Domestic Adoption
Room for more—adopting domestically
Prior to having two children by birth, Joanna and John knew that adoption held a special place in their hearts. Life kept them busy, though, and it wasn’t until they were driving to church one day—reading the local paper on the way there—that they read an article that would change their family forever.
Deciding to make a difference
While scanning the newspaper article, Joanna read of the low rates of placement for African-American children in the United States.
“I thought, ‘This is something we can do. We can do more,’” says Joanna.
After discussions with John and their two children, Joanna discovered that expanding their love was the right choice: Joanna also knew that belonging to an interracial family would provide a wonderful atmosphere for all of the children. When the time came to observe other families in the area, everyone was in for a surprise.
“We did some family watching, and there are a lot of mixed families in our area,” she says. “I never noticed that before.”
Finding the right agency
Although the family originally worked with another agency, they found its African-American placement timeframes discouraging, and searched for an agency that set its focus beyond the most common adoption scenarios. With their first two children growing quickly, Joanna and John wanted “a family, not two separate sets of kids,” says Joanna. The family transferred to Adoption Associates, Inc., and happily found its program to have a much shorter waiting period. A special desire made their timeframe urgency even more crucial: they ultimately wanted to adopt two African-American children.
Encouraging a sense of belonging
John and Joanna knew there were a lot of children in the United States in need of a home, and the decision to adopt domestically left them with no doubts. Still, they wanted to leave absolutely no room in their family for feelings of isolation.
“We wanted [to adopt] two kids because we didn’t want them to feel like people were saying ‘Oh, that’s the one who is adopted,’” says Joanna. “We wanted them to be close in age and grow up together, to be close. I have a sister close to my age, and I wanted them to have that, too.”
Awaiting a successful match
After two failed matches, John and Joanna remained hopeful with overwhelming support from family, friends, and their church. Before long, a baby girl came into their lives, who they named Vienna. Fourteen months later, another baby girl, Shiloh, was placed with their family, and the complete family could not have been more excited.
“Vienna was so quiet when she was little, but now that Shiloh is home she’s Miss Personality!” says Joanna. “She loves Shiloh so much. And the older kids read stories to Vienna … We thought that when Shiloh arrived, Vienna wouldn’t get enough attention, but the older kids jumped right in.”
Searching for roots
Although both were born in the United States, Joanna wanted her youngest children to know about their ancestors.
“People were always asking us where they were from, and we just said ‘Detroit,’” says Joanna. “[But] I never wanted them to be in the fourth grade, doing that ancestry project and having to say ‘I’m adopted. I don’t know where my ancestors are from.’ It’s not fair,” says Joanna.
John and Joanna soon discovered AfricanDNA.com, a company that had traced African ancestry for celebrities such as Oprah and Chris Rock.
“We waited until Vienna was two to order the kit. It came in the mail and we swabbed her cheek and sent the sample in,” says Joanna. “We got the results, and now when people ask us where Vienna is from, we can say ‘Her ancestors are from the Upper Guinea region of Africa. We plan to do it for Shiloh when she gets older, too.”
A taste of different cultures
Another initiative for the DNA testing was the possibility of incorporating the girls’ culture into family life, and John and Joanna started in the kitchen.
“Our family loves the library, so we check out cookbooks with recipes from other countries,” says Joanna.
Since Vienna has allergies to many common foods—including corn, wheat, buckwheat and soy—expanding the family’s tastes beyond American fare reaps twice the benefits.
“Recipes from other countries have different ingredients [than most American dishes], so we try all kinds of things. I saw a type of popcorn made with sorghum berries, and ordered the berries. It turned out really good!”
Enjoying life together
When they’re not baking up tasty treats or attending one another’s extracurricular activities, the family of six spends time praying for peace and living a simplified life. Holding close the motto “Turn your words into action,” John, Joanna and their children find ways to volunteer in the community, work for justice, and help Joanna’s parents on their farm in northern Michigan. A few years ago, they began helping the environment by buying as many things used as possible.
“The kids are really into it,” says Joanna. “It’s sort of become a family project: It pays off when everybody shares.”
Gratefulness and understanding
When first awaiting the placement of their youngest daughters, Joanna and John were thankful to find that many African-American birth mothers choose Caucasian families for the adoption of their children. When out and about, Joanna says that many people approach her in great support of her family.
“We find many African-American people who think it’s great,” she says. “They know that it’s not about what you look like; it’s about the love.”
For more information
For more information on domestic infant adoption or Adoption Associates, Inc.’s African-American adoption program, call 1.800.677.2367, visit our web pages, or request a free adoption information packet.
Families needed!
Adoptive families are currently needed for AAI’s domestic African-American infant program! Families who are open to the adoption of an infant of full African-American heritage are urged to apply. To learn more about this program, families can request a free adoption information packet, attend a free adoption information meeting, or call 616.667.0677.
