The gift of love is a wonderful thing. We are eternally grateful to each and every one of you who choose to give the gift of love to children all around the world. We know it’s not easy. We know it’s emotionally draining. And, we know it’s not cheap. But, we also know that it’s worth it. On February 14th, we are announced our inaugural “Thrifty Thursday”. For a limited time we will be discounting our fees. Will you let us help you, give the gift of love to a child in need? Sign up today.

Discount Details:

Discount starts February 14^th, 2019 and ending on April 14^th, 2019
Discount will be in the total amount of $1,000. $500 off the application fee and $500 off the program fee.
Discount applies to Bulgaria and China only.
Application and application fee of $500 must be paid to Wasatch International Adoptions on or before April 14^th, 2019.
All discounted contracts and discounted program fee must be received by Wasatch International Adoption no later than May 1^st, 2019.

With clients recently completing their adoptions in China, we have several slots waiting to be filled. Slots are limited, so act fast!

Eligibility requirements can be found here.

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
― William James

Thank you for your interest in our China program. Change has come to adoptions from China. Change can be scary. But, change can also be good. A Chinese law regarding Non-Governmental Organizations inadvertently led to the dissolution of all agency and orphanage relationships known as the one-to-one program. The change has led to agencies being able to advocate for a much broader range of Chinese children. This has also allowed you, the prospective adoptive parents, to be more liberal in choosing which agency to work with. We pride ourselves in our dedication to you, the prospective adoptive parents. If you come with us, you will have a dedicated program manager assigned to you. He or She will help you through every step of the adoption process.

“Nothing endures but change.”
― Heraclitus

You may be asking yourself, with all the changes in China how do I proceed with an adoption? The answer is simple. Just start. Recently, it was popular for adoptive parents to identify a child and then start the process. Sure it was popular, but was it the best way? Was it worth the long months of waiting to get paperwork done knowing that the child you wished to adopt spent more time out of your family? Was it worth the rush to hurry to get paperwork done and completed in the required timeframe set by China? Was it worth our emotional health? Was it worth stressing about getting financing in a short amount of time? Was that wait worth it? The answer of course is YES! But what if I told you there was a different way? What if it was even a better way? There is a different way, and yes it is better.

“A bend in the road is not the end of the road…Unless you fail to make the turn.”
― Helen Keller

What is this new better way you ask? The answer is simple, you probably already know it. You need to start now! If you really want to adopt a child from China, why wait? You don’t need to have a child in mind to start. Talk with your spouse about what kinds of special needs you can parent. Study. Research. If you’re religious, pray. Have faith in the adoption process and just start. But how do you get started? Easy, follow these steps below:

Become clients of Wasatch International Adoptions
- We have dedicated staff who will be assigned to your case; you will never be left alone. We can help you to achieve your goal of a successful adoption.
Start your home study
- If you’re a resident of Utah we can provide the home study for you. If you live outside of Utah we can recommend licensed agencies in your state of residence you can complete the home study.
- Think about the special needs you’re willing to consider in an adopted child. The home study preparer must make a recommendation in the home study, and USCIS must issue an approval for your adoption to take place.
- What if you change your mind in the middle of the adoption or find a child with different special needs? Easy, home studies can be updated. Until the adoption is finalized, nothing is etched in stone.
Complete your dossier
- You can be completing your other paperwork necessary for an adoption in China while preparing the home study.
- Unlike the other way, you are not in as much of a hurry to meet the 6 month deadline for China. If your background clearances take time (which they can), or if USCIS is slow in processing immigration forms, or whatever the delay may be, you are in control.
- If you need to take 8 months, take 8 months. If you want to quickly get done, quickly get it done. There is no set amount of time in this regard. However, if you take too long some documents may need to be updated or renewed.
Submit your dossier to China
Wait
- With a completed dossier registered with China, your waiting child specialist will have the ability to access what China calls non-special focus children on your behalf. Non-special focus children typically have more mild special needs and tend to be younger in age.
- You may still choose to adopt a child from the shared list, special focus children, or children assigned to any agency’s personal lists.
Be Matched
- Once a child that meets the needs you are willing to take is identified, matching takes considerable less time. You get your Letter of Acceptance (LOA) within a matter of weeks.
Travel and Complete the Adoption
- With the LOA signed and returned it’s a matter of 2 or 3 months until you can travel to complete the adoption.
- With the quick turnaround you have less time to worry about the child and how they are doing in the orphanage. You will be excited that the process moved quickly in the end.

