi, i'm curious why your wait is so long for a 3-5 year old and wonder if maybe ours will be much longer than we expect?
thanks!

[DrLaura]

The wait for a 3-4 year old is actually longer than an infant in Colombia. One of the main reasons is that children of that age typically come with siblings and Colombia works very hard to keep sibling groups together. Thus the availability of children in that age range is just so limited.

[Sumerce]

I think that one of the best ways to save money for an adoption is tightening your belt. Here is a list of ideas. Most of them come from a friend on another list, with a few ideas from me.

#1 -- Financially pretend that the child is already in the home. Caculate what you might spend every month on a child and put that money away in a savings account every month. If you can't figure it out, ask other parents with a child 3-5 years of age -- remember there will be pre-school to pay for in most cases. The additional bonus to this moethod is that when your child comes home you already know and are prepared to have them in your home without causing financial stress.

#2 Garage sales, ebay, Craig's list -- sell everything that is not as important to you as your child. The added benefit is that you make more room for the child and all the junk he/she will eventually collect. Additionally, you can ask friends, family, church members to donate items to you for you to sell and keep the profits or split them 50/50.

#3 Set priorities -- do you really NEED a cable TV at 50+ dollars a month, call waiting, dinners out, a new DVD, a new HD TV, an expensive vacation, etc. We cut out cable and saved over $600 in a year -- enough to pay for 1 person's flight to Bogota 18 months ago.

#4 Try a new Christmas tradition: skip gifts. Send e-mails to everyone explaining that you are saving for you adoption and will not be giving gifts this year and also, if appropriate, request that if they do intend to give you something that money for your adoption fund would be best.

#5 Let everyone know that you are adopting. Become an adoption advocate. I was stunned as I began advocating adoption how many older people were adopted. Some even volunteered to help us financially to give back what they had been given.

#6 Write an article for your local paper and then explain that you will be having a rummage sale or spaghetti dinner or car wash as a fundraiser. (This might only work in smaller communities -- not sure).

#7 Forgoe the things that you do that cost you money. Movies, concerts, bars, dancing, etc. Find family friendly free activities. Most museums have a free day. Find out when it is and plan a date there. Get to know what resources there are in oyur community for when you get you little one home.

#8 If you want more than one child and were thinking you'd eventually do 2 adoptions -- consider a sibling group. Most agencies have reduced fees for sibling groups and you get an $11,000 + tax credit for each child. This can mean that you pay a little more up front, but save more in the end.

Hope these ideas help.