family. “[We] never had any kind of formal agreement. Everything’s always just been very organic.” Tara says. “We don’t do daily life together [with her birth family], but we do have a very open relationship, keep tabs on one another, and see each other [a] cou- ple times a year. It’s not hard to get together when we can, but we’ve always let birth mom guide that.” This openness has fostered a strong sense of love and belonging for Chloe. “She’s got more people that love her, and how can you not like that?” Throughout their journey, Tara and George have encountered many misconceptions about adoption. “I think a big one is that ‘birth parents give up babies because they just don’t want them,’” Tara says. “People give up babies for lots of reasons or choose to have other people raise their children for lots of reasons.” Another common miscon- Addressing Adoption Misconceptions ception is that adoption is prohibitively expensive. Tara and George spent around $5,000–mainly on legal fees. “It doesn’t have to be expensive,” Tara explains. “Private adoption is a thing that can be binding, but definitely go through legal channels because you don’t want it to come back and bite you one day.”
Being Honest and Open From the start, Tara and George decided to be fully open with Chloe about her adoption. “We’re an open book about it,” Tara explains. “She has known as long as she can remem- ber that she is adopted. We’ve not had any secrets with her about it.” One of the things Tara and George learned through surrogacy research was that children who aren’t told about their adoption can experience a sense of betrayal or distrust for their birth parents later in life, which was something they did not want for Chloe. Their conversations with Chloe about her adoption have always been centered around love and the belief that their family was meant to be. They explained simply that, “God chose us to be a family.” And to put it into perspective for young Chloe, Tara explained to her, “This is your norm. Everybody has their own normal; this is your normal, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s nothing to be embarrassed by. This is part of your testimony, and one day you’ll under- stand how to speak about your testimony from your perspective.” Tara emphasizes the importance of letting Chloe guide the conversations. One of the most beautiful aspects of Tara and George’s adoption journey has been their ongoing relationship with Chloe’s birth
A Living Testament Tara and George’s story is a testament to the power of love and faith. Despite the challeng- es they faced, their family came together in a way they never could have planned. “She’s an amazing kid,” Tara beams. “She’s 12 now, [and] she does all the things in school; she loves sports, art, she does well in school, and it’s just really been an organic process for us.” Through their openness and unwavering commitment, Tara and George have created a family built on love, trust, and the belief that every child deserves a home. “Losing my son in 2008 was the worst and best thing that has ever happened to me,” says Tara. “Because I would have never gotten to meet [Chloe] if it wasn’t for his sacrifice.” While the process may come with chal- lenges, the rewards are immeasurable. Remember, adoption is not just about giving a child a home—it’s about giving them the opportunity to be part of a family rooted in love, acceptance, and belonging. As we cele- brate the beauty of adoption, let’s continue to support one another in creating bright futures for children through this incredible process.
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