So now began our journey. We found an adoption agency that we felt very comfortable with. New Beginnings in Long Island, New York. With the help of the executive director and with a tug at our hearts we found that China would be the perfect fit for our family.

We were blessed with our Matthew six years ago, a beautiful, healthy son. Now we thought a daughter would be a wonderful addition to our family.

It is well know that because of the ever-growing population in China, the government decreed the “one child” policy. Families in many provinces were fined for having more than one child and those fines were very severe.

It is the custom in China and a strong part of an ancient culture where sons are held in high honor. It is the son who is destined to take care of the aging parents. It is the son who can provide for the family.  For this reason, many women have no alternative but to give the baby girls up for adoption. I can only imagine how heart wrenching this must be for these birth mothers. To carry a child for nine months and then have to give her daughter away because of the culture and the political circumstances must be devastating.

We are also very drawn to the Asian community and culture. Over the years we have made so many wonderful Asian friends. Our very dear family friend Nancy is Chinese. She is truly part of our family. We are very close to her and she has taught us so much about the Chinese people and culture. She has been very supportive of our adoption.

There are so many reasons why we chose China but the first reason is that we both felt a tremendous energy when researching the China program. It is a feeling that is hard to describe but we both knew it was the right country for us.