Breakfast With Bubbie

Dear Bubbie,

My husband and I have been married for five years and we have been a couple for nearly 14 years.  We are extremely happy. We have traveled and seen the world. We have wonderful friends and family. We really have a great life.

My issue is we have been trying to conceive for the past two years. We have seen the doctor and discovered we both have medical issues that are making this very difficult.  We have discussed in-vitro fertilization, but it is very expensive. We would have to sell a lot of our things or take out a loan to afford it. We really want a baby but we are at an impasse right now. Do you have any suggestions?

Baby Fever in Banning

Dear Baby Fever,

It’s wonderful to hear that you have a great marriage. True happiness can be hard to find in this day and age and having a happy marriage is very important to be successful parents.

This may sound simplistic but there is always adoption. However, that being said, adoption can be as expensive as in-vitro fertilization, especially when considering international adoption.

My husband and I have adopted several children, but we did it through the foster care system. We were foster parents for 13 years and fostered more than 60 children during that time.

There is also a program called FostAdopt. It is a great program for people who are fostering with the specific intent of finding that perfect child to become part of YOUR “forever family.”

There are thousands of children lingering in the foster care system waiting for their “forever families.” These are children, who to no fault of their own, have found themselves without parents or homes that show them unconditional love, homes that show them what family truly is. Some studies show that 80% or more of children in foster care are put up for adoption but never actually get adopted. They linger in the foster care system until they are 18 and age out of the program.

One of the biggest reasons children sit waiting in the foster care system is because most new parents want a baby. Unfortunately, the vast majority of children in foster care are children over 5 years old, sibling sets, and/or special needs children. Special needs range from delayed speech all the way to severe disabilities, but these children need loving homes as well.

The question becomes, will these lost, lonely, and waiting children ever find their “forever families”?

Maybe they can find a spot in your home as part of your family…the only way to know is to give it a try.

If you have a question for Bubbie, write me here.