Adoption is our first choice. Even before we were married, we had many conversations about the kind of family we hoped to build. From those discussions, we knew two things: we wanted to adopt and have a large family. 

Adoption has been a defining part of both of our lives. Growing up with several foster kids in his home, Jayden loved all of his foster siblings, even if they were only there for several months. When he was eleven, his family adopted his younger sister from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Over the years, two additional “bonus brothers” joined the household and lived with the family from middle school through high school graduation. Similarly, Madilyn’s aunt was adopted. Watching Jayden’s parents and Madilyn’s grandparents strive to create a home that has welcomed numerous children without regard to biological relation has inspired both of us to follow their examples.

Adoption is not a second choice for us or something we are pursuing because we are unable to have biological children. It has always been part of the family we dreamed of building together. We hope that a child will feel welcomed, knowing they have two aunties and two uncles who have been in their shoes and know how they feel.

Because we are a multicultural family, conversations about identity and culture are already part of our home. Jayden comes from a multicultural background. His mother is American, and his dad is English Nigerian. His dad immigrated from Nigeria to the U.K. at a young age and then moved to the U.S. after marrying Jayden’s mother. Jayden’s lived experience of being first generation African American made his upbringing unique, given that neither of his parents shared the same lived experience as their children. 

While Madilyn's family is American, she spent part of her childhood in Indonesia, where she attended an international school alongside students from many other countries. This experience instilled in her an appreciation for cultural diversity. Madilyn has a passion for social justice and has intentionally tried to educate herself about race and inequality through coursework, reading, and, most importantly, by listening to Jayden, his family, and friends who have experienced racism firsthand.

If we adopt a child whose race or cultural background differs from ours, we hope to raise a child with an appreciation of their own heritage while fostering curiosity, respect, and empathy for others’ experiences and cultures. We will talk openly about race and support a child through any questions they might have. Because we believe that a child should grow up surrounded by mentors they can relate to, we will actively seek out diverse schools, friendships, and traditions that reflect their heritage.

Our religious beliefs center around Jesus Christ as our savior. We believe that every person is a child of God, deserving of kindness, compassion, and respect. We strive to live our faith through action by serving those in our community. Although Madilyn and Jayden attend different church congregations on Sundays, our shared faith is something we nurture together every day. We pray over our meals, read the Bible together, and enjoy spending time with friends from our church communities. 

We also enjoy serving in our congregations. Jayden volunteers with the youth and helps coordinate events that give young people opportunities to grow both spiritually and personally, whether that’s a Bible lesson or a pasta-making class. Madilyn provides childcare to toddlers during church services, so their parents can enjoy a church sermon uninterrupted. She loves reading stories, singing songs, and playing games with them.

Our hope is to raise a child in a home where they always know they are deeply loved by both God and their family. At the same time, we recognize that faith is a personal journey. As your child grows, we want them to have the freedom to explore their own beliefs and make decisions about their faith, knowing they will always have our love and support.

We would be ecstatic to welcome your child into our diverse family. Jayden comes from a big family, with two biological siblings, one sister adopted from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and two “bonus brothers” who lived with them during middle and high school and still come home for holidays. Jayden’s favorite family tradition is the annual “Christmas Olympics,” where family members face off against each other for silly challenges like who can unwrap a gift the fastest while wearing oven mitts, who can scoop up the most gift ribbons while blindfolded, and who can blow out the most candles while yelling “Merry Christmas.”

Madilyn is the oldest of five siblings (including twins!). She has fond memories of growing up with a series of odd pets: quail, chickens, turkeys, and rabbits. Madilyn’s family has a big sweet tooth. Every year each member of the family bakes a cake (that’s 7 cakes!) to try to win the county fair bakeshow. After over 15 years of submitting cakes to the fair, the family only has a track record of only a singular win—which might indicate we’re not as good of bakers as we imagine. But that doesn’t stop us from baking! 

Our families were thrilled when we announced we were planning on adopting a child. Our parents are already brainstorming original grandparent names and prospective aunties and uncles are already dreaming up activities they want to do with their new niece or nephew.

We live in a sunny town outside of Los Angeles. We’re happy to live in such a diverse area with people from all kinds of backgrounds. Our town hosts lots of annual celebrations, including a Juneteenth roller-skating jam, Latino heritage festival, lunar New Year, and flower parade. 

Because the weather always feels like summer, we love spending time outside. With so many nearby botanical gardens to explore, we take evening walks to see the roses and lilypad ponds. On weekends, we often bring a picnic blanket out to a park where Madilyn reads and Jayden sketches. Our community has many young families, so there are plenty of playgrounds and recreational teams of every sport imaginable. Jayden is eager to eventually get to teach a child how to play soccer and basketball. We also live just a drive away from the beach, the zoo, and Legoland.

Our town also has great schools. Jayden attended a dual immersion Spanish elementary school as a child, and the location we live in offers similar programs. The churches we attend both have plenty of kids as well. 

We live in a cozy townhome with two bedrooms, a kitchen perfect for home-cooking, a living room with plenty of throw blankets, and a patio where Madilyn grows flowers and herbs. Every Friday, we walk to nearby restaurants to enjoy a dinner out.  

We love our community and the beautiful place we live. We hope it will give a child a care-free, idyllic childhood.

Thank you, again, for considering us as potential adoptive parents for your child. We can imagine how stressful and overwhelming this season of life might be. It takes a lot of strength, love, and selflessness to consider adoption as an option. Whatever path you choose, we want you to know that we have so much admiration for you. 

We know that reading a profile or watching a video can only provide a glimpse of who we are. More than anything, we hope that you’ve caught a small picture of the joyful, loving home we hope to create. We believe that some of life's greatest moments are found in the ordinary: sharing homemade family dinners, laughing through silly made-up songs, building blanket forts, reading bedtime stories, and spending afternoons playing make-believe with a favorite stuffed animal. Those are the moments we dream of sharing with a child.

This September, we celebrated five years of marriage. We met in college, fell in love, and have built our life side by side ever since. Together we've navigated exciting adventures, including moving to California so Madilyn could attend law school. During the most stressful moments of life, we've learned how to support and comfort one another. Jayden especially has a natural gift for being calm and patient during stressful times. While we have been married for some time now, we are young and will be able to spend a lifetime loving and caring for your child. 

If you were to choose us to raise your child, they will be welcomed into a home filled with laughter, stability, and unconditional love. Jayden will be a stay-at-home parent and looks forward to devoting his entire attention to a child. As an artist, he cannot wait to draw alongside a child and display their drawings on the refrigerator. Madilyn looks forward to reading bedtime stories every night, singing songs together, and helping with homework. 

Your child would also be surrounded by a large and loving community of grandparents, aunties, uncles, and close friends who are already excited to spend time with them. We will enroll your child in sports and music lessons, helping them explore their interests and hobbies. As your child grows and encounters many of the difficulties of life, we will support them with patience and understanding. 

We are excited to connect with you in whatever way feels right for you. If being part of your child's life is something you hope for, we would be delighted to share milestones with you through photos, emails, and phone calls. We want you to be able to see your child’s first steps, first days of school, and music recitals as well as get to learn what your child’s favorite books and favorite foods are. Each year we’d love to have you visit and join us for dinner or at a park to get to spend time with your child. If your hopes for openness look different, we will respect that completely. No matter what, we will always speak about you with gratitude and respect. 

Thank you for reading this, and thank you for the thoughtfulness you’ve put into this process. It would be the greatest honor of our lives to raise and love your child.

With gratitude,

Jayden & Madilyn