Bogue Family Adoption
Donation protected
INTRODUCTION
Hello there! Our names are Megan and Joe. We very much want to start a family, but are unable to have biological children. It is our wish to adopt a child in need of a family, knowing we can provide the safety, security, and love the child deserves. We came to the decision to adopt after much consideration. We have tried to conceive for a long time while exploring and pursuing options for infertility. Finally, we realized adoption is the right choice for us. We have a great support system, made up of family and dear friends, who will ensure our child is raised in a community full of love. Now, all we need is your help as we continue our journey to parenthood. Over the entire adoption process there are many "known" and also "unknown" costs. Our adoption will definitely cost MORE than $20,000, but the exact amount is uncertain due to some unknown costs which we have detailed below. We plan to fundraise in a variety of ways, but we hope our GoFundMe campaign is our most successful fundraiser. Raising $25,000 is quite intimidating, but we have the will and determination to do what is necessary to bring our dreams of parenthood to fruition.
WHY ADOPTION?
We have been trying to conceive for two years. During that time, we met with multiple infertility specialists to explore options and get second opinions. After undergoing a battery of tests for every possible condition under the sun (including tests for brain tumors!), both specialists confirmed our infertility issues are connected to a condition affecting Megan known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS causes benign cysts to form on the ovaries and lower fertility. This condition has several side effects that further affect fertility, including a negative impact on menstruation, hormones, insulin levels, and weight loss. PCOS affects every woman differently.
ABOUT MEGAN & JOE
We have lived and worked in Columbia, MO for more than a decade (with Megan having grown up here). Megan is a licensed professional counselor. She provides therapy to individuals in mid-Missouri including therapy for mental health needs, substance abuse, and trauma counseling. Through her agency, she also travels to public schools and provides therapy services to children 12 and older. Joe is a print-based media researcher for a local press clipping service and has been with the company for over 10 years. He invests much of his personal time volunteering with the Maplewood Barn Community Theatre. He has served on the Barn's Board of Directors, including a term as Vice President of the Board, and he works closely with the Radio and Children's Theatre programs.
KNOWN EXPENSES -- $20,200
$200 = Initial application
$1,500 = Home study, which is a 6-month process.
$2,000 = Emergency medical expense fund fee. This fee is added to a larger fund used to cover emergency medical expenses accrued by any of the birth mothers serviced by the adoption agency.
$16,500 = Adoption agency fees. This fee is paid to the Lutheran Family & Children Services to cover services provided by the adoption agency. This fee is split into three payments and is adjusted based on income. It covers he many services provided by the adoption agency, including those listed below:
--criminal background checks
--credit reports
--locating birth parents
--facilitating interactions between birth parents and adoptive parents
--case management services to birth parents and adoptive parents
--advocacy and mediation services for birth parents and adoptive parents
--hospital coordination
--adoption family workshops and counseling
--birth parent workshops and counseling
--court report and appearance by adoption agency
--post-placement case management and advisement for one year, post-adoption
UNKNOWN EXPENSES -- $5,000-$10,000
These costs will vary depending on individual circumstances and will be paid throughout the process.
--travel expenses (transportation, lodging, food) during pregnancy and delivery to see birth family
--lawyer fees: we must pay for a lawyer for us, a lawyer for the the birth mother, and also a lawyer for the birth father; must be three different lawyers to ensure each client has fair advocacy in his/her best interest (est. $2000-$5,000)
--court costs: for filing and finalizing the adoption
WHEN ARE FUNDS NEEDED? HOW ELSE ARE YOU RAISING FUNDS?
We have already paid the application and home study fees. Now we are raising funds to cover the rest of the fees listed above that will accrue throughout the 1-2 year process. In a "best case scenario," we could need a large sum of funds as early as August 2019. To assist with fundraising for the adoption, we have both taken on additional jobs. We are both being paid for additional services provided through the summer for the Maplewood Barn Theater, including working the box office and lighting/sound. Additional fundraising efforts will include hosting a large, multi-family garage sale and several community fundraising events with sponsorship from local businesses and friends.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Adoption was not an easy decision for us. Megan had to come to terms with disappointment that she could not bear children of her own. Joe dealt with his own feelings of doubt about the possibility of becoming a father. Once we began considering adoption, we started researching the process and reading books on raising an adopted child. With our new knowledge and having worked through our feelings, we felt comfortable about the decision to adopt. It's hard to express how badly we want a family, and even harder to express how grateful we are for the support we have already received and the help being offered as we move forward. Please follow our journey on our Facebook page (The Bogue Family Adoption), share our posts to spread the word, invite your friends to our fundraising events, and if you have the means, give us a donation. The biggest lesson we have learned from the whole process so far is that we don't have to go through this alone. We need your support to help us complete our journey to parenthood.
