Although Erica and Tim Heiss' two sons weren't born to them, 3-year-old Kevin and 2-year-old Jeremy have been a part of their family since birth.
"We got them from birth through foster care, but it was 18 months to two years before we could actually adopt them," said Erica Heiss. "It took longer than we wanted it to."
Adoption can be a lengthy process as agencies caring for children attempt to assess whether the prospective parents will be able to care for and provide for the children. But the experience hasn't stopped Heiss from recommending adoption to others.
"Anyone thinking about adoption should give it a try," she said.
There are 3,000 children in the custody of the state of Ohio, waiting for adoptive families. Nationally, there are 129,000 children waiting for permanent homes.
In light of National Adoption Awareness Month, employees at Washington County Children Services want anyone who has been thinking about adopting a child will act upon those thoughts and take the next step.
"The one thing we want out in the community is for people who have been thinking about adopting to call us and talk," said Tami McBride, adoption caseworker at Children Services.
McBride said single people and married couples age 18 and older who are legal U.S. and Ohio residents may be approved to adopt in the state, and there is no maximum age limit.
"There are more married couples who adopt because they feel they can share the parenting duties, because children can be time-consuming," said McBride.
After discussing adoption with Children Services, the prospective adoptive parents must attend a state-mandated, 36-hour pre-service training class, which is held at Children Services each March and September.
"There is no cost for the class, but it is required," said McBride
The next step is to fill out an application form, which must be submitted to the adoption supervisor. A home assessment is then completed, in which several meetings and interviews take place within the prospective adoptive parents' home.
The evaluation includes local, state and federal background checks on all adults in the home, a safety audit, an inspection by the fire department, a test to ensure the water is safe to drink and a tuberculosis test.
"The bottom line is, we have to stand in front of a judge and make sure we can say with confidence that this is the best possible home for this child," said McBride.
Additionally, each member of the household must have physical exams conducted by a licensed physician, physician assistant, clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse practitioner or certified nurse midwife within six months prior to the initial recommendation for approval.
The adoptive parents must prove that they can meet the basic financial needs of the household by providing an income statement. They must also provide four references and autobiographies of themselves.
Heiss said her husband was concerned about finances when it came to adopting the boys, especially since the couple was already raising their two biological daughters, Mikala, 10, and Mikinzi, 8.
"He was concerned about financial problems, like college and braces and all those things that come along with having children," she said.
A pre-placement assessment and a Casey Family Assessment are also required. Additional assessments may be required if Children's Services employees feel they are necessary.
"The Casey Family Assessment is really a self-assessment which enables the prospective adoptive families to look into their belief systems and attitudes and see how that will mesh with our belief system," said McBride.
Because Children Services is a public agency, there are no fees for adoption services. However, the adoptive family may have to pay legal and court fees related to the adoption finalization.
Those costs total $625, according to Washington County Probate Court.
The meetings, interviews and assessments can take up to six months to complete. The child who is being considered for adoption then has to live with the prospective parents for a period of six months.
"Once the child has lived in the home for six months, the prospective parents can go to court to finalize the adoption. Once the adoption is finalized, the judge says it is like the child was born to those parents," said McBride.
Another concern for the Heiss family was the gene mutation Kevin inherited from his mother also caused concern, but she and her husband knew he had this when they adopted him.
"A lot of people who are considering adoption are scared of medical and mental issues that they may inherent from their parents, but when you're pregnant, you don't know about these things either," she said.
Teri Wright, foster care and adoption supervisor at Children Services, said most of the biological parents of children who are in foster care or up for adoption have mental or behavioral health issues, and that the children sometimes do, too.
"There is a trend of drug abuse in the biological parents," she said.
Wright and McBride said there are many reasons why people make the choice to be a foster or adoptive parent. Some of them were adoptive or foster children themselves, and others simply feel fortunate for what they have and want to share that with children who are in unfortunate situations.
"Some people have hesitations or fears, but you don't have to be perfect or rich to adopt. We're just looking for families that want to make these kids a part of their family," said McBride.
Anyone who is interested in becoming a foster or adoptive parent should contact Children Services at (740) 373-3485, or visit their Web site at www.washingtoncountychildren.com
