It’s a strange time to be alive, and a very strange time to be adopting internationally. At a time when everyone is drawing in, staying home, closing borders, you are longing to bring someone far away near.
I see you, family who is staring at a room prepared for a loved child when you don’t know when they will fill it. I see you, family who traveled across the ocean for the first adoption trip and now has the second trip postponed indefinitely. I see you, family who waited years to be matched to your child only to have travel cancelled at the last minute. I see you, family in-country who has held your child and may now have to make the heartbreaking decision to leave because there’s no end in sight. I see you because I am you.
We are in the midst of adopting our son from China, and have had our own process slow to a crawl, heading towards a standstill at the rate things are going. I’m feeling all the feelings you are. Frustrated and angry at the things out of my control. Guilty that I am upset about this when there are people losing loved ones to this disease. Embarrassed about the tiny baby clothes purchased that now probably won’t fit. Worried when our son had to go through urgent surgery a few weeks ago without parents there to be by his side. And mostly, just terribly sad about it all.
Lately, a new feeling has started to creep in: hopelessness. Seeing the outbreak finally dying down in China, a light at the end of the tunnel, only to have it explode around the world sending our timeline spinning out even further. A tiny voice whispering that we will never get to him, that we should just give up now.
But here’s the thing: that voice is a lie. I firmly believe we will get to our son. This outbreak will end. Families will be together. No, I can’t guarantee when it will happen. Adoption has never been the realm of guarantees. The only promise I can make is this: we will never get to our kids if we give up now.
They are still there, waiting for us. For those in Colombia, they are waiting for the families they know are coming, for the first time or returning to be reunited. For those in China, they’ve already survived the worst of this crisis there, and made it through. Surely we can do the same for them. So I beg you, don’t give up. Keep fighting. Hold onto hope.
–Lindsey Gilbert, MAA Family Engagement Coordinator and Waiting Mama
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all.
-Emily Dickinson
The Gladney Center for Adoption is a long-established, Hague-accredited adoption agency with more than 135 years of experience in creating bright futures for children and families. Gladney’s international adoption program offers families across the United States the opportunity to adopt children from around the world, with active programs in countries such as Bulgaria, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, India, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The agency is deeply committed to ethical and transparent adoption practices that prioritize the best interests of each child. Gladney’s international program focuses on “waiting children”—those who are legally free for adoption but may be older, part of a sibling group, or have identified medical or developmental needs. Families who work with Gladney receive comprehensive support throughout every stage of the process, including pre-adoption education and training, home study and dossier preparation, coordination with foreign partners, travel guidance, and post-adoption services. With a dedicated team of professionals and strong relationships with child welfare authorities abroad, Gladney ensures that each adoption is handled with compassion, integrity, and excellence. Families who partner with Gladney become part of a lifelong community, supported well beyond placement as they help their children thrive in their new homes and embrace their cultural heritage.