In the end, you can control the process much better by just starting. You can go at your own pace. This helps reduce the stress of adopting. It reduces the stress of worrying about the child. Once matched the process will go by so fast you won’t have much time to worry, you will just be glad it went so fast.

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Trying to afford adoption? We can help.

Adoption can be expensive. The cost of adopting can scare anyone away. According the FY 2017 Report on International Adoption, the median cost for an adoption was $30,400. Just because adoption is expensive, doesn’t mean it’s not affordable. Adoption cases are as unique as each family. Many middle-income families have successfully financed their adoptions through grants, saving, crowdsourcing, loans, and tax credits et.al. Let’s discuss some of the options.

Affording Adoption through Grants, Loans, Crowdsourcing and more

Grants Available to WIA only families

Presidential Grant:

A generous benefactor has offered grant money to help with the cost of adoption for children currently living in orphanages in China and Bulgaria. This benefactor will gift a $2,500 grant for available each child adopted. We have several Bulgarian sibling groups available for adoption, and a grant of $2,500 per child would be a huge financial help for adoptive families. We also have children from China listed with WIA and if families are dossier ready and would like to adopt one of these sweet children, there is a $2,500 grant that is available for adopting families. Even if you are just beginning your adoption from China, a portion of the grant money ($1,000) is available at the beginning of the process and the rest of the grant money($1,500) will be available once the referral of a child is accepted. We encourage anyone interested in learning more about the grants available to contact Kathy Junk, email Kathy@wiaa.org.

To view Bulgarian waiting children who qualify for this grant click here.

To view Chinese waiting children who qualify for this grant click here.

Children Need Families Grant:

A generous benefactor has offered grant money to aid in the adoption of children from the country of Haiti. This benefactor will award grant money on a case by case basis according the family’s needs. If you are interested in adopting from Haiti and would like to know more about this grant, please email Chareyl Moyes at Chareyl@wiaa.org

Bowen Zacapa England Adoption Grant:

As adoptive parents of a child from Guatemala, these benefactors wanted to help children who were to be adopted from Guatemala. As the adoption landscape changed, Guatemala was no longer allowed to place children with U.S. families. Still having been touched by a willingness to help orphaned children, these benefactors will award two $2,500 adoptions grant each fiscal quarter. There is no country requirement for this grant. The Bowen Zacapa England Adoption Grant will review all grant applications and award the grants. If you are interested in the eligibility requirements for this grant please contact Kathy Junk at Kathy@wiaa.org

Other Grants:

There are countless other grants for which prospective adoptive parents can apply. We won’t endorse any grants. However, some of the more popular grants our clients have received have been from the following places:

We strongly advise that you research out any and all grants for which you wish to apply. You may wish to reach out to adoptive parent groups for recommendations and reviews. We have a much broader list of adoption grants that clients have used over the years. This list is available upon request.

Crowdsourcing/Fundraising:

In recent years, crowdsourcing (or fundraising) has taken the internet by storm. People have funded anything from independent movies to potato salad. It’s becoming more and more socially acceptable for prospective adoptive couples to crowdsource, some if not all, of their adoption expenses. We have listed a few of the more popular crowdsourcing sites. The mention of the popular ones is not an endorsement of any of the following crowdsourcing sites. Prospective adoptive parents should look at each site carefully and do research as to which will be the best for them.

Factors to consider when looking at crowdfunding sites:

Do they keep a percentage of the money you raise as a fee? If so, how much?
Are they a for-profit for a not-for-profit entity?
Will donations made to them by others be tax deductible?
Are they transparent with their financials?
If your adoption is not completed, what happens to the money you raised?
Is there a cap to how much you can raise? If so, why or why not?
How do they accept donations? Do they exclude some credit cards?
Are Credit Card Fees deducted from your balance?
How is the money transferred to you or to your agency?

