American Adoptions -- America's Adoption Agency
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Adoptive Family Testimonials
There is no better way to learn about adoption, the adoption process, and all of the emotions connected with adoption, than to read the stories of those who have lived it.
The adoption stories below are intended to give you insight and to even prepare you for what to expect from a domestic adoption. As you will read, there may be times of uncertainty and stress, but nearly every adoption story ends with pure joy, and best of all, new parents.
If you are interested in sharing your adoption story, we would love to hear it! Please contact us at editors@americanadoptions.com for details on how we can share your story with future adoptive families at American Adoptions.
Open Hearts - Matthew, Katheryn, Verity and Gethsemane's Adoption Story
 | It’s not uncommon for adoptive families to compare their adoption process to a pregnancy and delivery. For adoptive mother Katheryn, the wait for a match felt like labor pains. It was especially frustrating since the adoption process doesn’t fit into a typical pregnancy’s nine-month package. ... |
New Years - Matt, Anne and Lila’s Adoption Story
 | The holiday season is always a good time for reflection on where you’ve been, where you are going, and what you’ve learned during the past year. |
Cultivating Family - Bruce, Shannon and Meredith's Story
 | Adoptions sometimes have a way of reflecting the adoptive family’s personality. |
Jeremy, Lindsay, Paris and Kian's Adoption Story
 | The inspiring story of a military family whose adoption journey spanned Mississippi to Afghanistan. |
Twins Is What They Do- Dan, Dawn, Matthew, Lily and Amy's Story
 | There are two things in life for which we are never truly prepared: twins,” wrote American humorist Josh Billings. |
Preparing for a Miracle – Michael, Daphne and Samantha’s Adoption Story
 | All adoptive families, some more than others, study each part of the adoption process before becoming personally entrenched in it, so they will be prepared for what is to come. However, as Michael and Daphne soon found out, no amount of research can prepare an adoptive family for some of the things they will experience; namely, the emotions of finally having their baby placed in their arms for the first time. |
The Beauty of Bonding – Bob, Nikki, Jake and Ashley’s Adoption Story
 | Bob and Nikki’s adoption story is representative of the benefits that bonding with the birth parents can have on everyone involved in the adoption. In some cases, it can even be the difference between a successful and unsuccessful adoption. |
Thicker Than Blood - Jason, Sara, Wyatt and Tenley's Story
 | Infertility is undoubtedly a struggle for both the husband and wife, but sometimes for different reasons. For example, men have an inherent desire to "pass on the bloodline" to their offspring, which can worry some men considering adoption. What all adoptive fathers soon find out, however, is that just as blood is thicker than water, love is thicker than blood. |
Pure Joy - Jim, Stacey and Dylan's Adoption Story
 | Jim and Stacey get a lot of interesting looks from bystanders they encounter on sidewalks or on the bike path through the park behind their house. Passersby often first notice the stroller, with their 5-month old son, Dylan, smiling back at them. Then they notice Stacey, who is clearly pregnant and probably due in mere months, but that’s impossible. Right? That’s what Jim and Stacey thought as well - Impossible. |
The Perfect Surprise - Joe, Carlie, Jalen and Hallie's Adoption
 | Joe, Carlie and their 11-year-old son, Jalen, were sleeping soundly in a rented Manhattan apartment until 5:30 a.m. when their phone rang. Carlie quickly snatched the phone and answered it. Indeed, this was it - this was the phone call they had flown all the way from Kansas to New York City for. She knew the news would be good, but what she heard was even better. |
Adopting an Adventure - Eric, Heidi and Abbi's Adoption Story
 | Heidi, a hopeful mother to be, sat down in her seat and anxiously waited to depart from the Frankfurt, Germany airport. A few rows ahead of her was an empty seat - the one that was supposed to be occupied by her husband, Eric. One small mistake they had made resulted in Heidi finding herself about to make the flight from Germany to New Orleans, alone. She began to softly cry. A man from Africa sitting next to her asked if she needed a tissue, causing her to bawl. After composing herself, she began to tell the man her story - which unbeknownst to her would soon evolve into the happiest story of her life. |
Tragedy Finds Triumph - Scott, Tristen and Garrett's Story
