Adoption Success Stories
A national org helps two same-sex couples adopt children - find out how you can apply for a grant
Photo by Think Stock
Adoption can be an expensive process for many individuals and couples in the U.S. But this week, Helpusadopt.org awarded several grants to nine families around the country – including two same-sex couples.
“These families are pursuing the American Dream of family and Helpusadopt.org is so proud to help them achieve this dream,” says co-founder Becky Fawcett. “This is an extremely meaningful grant cycle to me. Not only did we award a grant to every type of family we support, but we awarded significant, life-changing grants (an average of $8,333).”
Helpusadopt.org – which celebrates its fifth anniversary this year – doesn’t discriminate against the LGBT community, having awarded two new grants to a same-sex couple from Chicago and North Carolina during the most recent grant cycle. Both couples are adopting children domestically since gay and lesbian couples are prohibited from adopting internationally.
Funded primarily by individual donations, the organization helps finance the adoption process from start to finish. The average adoption, says Fawcett, can costs $30,000 or more even though the average household income in the U.S. is $45,000.
“We created Helpusadopt.org in 2007 because there was a need in the United States for a non-judgmental, non-discriminatory adoption grant program,” says Fawcett. “We are proud of the fact that Helpusadopt.org does not define family. There are millions of children around the globe that need homes and so many people who want to open their homes and their hearts, but need a little help financially with the cost of adoption.”
Fawcett, an adoptive mother herself, understands all too well the difficulties that many adoptive families face in becoming parents, especially same-sex couples who face discriminatory laws that can make the process even more challenging. But thanks to her work, she was recently recognized as a CNN Hero. She also writes about her experiences and reaches out to the LGBT community via her blog – An Infertile Blonde – which was recognized by Adoptive Families Magazine as one of the Top 20 Infertility and Adoption blogs in the country.
Do you need help adopting? Helpusadopt.org’s 10th round of grants, expected to total $75,000, will be awarded in December 2012. The grant application is available online. The deadline for submission is October 12.