Click this link to follow our Facebook page: Facebook Page -- Bogue Family Adoption
Hello there! Our names are Megan and Joe. We very much want to start a family, but are unable to have biological children. It is our wish to adopt a child in need of a family, knowing we can provide the safety, security, and love the child deserves. We came to the decision to adopt after much consideration. We have tried to conceive for a long time while exploring and pursuing options for infertility. Finally, we realized adoption is the right choice for us. We have a great support system, made up of family and dear friends, who will ensure our child is raised in a community full of love. Now, all we need is your help as we continue our journey to parenthood. Over the entire adoption process there are many "known" and also "unknown" costs. Our adoption will definitely cost MORE than $20,000, but the exact amount is uncertain due to some unknown costs which we have detailed below. We plan to fundraise in a variety of ways, but we hope our GoFundMe campaign is our most successful fundraiser. Raising $25,000 is quite intimidating, but we have the will and determination to do what is necessary to bring our dreams of parenthood to fruition.
WHY ADOPTION?
We have been trying to conceive for two years. During that time, we met with multiple infertility specialists to explore options and get second opinions. After undergoing a battery of tests for every possible condition under the sun (including tests for brain tumors!), both specialists confirmed our infertility issues are connected to a condition affecting Megan known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS causes benign cysts to form on the ovaries and lower fertility. This condition has several side effects that further affect fertility, including a negative impact on menstruation, hormones, insulin levels, and weight loss. PCOS affects every woman differently.
ABOUT MEGAN & JOE
We have lived and worked in Columbia, MO for more than a decade (with Megan having grown up here). Megan is a licensed professional counselor. She provides therapy to individuals in mid-Missouri including therapy for mental health needs, substance abuse, and trauma counseling. Through her agency, she also travels to public schools and provides therapy services to children 12 and older. Joe is a print-based media researcher for a local press clipping service and has been with the company for over 10 years. He invests much of his personal time volunteering with the Maplewood Barn Community Theatre. He has served on the Barn's Board of Directors, including a term as Vice President of the Board, and he works closely with the Radio and Children's Theatre programs.
KNOWN EXPENSES -- $20,200
$200 = Initial application
$1,500 = Home study, which is a 6-month process.
$2,000 = Emergency medical expense fund fee. This fee is added to a larger fund used to cover emergency medical expenses accrued by any of the birth mothers serviced by the adoption agency.
$16,500 = Adoption agency fees. This fee is paid to the Lutheran Family & Children Services to cover services provided by the adoption agency. This fee is split into three payments and is adjusted based on income. It covers he many services provided by the adoption agency, including those listed below:
--criminal background checks
--credit reports
--locating birth parents
--facilitating interactions between birth parents and adoptive parents
--case management services to birth parents and adoptive parents
--advocacy and mediation services for birth parents and adoptive parents
--hospital coordination
--adoption family workshops and counseling
--birth parent workshops and counseling
--court report and appearance by adoption agency
--post-placement case management and advisement for one year, post-adoption
UNKNOWN EXPENSES -- $5,000-$10,000
These costs will vary depending on individual circumstances and will be paid throughout the process.
--travel expenses (transportation, lodging, food) during pregnancy and delivery to see birth family
--lawyer fees: we must pay for a lawyer for us, a lawyer for the the birth mother, and also a lawyer for the birth father; must be three different lawyers to ensure each client has fair advocacy in his/her best interest (est. $2000-$5,000)
--court costs: for filing and finalizing the adoption
WHEN ARE FUNDS NEEDED? HOW ELSE ARE YOU RAISING FUNDS?
We have already paid the application and home study fees. Now we are raising funds to cover the rest of the fees listed above that will accrue throughout the 1-2 year process. In a "best case scenario," we could need a large sum of funds as early as August 2019. To assist with fundraising for the adoption, we have both taken on additional jobs. We are both being paid for additional services provided through the summer for the Maplewood Barn Theater, including working the box office and lighting/sound. Additional fundraising efforts will include hosting a large, multi-family garage sale and several community fundraising events with sponsorship from local businesses and friends.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Adoption was not an easy decision for us. Megan had to come to terms with disappointment that she could not bear children of her own. Joe dealt with his own feelings of doubt about the possibility of becoming a father. Once we began considering adoption, we started researching the process and reading books on raising an adopted child. With our new knowledge and having worked through our feelings, we felt comfortable about the decision to adopt. It's hard to express how badly we want a family, and even harder to express how grateful we are for the support we have already received and the help being offered as we move forward. Please follow our journey on our Facebook page (The Bogue Family Adoption), share our posts to spread the word, invite your friends to our fundraising events, and if you have the means, give us a donation. The biggest lesson we have learned from the whole process so far is that we don't have to go through this alone. We need your support to help us complete our journey to parenthood.
Click this link to follow our Facebook page: Facebook Page -- Bogue Family Adoption
Organizer
MacKenzie Everett-Kennedy
Organizer
Columbia, MO