 | For a select few adoptive families, there may be a few bumps in the road to parenthood; it is simply an inherent part of becoming a parent, both biologically and through adoption. While these obstacles may be difficult to handle emotionally during that time, those same families who stay with their adoption plan are guaranteed to be blessed with a child. These instances don’t define their adoption - the child they ultimately adopt does. There is always a happy ending through adoption. |
The Journey To Parenthood - Craig, Cheryl and Chase's Story
 | On a cool Wednesday evening in March 2010, Craig was enjoying a night to himself at his home in Connecticut. His wife Cheryl was at her sister’s house with her and her husband’s new baby, who was just brought home from the hospital earlier that day. Little did Craig and Cheryl know, their own family was about to change that night as well. |
Adoption's Big Hill - Andy, Nancy, Anna and Adellena's Adoption
 | The emotions of the adoption process are sometimes related to being on a rollercoaster. When the adoptive family finally reaches the peak, the baby is born and the ride really begins. The adoptive family holds on tight as things begin to move fast and get exciting during this time. Now imagine starting the ride at the top of the hill, staring down at the track below without a chance to prepare or anticipate what’s ahead. This is the ride Andy and Nancy took for not one but both of their adoptions. |
Cyclical Selflessness - Robert, Heather and Kai's Adoption Story
 | Robert and Heather, a married couple of 13 years, have helped a countless number of people around the world and have served our country to the best of their abilities for many years. However, for everything they have done for all of us, there was one thing that they needed help with in return: becoming parents. |
Donny, Jodi, Bodey and Jasper’s Adoption Story
 | Our Adoption Story began July 26, 2006, the day we brought home our 6 week old little boy, Bodey Alexander. Our lives changed forever that day. I truly feel God blesses the people who adopt in such a special way. Not only did we adopt our son, but we got a whole new amazing family in the process. |
Nancy, Kent and Ryan's Adoption Story
 | Whew…how did this happen? Our beautiful and amazing son, Ryan Walter, is already 14 months old! I am still in awe of this beautiful baby and just so thankful each and every day that his wonderful birth mom, Dawn, and God brought us all together. |
Jay, Jennifer and Gibson's Adoption Story
 | We wouldn't be writing this letter if it wasn't for American Adoptions and our wonderful birthmother! We extend our gratitude to American Adoptions for all of your hard work and dedication to us during the whole process. |
Peyton, Andrea and Liberty's Adoption Story
 | “There you are!” Were the first words our daughter heard when we saw her beautiful face. After seven years of tearful Christmas mornings, overcompensating for the missing little soul in our lives by giving each other way too many gifts, our truest Gift from God arrived at 6:46pm Christmas evening 2008. ... |
Cheryl's Adoption Story
 | Why me? That was the question I found myself repeating, day in and day out for seven years. Why me? |
Rob and Bridget's Letter
| My husband and I are a current waiting adoptive family with your organization. We were matched with a birth mother in December and she gave birth to a wonderful baby boy we named Nathan on Feb. 2, 2010. We had nine wonderful days with Nathan when his birth mother changed her mind and we had to give him back. This was the hardest day in both of our lives. |
Kenny, Jane and Maya's Adoption Story
 | Technically Kenny and I began our adoption journey in June of 2009, but I know in my heart that God planned for us to adopt Maya long before that time. God put many people in our lives to guide us on this amazing journey. One of the brightest guiding lights for us was American Adoptions. ... |
Kip, Lisa and Christopher's Adoption Story
 | It’s been quite a journey, to say the least. So let me begin by thanking the wonderful people we worked with at American Adoptions. Megan Kautio was there from the start and was always available to answer questions and just listen. ... |
Todd, Jackie and Samuel's Adoption Story
 | Where to start? This year has gone by so quickly! Let’s go to the beginning of our journey. After years of waiting for an international adoption that ended with that country’s borders closing to adoption, with broken hearts we turned toward the domestic adoption path. |
Mike, Lissa & Hailee's Adoption Story
 | Thanks to American and Adoptions and a wonderful birth mother, we adopted Hailee Elizabeth in less than four months - our second child that we adopted through American Adoptions. |
Allison, Mike, Jillian and Molly's Adoption Story
 | Family is so important to us and it was always our dream to have our own family. Shortly after we married, we wanted to start a family right away. From the beginning, we struggled with miscarriages and eventually sought help from fertility experts. ... |
Dakota, Eleanor, Aubrey and Hudson's Adoption Story
