Help Richard & Alban Adopt Two Colombian Teens!

We're Richard and Alban, and we're seeking to adopt a sibling set of brothers, 12 & 13 years old, from Colombia!

 

Richard is an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church and serves as rector (senior pastor) of a vibrant parish in Washington, D.C. Alban is a journalist who works as a bilingual storyteller for a children's research hospital.

 

Our Story

 

We have been talking about our desire to adopt for as long as we have been a couple. We found out about the Colombia adoption program through a “Maybe Baby” prospective parent class we took in the fall of 2020. The class was sponsored by Rainbow Families, a community-based organization that educates, connects, and supports LGBTQ+ families and parents-to-be. One of the class sessions included a presentation from a same-sex couple like us who adopted their children from Colombia after hosting them through the organization Kidsave. That is how we first learned that Colombia is open to LGBTQ-headed families and about the need older children have in being adopted. About eight months later, we decided to host a child in our home for five weeks in the summer of 2021.

The experience of hosting the 13-year-old boy with whom we were matched was, in short, life-changing. He taught us so much about ourselves and our capacity to care. In essence, he clarified for us what matters most: giving and receiving love within the context of a family in a safe and secure home environment. After our host child returned to Colombia, we moved forward with our home study, dossier, and other requirements with the intent to adopt him. Unfortunately, after waiting for three months, we found out in late January of this year that our host child had changed his mind about being adopted and moving to the U.S. Although this was devastating news at the time, after a couple of months of further discernment, we decided to stay in the adoption process and wait for the Colombian authorities to match us with another child—or pair of siblings. 

About the Boys

 

In May of 2022, we finally learned that we have been assigned a pair of brothers, Bayron (13) and Cristian (12). We are so grateful that Colombia identified two boys who seem to be amazing, resilient, and affectionate kids who deserve nothing more than a safe, stable, and loving forever family--and a life in which they will never be forcibly separated by the foster care system. We believe their profiles align perfectly with the hopes we had about our future adoptive children, and we are excited to welcome Bayron and Cristian to their forever home with us in Washington, D.C., where they will have access to world-class medical, psychological, and educational support services available in the area, as well as ample opportunities to explore interests and hobbies. 

 

How You Can Help

 

We have projected our total adoption-related expenses to be around $48,000. To date, we have spent more than $15,000 of our personal savings toward the adoption process, and we are hoping to raise $15,000 (about a third of the total cost) through the support of our friends, family, and anyone who cares about helping older children find their forever family. With the cost of living in Washington, D.C., being about 40% higher than the national average, with rising inflation nationally, and with both of us dedicated to service in non-profit organizations, we are doing all we can to create a stable financial future for our sons. Your financial contribution would go a long way toward that end. Thank you for your support!