I have read that the biggest concern for couples considering international adoption is....can we afford it? For us, that was by far the biggest question and largest hurdle to date. We believe in God's provision, and trust 100% that this is the path He has led us on, which is why we decided to step out in faith. That being said, we also have three children and had to make sure we were being Good Stewards of our funds and not making a reckless decision that could send our family into financial ruin. I will admit, it is still a leap of faith, but we have learned a lot and are seeing the fruit of our "yes" in unexpected ways. This is also an interesting perspective. It is the cost of international adoption compared to other life expenses. The average international adoption can cost anywhere from $20-$50,000. Compare that to these purchases/investments:
Average price of a new car: $28,400
Average price of a wedding: $27,800
Those could all be considered necessary investments for sure, and once I broke some of those items down, it convinced me that our adoption could also be considered just as necessary as these other items. International adoption may not be for everyone (if you don't like to travel for example) and that is the blessing of options...domestic adoption, foster care, etc. Prayer and research go a long way! Sources like the "100 top adoption-friendly workplaces" and Section 23 of the IRS code (sooo thankful for that)! For those who feel called to international adoption, click here for information regarding options, ideas, and ways to afford it.
My husband’s company is on that list. It is now slightly over $10,000. We did not find out about the reimbursement until after we had decided to adopt, but we were thrilled when we found out. **Knock on wood** it will still be in place and he will still be working there when the time comes. A downside to his workplace though is that his PTO expires every year. So even thought he gets paternity leave, he will never be able to get a full 12 week FMLA paid. We will not get a direct reimbursement from my office, but I am allowed to accrue vacation and sick days, which can be used to cover my entire 12 week FMLA. So the assistance from your workplace really can come in a variety of ways.
ReplyDeleteGood post. Like Kara my husband's company is also on that list. Also like Kara's husband his PTO does not roll over from year to year. He does get 2 weeks of paid paternity/adoption leave on top of his regular leave. But on the downside we can not save up days from this year to use on adoption travel next year.
ReplyDelete