Help Eva Get A Baby Brother/Sister
Donation protected
Dear friends, family, and anyone who just happened to stumble upon our page by chance,
Thank you for taking the time to read about our journey thus far, and for considering helping us as we navigate through the next phase.
A little over a year ago, Mike and I were blessed with our first child, little Eva. In her short time on Earth, Eva has brought us and countless others so much laughter and joy. She may be tiny, but her love knows no bounds.
The love that we've experienced this past year has been like no other, and we are at the point where we would like to watch it grow. Eva loves playing with her fur babies, but we're sure she would love a brother or sister to play with, especially one whose kisses are a little more on the drier side.
You, our friends and family, have been great this past year. You've showered Eva with love and gifts. You've liked and commented on countless social media posts. You've celebrated her first milestones with us. And many of you donated items for our first fundraiser. We couldn't have gotten this far without your love and support , and so we are asking for it one more time.
Over the last year, several friends and family members have asked us about the costs associated with adoption, and many of them are shocked when we tell them that it averages out to a little more than $25,000. We believe in transparency, so we want to share with you exactly where all that money goes:
$3000 - Application fee, pre-service training and home study.
$9000 - Birth parent outreach, education, profile fee, birth parent counseling fee (1st half), agency activation fee, and birth parent living expenses ($3000 as mandated by the state of Ohio).
$12,500 - Birth parent counseling fee (2nd half), placement fee and post placement fee (includes a series of monthly home visits from our social worker before and after placement).
$1500 - Agency asssited adoption finalization and court costs.
Mike and I saved diligently for over a year to help finance the above costs and managed to pay for the first adoption without any financial support from friends or family. In the end, we took out a personal loan to make up the difference of what we still needed to make our dreams of becoming fathers a reality. As that loan nears pay off, we are looking into taking out another one, but we could certainly use some assistance the second time around.
In order for our profile to be shown to potential birth mothers/families, we must show our agency that we have the full amount of funds needed to finance the adoption. This may seem odd, but we could be placed at any time so the agency needs to ensure we will be financially ready when that time comes. It took us about a year and a half to be placed with Eva, so we desperately want to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible. Plus, Mike and I aren't getting any younger; we'd like to be able to attend our children's high school graduation ceremonies without the assistance of a walker. :-)
We are working on some fun adoption fundraisers for the near future, but in the meantime we would appreciate any donation you would be willing to make via this Gofundme page. $5, $10, $25... no amount is too small, and we can assure you that every dollar will be just as appreciated as the last.
We don't believe in taking without giving back, so we've included some wonderful "thank you gifts" listed in the "Rewards Level" section. If you decide to donate at one of those levels, we will reach out to you via cell or social media to get some information from you (sizes, addresses, etc.).
Our family, especially Eva, has been so supported and loved since day one. We know that will be the case as we work tirelessly to share our lives with another special child.
Thank you for considering joining our cause and for helping the Brookholts blossom and grow. Without all of you, getting to this point in our lives would have been extremely difficult.
With undying love and gratitude,
Eva, Chris & Mike (and Bocelli, Giovanni, and Murphy, too!)
Thank you for taking the time to read about our journey thus far, and for considering helping us as we navigate through the next phase.
A little over a year ago, Mike and I were blessed with our first child, little Eva. In her short time on Earth, Eva has brought us and countless others so much laughter and joy. She may be tiny, but her love knows no bounds.
The love that we've experienced this past year has been like no other, and we are at the point where we would like to watch it grow. Eva loves playing with her fur babies, but we're sure she would love a brother or sister to play with, especially one whose kisses are a little more on the drier side.
You, our friends and family, have been great this past year. You've showered Eva with love and gifts. You've liked and commented on countless social media posts. You've celebrated her first milestones with us. And many of you donated items for our first fundraiser. We couldn't have gotten this far without your love and support , and so we are asking for it one more time.
Over the last year, several friends and family members have asked us about the costs associated with adoption, and many of them are shocked when we tell them that it averages out to a little more than $25,000. We believe in transparency, so we want to share with you exactly where all that money goes:
$3000 - Application fee, pre-service training and home study.
$9000 - Birth parent outreach, education, profile fee, birth parent counseling fee (1st half), agency activation fee, and birth parent living expenses ($3000 as mandated by the state of Ohio).
$12,500 - Birth parent counseling fee (2nd half), placement fee and post placement fee (includes a series of monthly home visits from our social worker before and after placement).
$1500 - Agency asssited adoption finalization and court costs.
Mike and I saved diligently for over a year to help finance the above costs and managed to pay for the first adoption without any financial support from friends or family. In the end, we took out a personal loan to make up the difference of what we still needed to make our dreams of becoming fathers a reality. As that loan nears pay off, we are looking into taking out another one, but we could certainly use some assistance the second time around.
In order for our profile to be shown to potential birth mothers/families, we must show our agency that we have the full amount of funds needed to finance the adoption. This may seem odd, but we could be placed at any time so the agency needs to ensure we will be financially ready when that time comes. It took us about a year and a half to be placed with Eva, so we desperately want to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible. Plus, Mike and I aren't getting any younger; we'd like to be able to attend our children's high school graduation ceremonies without the assistance of a walker. :-)
We are working on some fun adoption fundraisers for the near future, but in the meantime we would appreciate any donation you would be willing to make via this Gofundme page. $5, $10, $25... no amount is too small, and we can assure you that every dollar will be just as appreciated as the last.
We don't believe in taking without giving back, so we've included some wonderful "thank you gifts" listed in the "Rewards Level" section. If you decide to donate at one of those levels, we will reach out to you via cell or social media to get some information from you (sizes, addresses, etc.).
Our family, especially Eva, has been so supported and loved since day one. We know that will be the case as we work tirelessly to share our lives with another special child.
Thank you for considering joining our cause and for helping the Brookholts blossom and grow. Without all of you, getting to this point in our lives would have been extremely difficult.
With undying love and gratitude,
Eva, Chris & Mike (and Bocelli, Giovanni, and Murphy, too!)
Organizer
Mike Brookholt
Organizer
Berea, OH