June 21, 2oo6
Why We Chose China

Why China?
Ken and I have been getting many questions about why we are going to China to adopt. "Why not stay here and do a domestic adoption?" There are several reasons for our choice, and I thought I would try and explain how we came to this decision.
1. That is where our daughter is!! In my heart there is no question
2. Once we get through the adoption in China she is ours. Steps have been taken in China to find her birth mother, for example an ad will have been placed in the local paper. It will be determined that the baby was abandoned. The birth mother will not show up three days, six months, or a year later and decide she wants her daughter back.
3. Birth mother’s health is generally better than in America or other countries. From my research I have found that women in China take care of themselves during their pregnancy. Most feel they have one chance to deliver a healthy boy, and they work to make that happen. Babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome, addicted to drugs, and many other transmitted diseases is lower in China. Babies are born with health problems, as with any country, but most are known early.
4. This may be a selfish reason, but I don’t want to have to sell myself to prospective birth mothers. In a domestic adoption more and more women are choosing open adoptions where they pick the family. I am not a salesperson, and I don’t want to advertise my family and myself in order to raise a child. In China the CCAA matches you with your child. I have read many stories about “perfect matches”. It is not quite known how they do it, but I would rather have my child matched with us. Again, this may be a selfish reason, but it is a strong feeling I have and I must go with my gut.
5. We would like a girl and we have a 95% chance in China