 | We had such a wonderful experience with American Adoptions that we are happily repeat customers! With the help of American Adoptions our daughter, Aubrey, was born in February of 2007. We wrote about our experience with her adoption previously and now wanted to share the story of how our precious son, Hudson, came home too. In the fall of 2008 we were talking about the idea of adding to our family. ... |
Dakota, Eleanor and Aubrey's Story
 | Through the gift of adoption our family is now complete! Our daughter Aubrey is now six weeks old and we can't even remember, nor do we really want to, what life was like before she joined our family. |
Matthew, Brynn and Jackson's Adoption Story
 | We have a unique story and I wanted to take the time to share it. In March of 2008 we adopted our baby boy Jackson from American Adoptions. He has truly been a blessing to us and I wanted to share the story of how we came to be a family! |
Kevin, Colleen, Cara and Danny's Adoption Story
 | After many years of infertility and five cycles of in-vitro fertilization, Kevin and I realized that forming our family either biologically or through adoption were one in the same. The end result would be a wonderful family and the answer to our many hopes and dreams for our future. |
Lori, Jeff and Carson's Adoption Story
 | Jeff and I are very happy to inform you that Carson Jeffrey is officially ours as of April 1, 2009. This is a such a special day not only because it is Carson's "Gotcha Day," but because he shares this special day with his Nana whose birthday is April 1st. The final adoption decree arrived in the mail on April 10th, 2009. ... |
Jason, Stephanie and Marianna's Adoption Story
 | We feel so blessed to have found American Adoptions. With the help of their wonderful staff we were finally able to fulfill our dream of becoming parents. |
Shayla, Todd and William's Adoption Story
 | My husband and I had been married almost two years when we decided to start our family. We knew that it may not have been possible to have children naturally, as I have had diabetes for 27 years. We went to the doctor and not really to our surprise, she suggested we look into adoption. ... |
Valerie, Tony, Alyssa and Kiera's Adoption Story
 | First we wanted to thank all the people at American Adoptions who helped us with our adoption process. They helped make our adoption process a very rewarding experience. Specifically we would like to thank Laurie Walker and Sarah Anderson. ... |
Renee, Matt and Samantha's Adoption Story
 | We want to thank American Adoptions for all of your hard work and professionalism. I would tell anyone who is planning to adopt to do their homework, research, interview and soul search and then call American Adoptions. Adoption, as you all know, is a journey, and it's hard to go into the unknown, but it is a trip worth taking. ... |
Jenny's Adoption Story
 | My husband and I both had faced infertility issues and had come to accept that we could not have children. We had gone on with our lives, making a wonderful life for ourselves with no worries or regrets -- until we hit our 30's and everything changed. |
Nora, Matt, and Kevin Michael's Story
| In some ways, our domestic adoption story is "typical," in that there are far more successful, comfortable open adoptions out there than people realize. We are also among many adoptive parents who would not have thought open adoption would be right for us. But the increasingly open nature of our son's adoption is a part of our unique story that we wouldn't change for anything, and we hope that by sharing it, we might help other prospective adoptive parents shape a happy adoption story for their own families. |
Craig, Linda and Ellie's Adoption Story
 | Nothing can describe the heartbreak we experienced with what is referred to as a disrupted adoption. The phone call literally took our breath away as we were driving to take part in the delivery of ‘our’ baby. ... |
Mark & Jaci's Adoption Story
 | Dear American Adoptions, Megan Spaeth & Co, Thank you so much! Through your help we have adopted an absolutely gorgeous baby girl. We would never have imagined the process of open adoption could be this fabulous and rewarding of an experience. |
Tim, Kathy, Samantha and Kara's Adoption Story
| Tim and Kathy got married in February 2005, and always knew they wanted to have more children together. Kathy had a daughter, Samantha, from a previous marriage, and had been a single parent for six years. Right after the wedding, Tim and Kathy starting trying the 'natural' way. ... |
Daymond, Jenn & Hailey's Adoption Story
 | As we await our final post-placement appointment and our return trip to Maine to finalize our adoption, we wanted to write and tell you just how wonderful our adoption experience has been. We can only say this now that we have crossed the bridge into parenthood. The journey across that bridge was arduous at times and anyone feeling like it will never happen for them should know that they are not alone – ... |
