Our Adoption story: From heartbreak to Triumph

 In July- August 2014 mutual friends of my wife and I told us about the Arise adoption conference which were taking place in October of that year and where various adoption agencies would be displaying  their information and various guest speakers would be talking about the adoption process. Although we had spoken about adoption it was the furthers thing from our mind at that time.  Our daily routine at the time consisted of work, home, church and the annual visits to the Northern Cape to visit the wife family and socializing with friends.

On the 26^th November that year we got in contact with one of the agencies and after a brief telephone conversation with the adoption administrator we were emailed an application form which we had to work through and send back to the agency.  On the 12^th January 2015 we submitted our application form to the adoption agency. This involved also paying an admin cost. On the 23 January 2015 we met with the social worker to discuss the adoption process and were afforded the opportunity to ask question to clear up any uncertainty which we may have had at the time.

The first meeting out of the way to had to fill out a whole lots of forms including criminal checks and Form 30 application forms which we had to send to the Department of Social welfare in Pretoria.  We also had to submit the contact details of 5 references who could vouch that we would be good parents to a baby.  This was also the first time that family and friends became aware that we have started the adoption process. On the 15 May 2015 we signed the formal adoption agreement with the agency to confirm our commitment to the adoption process.

On the 25 June 2015 we went for a psychological assessment to assess whether or not we were suitable candidates to be parents.  An assessment feed needed to be made to the agency before the assessment took place.  This assessment was done with a psychologist and the assessment was done online after which we met with her on an individual basis and also as a couple to talk through the results.  Thankfully we were declared fit to be parents and it felt like the weight of the world has been lifted of our shoulders.

As part of the adoption process we had to create a profile of the 2 of us as a couple and as individuals.  On the 31 July we had a home visit with our social worker to determine if our home was suitable to bring up a baby and for her to help us with our profiles for the prospected mothers who will decide who they want to adopt their child and to talk through other questions we may have had.

On the 12 August we had a day long group session at the adoption agency with 6 other couples.  During this session we worked through various issued relating to the adoption etc.  We became quite close to two other couples who we develop a close bond with.