Volume 45 - No. 10
March 05, 2015
by lyle e davis
You and I have read of, and viewed on tv, horrendous reports of couples anxious to adopt a child . . . and spending $10,000, $20,000 or more - and sometimes finding the ‘adoption’ was little more than a sham. I was amazed recently to visit with a client who told me that she and her new husband had adopted a child through the county of San Diego and the cost . . . was almost nothing. Intrigued, we decided to pursue this story. We felt there are probably readers of The Paper who may have the same need and desire . . . to have a child become part of their family. It can be done. Here’s a step-bystep guide and answers to many questions you might have.
Probably one of the best examples of child adoption rests with our own County Supervisor, Dave Roberts. He and his partner have five adopted children and one foster child they hope to adopt.
We’ll deal with the basics in this story, of how to adopt, who to contact, what is required, etc., but first, let’s hear what it’s like from someone who has been there and done that. The Paper: When did you first develop an interest in adoption?
Supervisor Dave Roberts: Well, my older brother was adopted so it was something our family was comfortable with. About 20 years ago I moved to San Diego and one day at the Del Mar Fair I came across a booth manned by San Diego County personnel and dealing with foster care and adoptions.
County Supervisor Dave Roberts, his partner, and his adopted kids. **
Based on those conversations, I quickly developed an interest in fostering and adopting. That was 20 years ago. The Paper: How long after you began the process did it take before you adopted your first child?
Supervisor Roberts: About eight months. There is a process to be completed; they are very thorough. You are assigned to an office, you are given an introductory class . . . then showed classes you are required to take . . . once we finished that program, which took about 6-7 months we were then ‘matched.’ The Paper - 760.747.7119
website:www.thecommunitypaper.com
email: thepaper@cox.net
*
The match itself took place in two weeks.
That was Robert, our first adopted son; today, he is 19, and in the Air Force, serving in San Antonio, Texas. He was an Eagle Scout and excellent student. We are so very proud of him.
*Photo by Evan Yamada Evan Yamada Photography ** Photo by Shane Hopkins, Shane and Lauren Photography
We adopted Robert 15 years ago - his sister lived with us for awhile but that didn’t work out. Sometimes there are issues you simply can’t control. It turns out, however, that the county had another child waiting in the wings. They reviewed the facts of our two cases to see if
they matched. They did, so we adopted Alex. Today, he is 14 and a freshman at Torrey Pines High School. Three of our adopted kids are siblings and the foster child is also a sibling. We await court approval of that adoption as well.
A Child is Waiting For You Continued on Page 2