Kirk and Mindy's Adoption Story
| What an amazing, surprising journey adoption is. We had tried to conceive for about a year and a half before we sought professional help. We were diagnosed, and after much thought and prayer, decided we did not wish to pursue treatment. ... |
Jerry, Lisa and Luke's Adoption Story
 | We had always wanted a family. When we began our journey we had no idea what lied ahead. After four years of infertility heartache we decided to stop the emotional pain and adopt, we would be guaranteed a family. |
Elson, Wendy and Carson's Adoption Story
 | It is easy to become discouraged if you wait longer than the average wait time. That is where we found ourselves in September of 2006. We were in the Traditional I Program and had been waiting for 18 months. ... |
Peter, Amanda & Andrea's Adoption Story
 | We began working with American Adoptions in the spring of 2008. We decided on a domestic program as we had adopted our son internationally six years before and the paperwork process was much more difficult along with the travel. |
Steve, Kelly & Alexis' Adoption Story
 | When we first decided that adoption was the way we were going to build our family, I became obsessed with reading about all the success stories and I couldn’t wait to be one of them. I thought, as soon as it happens my husband and I will write down the journey that brought us our precious angel. Well, here it is 7 months later and we are finally getting around to telling our story. |
Theresa, Michael, Joshua, Ryan and Tyler's Adoption Story
 | Michael and I have a wonderful and loving 6 yr old son, Joshua. But unfortunately, we were unable to have another child. We didn't even think twice about adopting. ... |
Nick, Carol, & Abby's Adoption Story
 | It is a true blessing to actually be able to say the words, "I have an adoption story to share with you!" Our journey with adoption actually began in March 2003. After 4 years of infertility, we contacted a small agency within our state and within a few months were activated with them. After 3 years of waiting for a call that never came, we lost our patience and knew that there had to be something better out there. |
Todd, Romney, Kate and Sadie's Adoption Story
 | Our names are Todd, Romney, Kate and Sadie! We would like to thank everyone at American Adoptions, especially Alli and Angie, for helping us to make our dream come true. Most especially, however, we want to give our thanks to Sadie’s birth mother, Sarah. |
Jenkins, Sara and Parker's Adoption Story
 | Our Adoption Story… Our adoption story begins in August of 2001. This is when we got married, and the very next month began trying to start our family. ... |
Brian and Jessica's Adoption Story
 | During 2002/2003, we had gone through 9 infertility treatments. The very first one resulted in a pregnancy, and then a miscarriage. We tried 8 more times and weren't able to conceive. ... |
Jason, Sara and Wyatt's Adoption Story
| I’ve been meaning to write about our adoption experience for months! We told Megan that we would write something up just weeks after Wyatt was born. Well, here we are 7 months later, we just completed our finalization…and I finally decided that if I don’t do it now I never will. So here we go. ... |
Michael, Christie and Tustin's Adoption Story
| First of all we would like to say THANK YOU to our son Tustin’s birth mom, Mayriah, for making us MOMMY and DADDY! An absolute dream come true. |
Milton, Sarah and Erin's Adoption Story
 | Hi, our names are Milton, Sarah and Erin and we first want to say how blessed we feel by having Erin in our lives. |
Kelly and Brian's Adoption Story
 | Our journey toward adopting our children began like so many other couples’ – fraught with infertility, miscarriage, heartache and deep longing. ... |
Simon and Gloria's Adoption Story
 | We recently arrived home from Fargo North Dakota with our new baby daughter, Katherine Victoria. Having now adopted both our daughter Katherine and our son Matthew through American Adoptions we felt compelled to write and let you know all that you have done for us. |
Mike, Holly and Madyson's Adoption Story
 | Mike and I were married in 1996 and we immediately tried to have a baby. After years of infertiltiy treatments that were unsuccessful I woke up one morning and realized that the reason we were doing these treatments was to become pregnant and to have a baby. I then realized that you are only pregnant for 9 months of your life but a parent forever. ... |
Jenny and Dave's Adoption Story
 | Dave and I were married in 1995 and had dreams of having a large family with lots of children running around. We began trying to have children within the first two years of marriage. After four years of fertility treatments, surgeries for us both, miscarriages, and shattered hearts, it was clear that God had a different plan for us. ... |
John, Melissa and Amelia's Adoption Story