Affording Adoption through Grants, Loans, Crowdsourcing and more

Loans:

Consider taking out personal loans to cover some of the cost of your adoption. Many banks and credit unions will offer small personal loans (less than $5,000) to help mitigate the cost of your adoption. We encourage you to talk to your financial institution to get more information.

Some other organizations, such as a Child Waits Foundation, offer loans as well as grants. Another organization is America’s Christian Credit Union. While many financial institutions do not understand the unique situation surrounding the adoption process, we do. As part of our continuing effort to “reach, serve and teach,” America’s Christian Credit Union is happy to offer adoption loans.

Please consider carefully the additional costs associated with taking about loans. They could significantly increase the cost of your adoption.

Tax Credits:

The tax credit was made permanent in the last tax law. We are not tax accountants and cannot give out tax advice. Please be aware that a portion of adoption expenses can be given back to you as a tax credit. We strongly advise you to talk to a tax preparation professional before the next tax season.

You can read more about the tax credit here.

Country Update - HAITI April, 2018 — Port-Au-Prince, Haiti as seen from the mountains overlooking the city.

Wasatch Adoption (WIA) is accepting new families in our Haiti program.

Although the process can seem daunting and slow moving Wasatch is seeing great success with our Haiti adoption program. We have had MANY families recently receive referrals from the Haitian Central authority (IBESR) and many families have traveled to pick up their children.

Wasatch has much experience working in Haiti, we have worked in this country for many years and are great at holding our clients hands through the process. We have handled some very challenging cases, including family adoptions. Wasatch also supports other humanitarian efforts in Haiti (see haitianroots.com) to help build and strengthen this beautiful country, we have a deep love for the country of Haiti and the amazing people there.

Please see below for a basic overview of the Haiti adoption process.

An overview of the Haiti process

Haiti adoptions under the new laws and policies generally take about 12 – 14 months from official referral/match of a child to homecoming. Families should be prepared to experience a wait of two years or longer for the referral/match of a child, particularly if they request to adopt a child with minor to no special needs under the age of three years old. After the Haitian government issues the referral of a child, the adoptive family will travel to Haiti for 15 days for the mandatory bonding and socialization trip, during this trip the family will be interviewed by an IBESR social worker and verbally approve the referral/match of their child/children. Additional visits to Haiti are permitted once a family is approved through IBESR, but must schedule those visits through Wasatch. The six-day re-acquaintance period required before the child may go home to their family may be waived if the family has visited the child during the adoption process (in addition to the mandatory 15 days).

Referrals (selection of a child for a family) are made in Haiti by the Central Authority (IBESR). Families can be referred a child who is legally free for adoption residing in any orphanage in Haiti that has been licensed to perform adoptions. Referral information comes from IBESR, it generally includes photographs with medical and social history. The referral information is given to Wasatch, who delivers the information to the adoptive families, adoptive families will review the information and accept the referral (in writing), they will then travel to Haiti to meet the child (this trip is planned with your Wasatch case manager), it is a very important time for the adoptive families to meet and spend time with their child, it is also required by the Haitian government (both adoptive parents must travel for 15 days).

Children available for adoption from Haiti are aged one year through fifteen years (at the time of referral), these children are in need of permanent, loving families. The most typical ages of children available for adoption are toddlers between 3- 6 years of age. Most of the children being adopted from Haiti have no permanent health or developmental concerns, but families are VERY needed for children with special needs as well. Children with special needs include sibling pairs and groups, single children ages six and older, or children with medical needs. IBESR determines the eligibility of adoptable children. Children are typically tested for HIV and Hepatitis.

Once you decide to adopt from Haiti, Wasatch will be there to help you through every step of the process, through the home study and dossier paperwork, through visits to Haiti and the legal process to complete the adoption in Haiti and to file the appropriate paperwork and approvals with the US government.

For more information about our Haiti program please contact Kathy@wiaa.org

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
― William James

“Nothing endures but change.”
― Heraclitus

“A bend in the road is not the end of the road…Unless you fail to make the turn.”
― Helen Keller

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Trying to afford adoption? We can help.