Frischknecht Family Adoption
Donation protected
When asked why we have chosen to adopt, our answer is always simple. Adoption chose us. We have always known that adopting a child was part of our calling, part of our plan. We were blessed to not have any trouble becoming pregnant with our three children, Henry, Claire and Joseph, but we knew that the next child we welcomed into our family would be a child who needed us. Growing up, Henry had a family that embraced children with special needs in the foster care system. His maternal grandmother fostered over 40 children, officially adopting four of them. One of those adopted children, James, is now our son Joseph’s godfather. We were inspired by Grandma Sprague’s dedication to providing a loving home for children who needed one, and wanted to continue her important work.
Our family currently consists of both of us (Henry and Maureen), and our three children, Henry, Claire and Joseph. Simply put, family is at the core of all that we do. It allows us to be better at our jobs, to give back to our community and provides us a sense of fulfillment and purpose. We enjoy playing games together, hiking, watching movies and learning together. Our family is a huge piece of why we want to adopt. We feel that every person deserves the opportunity to be a part of family and we want to give that to a child who needs it.
Three summers ago we decided that it was time for us to begin our adoption journey as a family. Up until that point, we had always only talked about adoption as part of our future, but it was then that we decided we were ready, our children were ready and we had the support of our family and community. The process that brought us to this point actually began about five years earlier, and helped us kindle our relationship with Madagascar, where our daughter is coming from. Henry had been approached to lead a team in his school working to bridge the community of Rhinebeck, New York, with the community of Ranomafana in Madagascar. Ranomafana is home to SUNY Stony Brook’s research facility, Centre Val Bio, where students, NGO’s and local Malagasy work with communities in Madagascar on forest preservation and research in the rainforest, as well as providing medical services and promoting pride in the land. Henry’s work began with educating his students here in New York about Madagascar, and working with Zara Aina, a group of Broadway actors whose mission in Madagascar is to expand educational opportunities for and be mentors to children there through the use of theatrical storytelling. He then partnered with CultureConnect, a non-profit organization in Rhinebeck dedicated to preparing young people for global interactions. Together they developed a program to take a small group of high school students to Madagascar in the summers to work with SUNY Stony Brook and Zara Aina, helping to create healthier living environments for people there. When he traveled to Madagascar for the first time three summers ago, he knew that his mission there was greater, and we both felt a strong pull to begin the adoption process. Our family has grown quite attached to the country and its people, and our desire to do more has led to our decision to adopt now.
While we are confident in our ability to provide for our new daughter when she arrives, the process and cost of adoption is daunting and has already put financial strain on our family. We understood the financial burden when we began the process and are still willing to make the sacrifices, but are reaching out to our community to help alleviate some of the stress associated with this process. We long for the day that we can meet and hold our new daughter, and we are doing anything we can to facilitate that process.
We feel confident that this was meant to be - that there is a little girl in Madagascar waiting for us and who is meant to be a part of our family. We have been extremely fortunate to work with a team of people who clearly have the best interests of our child in mind, and are there to support us through this journey. Our caseworker from our agency, Small World, prayed with us in our first meeting, and his words have helped bring our family peace throughout each step so far. He said, “Right now, you don’t know your child’s face, or your child’s name, and your child doesn’t know you. But, God knows exactly who all of you are and even though you are not together yet, He meant for you to be a family.”
Our family currently consists of both of us (Henry and Maureen), and our three children, Henry, Claire and Joseph. Simply put, family is at the core of all that we do. It allows us to be better at our jobs, to give back to our community and provides us a sense of fulfillment and purpose. We enjoy playing games together, hiking, watching movies and learning together. Our family is a huge piece of why we want to adopt. We feel that every person deserves the opportunity to be a part of family and we want to give that to a child who needs it.
Three summers ago we decided that it was time for us to begin our adoption journey as a family. Up until that point, we had always only talked about adoption as part of our future, but it was then that we decided we were ready, our children were ready and we had the support of our family and community. The process that brought us to this point actually began about five years earlier, and helped us kindle our relationship with Madagascar, where our daughter is coming from. Henry had been approached to lead a team in his school working to bridge the community of Rhinebeck, New York, with the community of Ranomafana in Madagascar. Ranomafana is home to SUNY Stony Brook’s research facility, Centre Val Bio, where students, NGO’s and local Malagasy work with communities in Madagascar on forest preservation and research in the rainforest, as well as providing medical services and promoting pride in the land. Henry’s work began with educating his students here in New York about Madagascar, and working with Zara Aina, a group of Broadway actors whose mission in Madagascar is to expand educational opportunities for and be mentors to children there through the use of theatrical storytelling. He then partnered with CultureConnect, a non-profit organization in Rhinebeck dedicated to preparing young people for global interactions. Together they developed a program to take a small group of high school students to Madagascar in the summers to work with SUNY Stony Brook and Zara Aina, helping to create healthier living environments for people there. When he traveled to Madagascar for the first time three summers ago, he knew that his mission there was greater, and we both felt a strong pull to begin the adoption process. Our family has grown quite attached to the country and its people, and our desire to do more has led to our decision to adopt now.
While we are confident in our ability to provide for our new daughter when she arrives, the process and cost of adoption is daunting and has already put financial strain on our family. We understood the financial burden when we began the process and are still willing to make the sacrifices, but are reaching out to our community to help alleviate some of the stress associated with this process. We long for the day that we can meet and hold our new daughter, and we are doing anything we can to facilitate that process.
We feel confident that this was meant to be - that there is a little girl in Madagascar waiting for us and who is meant to be a part of our family. We have been extremely fortunate to work with a team of people who clearly have the best interests of our child in mind, and are there to support us through this journey. Our caseworker from our agency, Small World, prayed with us in our first meeting, and his words have helped bring our family peace throughout each step so far. He said, “Right now, you don’t know your child’s face, or your child’s name, and your child doesn’t know you. But, God knows exactly who all of you are and even though you are not together yet, He meant for you to be a family.”
Organizer
Henry Frischknecht
Organizer
Poughkeepsie, NY