 | You never think you will be one of those couples you hear about who can’t get pregnant no matter what they do. Then, one day it became a reality. Suddenly, my husband and I became one of those couples. ... |
Mike, Lissa and Austin's Adoption Story
 | Thanks to American Adoptions and a wonderful birth mother, we adopted Austin in less than seven months after being activated and that included one disrupted adoption. Our adoption journey began in December 2007. We started paperwork before Christmas and were activated on February 26, 2008. |
Kevin, Tamra and Tavin's Adoption Story
 | Dear American Adoptions: We are the proud parents of Tavin. Our birthmother is Ashlyn. We would like to thank you for all your support and help with a special thanks to Lara Sandusky. ... |
John, Susan and Daniel's Adoption Story
| Wow, what an experience the miracle of adoption is! |
Brek, Veronica, Dakota and Chance's Adoption Story
 | It was always our dream to have children. We had our son in 1996 and thought that it would never be a problem to have more. We tried for about seven years to have another child, going to infertility specialists and OB doctors, but with the outcome being only doctor bills. ... |
Joe, Becky, Tyler and Jenna's Adoption Story
 | Our story begins in September of 2006 when we found out we couldn't have any more biological children. So, immediately we decided on adoption. After searching what felt like the entire Internet, we found the American Adoptions Web site. ... |
Michele, Pete, and Skylar's Adoption Story
 | After several years of infertility we decided that we were tired of the emotional roller coaster ride and were ready to adopt. We signed up with American Adoptions and our journey began. At first, we took the approach that it will happen when it happens and that kept us going until June 2006 (15 months after we signed up). ... |
Bobby and Kim's Adoption Story
| We believe that every adoption story is in itself a miracle and a blessing. We want to share our story so that others can read it and know what a beautiful experience we have had. |
Dennis, Melissa and Olivia's Adoption Story
 | A thank you to American Adoptions and the entire staff. We are so grateful for everything you did for us throughout the entire adoption process. |
Dianne, Tom and Eric's Story
| It is hard to know where our story begins – so first let me tell you about ‘us’. We are “Tom and Dianne” ... |
Mike, Lydia & Addison's Story
 | Mike & I had been married for 4 years. We both wanted desperately to be parents. We spent the last two of those four years trying various infertility treatments and surgeries with no success. ... |
Bob and Dawn's Adoption Story
| Although my husband, Bob, and I had a biological son, “Anthony” born in 1996; we tried to conceive for five years, to no avail. ... |
Chris and Tina's Adoption Story
 | Congratulations on your decision to adopt. We are the proud parents of two children through adoption – one international adoption and one domestic placement. ... |
Cliff & Julie's Adoption Story
 | Never in a million years did we think that we would have the perfect adoption experience like we did with our son Nolan. We could not have asked for a more perfect match with Amanda, his birthmother. Adoption is often looked at as intimidating, uneasy and uncomfortable. ... |
David and Angelique's Adoption Story
 | We would like to extend our thanks to American Adoptions for making our dreams of becoming parents come true. Working with American Adoptions was a great experience. Our adoption advocate/counselor was always there to answer our questions. ... |
Kerri and David's Adoption Story
 | Dear Future Parents, If you are looking for evidence that miracles really do happen then please read our letter. In October of 2003 we did our application with American Adoptions. Almost exactly nine months later we received our most precious gift from God~ our daughter Madison. ... |
Dave and Carla's Adoption Story
 | Dave and I were married in 1998 and always dreamed of having a family. We started trying 2 months after we were married. After years on the infertility roller coaster we realized that being pregnant was no longer important-we just wanted to have a child. ... |
Steven & Andrea's Adoption Story
 | Our journey began on November 19, 2002. After years of trying to conceive, a miscarriage, and fertility treatments, we decided that adoption was the best family plan for us. After researching several agencies, we chose American Adoptions. ... |
Michael, Karen & Kelsey's Adoption Story
| To future adoptive parents: We want to introduce ourselves. Our names are Michael and Karen, and we are adoptive parents. In March 2002, we received our call from American Adoptions, informing us that a prospective mother had chosen us and that the baby was due in three weeks. ... |
Glen, Barbara and Sabrina's Adoption Story
