We value and prioritize love and social justice, which we incorporate into our lives through our careers, interactions with other, and decisions we make. Both of our jobs allow us to make a difference in people’s lives. We are supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement and recently have been able to participate in local protests, donate to non-profit social justice organizations and engage in supportive and educational conversations with close friends and family. We support the LGBTQ+ community as well and are adamant about working towards equal rights for all. We don’t shy away from challenges and are able to grow from mistakes we make. Family for us is not only biological family but also people we surround ourselves with. We prioritize time with each other and with our families. Luckily, most of our family lives within an hour from us and we are able to spend time with them often. We value fun, joy, and life experiences over material objects and want to instill that in our child. Traveling has been a big part of our life, from going to Kentucky to visit Ryan’s family, spending time in Chicago with friends, or traveling to Japan for vacation. We want to give our child the experience of seeing other cultures throughout the U.S. and internationally.

April About Ryan: There are many wonderful qualities about Ryan. Ryan is the most patient and calm person I know. Whether it is with our niece wanting to play the same game over and over again, or something in our home breaking and needing to be fixed, Ryan stays patient and calm. I am proud of how devoted he is to his family and how he makes all of his decisions with us in mind. Ryan made his career decision on becoming a teacher so that he would be able to spend time with his children, even before he had any children. Ryan is silly, goofy, and not afraid to show love. I am excited to see him as a father.

Ryan About April: April is one of the most empathetic people I know. She cares so much for others and has devoted her life to caring for those in need. She holds strong to her values of social justice and is always willing to take a stand against inequality. April has an incredible work ethic and passion for everything she does in life. I also admire April's love and dedication to family. She stays committed to her goals and will work very hard for our family. I am so excited to see her as a mother and know that she is going to be so proud of our children. April is also a lot of fun and can be very outgoing, which makes for a lot of fun memories.

We understand the impact that race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and ability has on a person as they move through the world. We believe that a child of any race will feel accepted and loved in our family. As potential white parents to a child of color, we understand the importance of validating our child’s experience and making them proud to be who they are and where they come from. We will not take a color-blind approach and will not pretend issues surrounding race do not exist. We know that as white people we have a lot to learn and are willing to put in the work. Although we ourselves have not experienced discrimination based on our race, we will always take time to understand our child’s experience and stand up for them in those times. We will also never shy away from hard conversations about race. Our children will have toys that look like them, books written for them celebrating who they are, and mentors who can relate to them in ways that we cannot. We are fortunate to live in a city that is diverse both racially and culturally. Race and background does not define who can be a family. Unfortunately not everyone sees it that way and that is something our family will face together. We will take great care in making efforts in choosing schools, community, and people who we surround our family with.

We are lucky to live in beautiful Southern California, which is where we both grew up and where our families reside.

Our home is a three bedroom, two-story condo located in a gated community with grassy areas, a community pool, and quiet streets. Children ride bikes up and down our street all summer long. Our city is known for the amount and quality of public parks and playgrounds. Our home is actually walking distance to three different parks.

The community is close-knit and has special events and activities throughout year. For example, in the summer the city puts on a special Fourth of July event. There is also an annual Hawaiian community festival each summer and in October, the city hosts a Fall Carnival.

Your child will also experience a community and city that is culturally and racially diverse. The location of our city is also special, being 30 minutes from the beach, 20 minutes from downtown (which has many museums), 20 minutes form theme parks, and about 2 hours from snowy mountains.

We are excited to share our family with your child. Both of us are close to our families and both of our families get along very well.

April has three brothers, who all live within an hour of us. Ryan has a brother and a sister, who also live within an hour of our home. We have three young nieces and one very young nephew, who we adore and love playing with.

We see family almost every weekend. When we get together with Ryan's parents and siblings, we will play games and cook meals together. April's parents have a pool, so we often will have barbecues with extended family and have a pool party. A fun tradition we have is, on Ryan's birthday, both families will come together and we do a big beach trip.

Adoption has always been a part of April’s family and life. Her grandmother placed her first child for adoption and later in her life adopted April’s mom through foster care. Adoption has always been viewed as something positive in April's family. April grew up with stories of her mom's adoption and saw how important and special adoption is. Ryan's extended family has also chosen to adopt both privately and through foster care. Both of our families were thrilled when we officially announced that we have begun the adoption process.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about us. We know choosing adoption and choosing potential parents is one of the most difficult decisions you may ever make, but also a special choice to make for your child. We are here to support you throughout the journey.

We met each other in college and began our relationship together in 2011. We got married fours year ago in 2016. We feel lucky to have met and are supportive partners to each other. After being together in a strong and loving relationship for 9 years, we are ready to expand our family through adoption. We are choosing adoption because we both feel it in our hearts that this is how we should start our family together. April grew up with stories of her mom's adoption and saw how important and special adoption is. Adoption has always been how April wanted to have her children and has always been on her heart. Ryan has viewed adoption as a beautiful and positive experience. When deciding to expand our family, adoption has always been part of the discussion. Both of us are excited to start our family through adoption and feel confident that it is the right choice for us in our next chapter of life together. We see ourselves giving unconditional love for a child whom we adopt and feel it is so special to adopt a child.

We will instill social justice values and love in our home. We will foster a strong racial and cultural identity in your child in which they value themselves and are proud of who they are. We will make sure your child knows every day how wonderful and cherished they are by us and their community. We will celebrate the differences between us as much as what makes us the same. We are committed to create a home and community for your child where they can see themselves, feel safe, and be proud of who they are.

We will provide unconditional love to your child through all of the ups and downs of parenting. We want an open adoption in which your child knows who and where they came from. We look forward to the role you will play, however you chose that to be. You will be a significant person in our lives and always will be. We are excited for the relationship between us and you. We welcome your continued contact and investment in your child’s life through email, pictures, and letters with stories of your child. We are also open to arranging visits when the time is right throughout your child’s life. We are eager to know you and work together to maintain a healthy relationship. We make the commitment to always speak highly of you and make sure your child knows who you are and know they came from love. To us, you have made the first parenting decision and we will always respect you for your choice. Our gratitude for your selflessness will be evident in our home.

Thank you for considering us as potential parents for your child and we hope to learn more about you as well. We have been looking forward to becoming parents and are going to find so much joy in raising a child. We will provide a loving and safe home that will be full of happiness.

With love,

Ryan & April