The Piggy Back Adoption Project
Donation protected
The Artwork:
My 5 kids drew the picture since we cannot use photos due to confidentiality during adoptions in process.
The Story:
My dear friend, Devon Crews, is adopting a little girl from Liberia. She is 13. The road to complete her adoption has been long and expensive.
The agency (Small World Adoption Agency in Tennessee) my friend is working with has another child at the same orphanage, a little boy, who is 7. He is hoping to be adopted soon. As we make efforts to protect the details of their adoption from a social media footprint, out of respect for their privacy, I am not including their stories. I am happy to elaborate more privately via email, phone calls or in person. I have heard a lot of stories of rescue and redemption and second chances. And these 2 kids are worth every penny required to ransom them from the temporary solution of an orphanage in Liberia, sponsored by Small World Adoption Agency.
The Piggy Back Concept:
Small World Adoption Agency presented this idea as a tandem or “piggy back” adoption. Take one adoption with no barriers left but travel (the 13 year old little girl) and add just one more kid to the same set of paperwork. This family are great candidates for such an endeavor, because they already the space and resources based on their home study and family dynamics for a 5th child in their family.
Agencies are crafty that way. That’s how I found myself one day parenting 5 little girls ages 8,7,6,5 and 4. The foster care agency knew we had the space to foster more. So they said “I know you said only 1, but we have this 6 year old who is fantastic, and her sister is 4.” As a sibling myself, who says “no” to the younger sibling?
To create a “piggy back” adoption for this little boy will cost my friend and her family an additional $16,200.00 to complete his adoption financial requirements and bring them home together. Due to the efforts and advocacy on the part of Small World Adoption Agency to the Liberian government on behalf of this single 7 year old boy, this adoption can be completed in 2 months. If we can find the funding, they will be piggy backing the 7 year old child on the 13 year old child’s completed paperwork/home study. There is an urgency for funding so as not to delay this adoption further. The older child, who is 13, was at a different orphanage without agency support when my dear friend, Devon, heard of her story. She was 6 years old when her name was chosen to add to Devon’s family. It has taken great efforts to move her to the orphanage sponsored by Small World Adoption Agency. Most Liberian adoptions via Small World Adoption Agency are completed in less 2 years, if families are open to children a little older, like Deszoe.
The Ask:
Money to rescue these kids, who are stuck somewhere without a voice. Please hear my voice on their behalf. I am determined to see them find the safety they crave in the families willing to adopt them as sons and daughters. I am always searching to connect families willing to adopt, and other families willing to financially sponsor the adoption process. The children who hope for adoption are easy to find. They number greater than 150 million across the world. It is an overwhelming number. For today, we have found a solution for just one, and we need your help to do it.
A single adoption from Liberia is posted on the Small World Adoption website, and it is $41,663.00 for just one kid. Financial goals to complete the 13 year old’s adoption thankfully have been met by generous donations over the last few years. Many of you receiving this request are on that list. And trust me when I say each adoptive parent keeps a list of every person and every business that helped with every dollar. As an adoptive parent, I often look back on my daughter’s baby book at the list I made of everyone who helped bring our Oldest home to us.
After pursuing the same adoption for a few years for the 13 year old and having multiple fundraisers and multiple set backs and losses, and more time added than ever anticipated, I am impressed my friend would say “yes” to another adoption.
Adoption is difficult, sacred work that is not for everyone. But completing just one adoption does require so much effort from so many other people who may not be called to parent the adoptees, but are no less crucial in completing the task to adopt.
It becomes increasingly difficult for adoptive parents to ask for help as they pursue helping a child. Having been there myself, I am honored to make this plea for another adoptive mother.
On behalf of my friend, and her family who will be adding their 4th and 5th children via adoption to their family hopefully a couple of months from now, I would like to humbly beg for any amount of money that could be spared by any person willing to help bring these kids home quickly and easily.
The Answer:
Donate money to one of the following places.
**Small World Adoption Agency will accept a tax deductible donation to be directed to this 7 year old little boy. Type Devon Crews Adoption in the memo at the top. You will receive a letter confirming your donation for tax purposes.
**For the crowdfunding excitement, here is the gofundme link.
**Venmo Devon Crews directly at the following: @Devon-Kimberley (last digits of phone number are 1015 for confirmation)
**Mail an old fashion (but very effective) check to:
Devon Crews
931 Backside Beaverdam Rd.
Centerville, TN 37033
Or to me at
Rachel Smith
3028 Lake Butler Ct.
Cape Coral, FL 33909
**checks can be made out to Small World Adoption Agency and mailed to Devon or me and still be tax deductible.
**Buy a shirt on this link:
(multiple styles, colors and sizes)
**Buy a coffee cup on this link:
Thank you for listening today, and for every dollar you have surrendered to help with each and every adoption I have introduced you to over the years. In my bucket list dream to help 100 kids complete their adoption, these children are #22 and #23.
Devon’s 1st adoption was actually #1 on our list. Our oldest daughter was #2. Those of you who have children who are #3-#21 on our list definitely understand our success in fundraising as well as our urgency to pursue it further, one kid at a time.
Please reach out to me if you have any questions regarding this project.
May God bless you in all of your efforts to pursue all of your dreams as He has done for mine.
Sincerely,
Rachel Newman Smith
[email redacted]
Organizer and beneficiary
Rachel Smith
Organizer
Cape Coral, FL
Devon Crews
Beneficiary