 | Our adoption journey started in the fall of 2002. Like most couples that have struggled through infertility, it was intimidating but exciting to start the adoption process. |
Kara and Gary's Adoption Story
 | Hello. Our names are Kara and Gary. In January of 2001, we were blessed with experiencing the adoption of our beautiful son, Sam. ... |
Dawn & Kyle's Adoption Story
 | Dear American Adoptions, We, like so many others, have gone through infertility, miscarriage, etc. Then, one day in the beginning of October 2002, 1 drove by a sign that talked about adoption. I took that as a sign. ... |
Michele and Pedro's Adoption Story
 | Our adoption story starts the way that so many do, We are a loving couple, blessed in so many ways, yet unable to move from a couple to a family. We tried for many years to conceive with many heartbreaks before deciding to adopt. Adoption was not a foreign concept to us, I have a adopted sister and Pedro has a half sister that was adopted by his father. ... |
Mike and JoAnn's Adoption Story
 | Dear American Adoptions, We just wanted to express our appreciation for all your help with our two adoptions. We now have two beautiful daughters. Both of our adoptions went quickly and smoothly. ... |
The Story of Neylan's Adoption
| In January 2007 my husband and I started the process of adopting. Jim has 2 children from his first marriage, this child would be our first. We worked hard to get the initial process completed, home studies, background checks, finger printing, the process seemed daunting and endless but we knew the work would be well worth it. ... |
Scott, Jodi and Jack's Adoption Story
 | Thank you to American Adoptions for all the support, information and time you spent with us during this wonderful process. We became active in March of 2007, receiving a phone call on September 15th that a birth mother had chosen us and the baby was due in two weeks. Much to our surprise, Jack was born 10 days later. ... |
Eric & Rikka's Adoption Story
 | Our story of adoption was a fairy-tale dream-come-true. It honestly could not have gone more smoothly. We decided early on that we were interested in adopting twins. ... |
Steve and Julie's Adoption Story
| Steve and I have been married for six years. We began trying to start a family of our own in the summer of 1999. I had one miscarriage and had no further success in getting pregnant even with a year of fertility treatments. ... |
Shelly, Doug and Espen's Adoption Story
| This is not only our story; it is the story of a birth mom too...Four months and a lifetime of change! |
- Adoption Home Study Process
Learn what a home study is and why you need one to adopt a child.
- Home Study Questions and Answers
While adoption home studies vary slightly from agency to agency and state to state, there are several key elements that are almost always included in every home study.
- Home Studies: State by State
Find a qualified professional in your state to complete your home study.
- What is the total cost for the entire adoption?
There are several factors that determine the total cost for an adoption, including the program you choose. Variables such as medical bills, birth mother expenses and legal fees vary for each adoption. We strive to maintain affordable adoptions without cutting corners. Please see the Our Domestic Adoption Programs section for further details.
- Can we choose the gender of our baby?
Have your heart set on a bouncing baby boy or a new little princess? American Adoptions now offers a gender-specific option for families hoping for a specific gender. With this option families would pay an additional Gender-Specific Fee to help our agency locate and work with birth mothers meeting this additional criteria. Please note that gender specificity may increase wait time. This fee is in addition to all other program fees and is not considered part of your adoption budget. Please contact us at 1-800-ADOPTION for minimum budget details.
- Do we need to retain our own attorney?
No - American Adoptions has established relationships with some of the best adoption attorneys in the nation. It is important to note that adoption laws vary state-to-state and often even county-to-county. As such, it is important to utilize the services of an attorney that specializes in adoption in the state the adoption will finalize in, which we will not know until you are matched with an expectant mother. Retaining your own attorney at this time is not necessary and may be an additional expense to you that is not needed.
- Adoption Newsletter
Did you know that American Adoptions offers a free bi-weekly e-newsletter? Sign up today to keep up-to-date on the latest in adoption news and information.
- Famous Adoptions
Learn which famous Hollywood actors, sports stars, politicians and other icons have been touched by adoption.
- Adoption Glossary
Do adoption terms and phrases leave you feeling confused? Learn the meaning to key adoption words and phrases with our comprehensive adoption glossary.
