Frequently Asked Questions

What's wrong with international adoption?

We, Eric and Marissa (the founders of Achieve Adoption), would like to answer this question directly. We have two children adopted internationally. This was the best solution for our children’s situation at the time. And because of our overwhelming love for them, we can honestly say we would rather have seen them spared the additional trauma of losing their culture after already losing so much else. While we and many other international adoptive parents work to include as much of their culture as we can in our new normal, there’s no substitute for living in it.

So, why fund both international adoptions and work to end the need at the same time? Because 150 million orphans need a home today. And only 250,000 of them get adopted annually. It’s going to take a generation in many countries to overcome the stigma of adoption. In some countries; there is zero legal mechanisms for adoption or even foster care.

In short, we couldn’t pick just one problem to attack. We can’t just stand by as millions of children every year find their only path leading to human trafficking. So we help fund international adoptions today. But, we also just can’t kick the can down the road and not address the need to increase local adoptions in countries around the world. So we decided to tackle both problems at once.

What are the barriers that prevent adoptions within countries that are outside of the USA?

The answer to this question varies from country to country. But the list includes; finances, racism, religion, awareness, support, and awareness.

How do you plan to make such overwhelming change in other countries?

This will vary greatly from country to country. However, at the core of efforts will be equipping existing local churches. And if there are no churches, we will work to plant new churches.

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