You decide whether you would like to let them adopt your baby.

We are here for you to help make the decision that best suits your needs.

It has taken us some time to figure out how to begin such an important letter. How do we write a letter of such emotion to a person that we do not know? We imagine that just as we are sitting here in our home struggling to find the best words to express ourselves, you are trying to make sense of these words and what they mean. We are strangers to you, and right now, our bond is this letter. Our names are Jennifer and Stephen and we are writing to you to express our strong desire and commitment to adopt a child. We will start with the facts because they are easiest.

About Jennifer
My name is Jennifer and I am 35 years old. I grew up in Massachusetts. I have two younger brothers and supportive, loving parents. After graduating high school, I decided I was ready for warm weather. I completed my undergraduate degree in communication disorders at the University of Florida. I then returned to Massachusetts to attend graduate school where I received my Master’s degree in speech language pathology. A few years after graduating, I decided to move out west to California. My work as a speech therapist is very rewarding and fulfilling. I began my career working for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. In this capacity I worked with young children who were in need of speech therapy. After moving to California I started my own speech language therapy practice that works with children ages birth to 18. I primarily work with children who have medical conditions and as a result cannot speak. I have worked hard over the years developing my practice in hopes that one day I would have the security and flexibility to stay home and care for a child. I met my husband, Stephen, in December of 2003. We were introduced by mutual friends and immediately hit it off. I quickly realized he was “the one” and we were married three years later. He is an amazing man who continues to support me, encourage me and challenge me. He is my best friend and we have so much fun together. We share a common love of music, travel, adventure and cooking.

About Stephen
My name is Stephen and I am also 35 years old. I was born in Port Jervis, NY, a town that is about an hour outside of New York City, located where NY, NJ and PA connect. I was adopted by my maternal grandparents and I grew up in the rural town of Matamoras, PA. I went to college at a small liberal arts college in Pennsylvania where I studied Biology. I began my professional career as a scientist at a large pharmaceutical company where for nine years I was on the team that developed and manufactured the first ever approved vaccine against cervical cancer. During this time I also studied Bioprocess Engineering abroad in England and rose in the ranks to become the leader of a scientific group. It was during this time that I decided that I really wanted to be a dad someday. Mentoring young scientists and applying the lessons my parents taught me made me realize that I really wanted to be a father myself. After completing my work on the vaccine and having lived on the east coast for my entire life, I decided I wanted a change of scenery and I moved to California. In my current position in California, I oversee and direct a biotechnology manufacturing facility and a group of 15 people focused on preparing clinical material for potential new vaccines and medical therapeutics. Soon after moving to California, I met my wife Jennifer. From early on in our relationship I knew she was my soul mate. I have never felt so loved, supported, or cherished by anyone in my entire life. She is the most incredible woman that I have ever met and every day that I am with her is like a gift!

Jennifer's Thoughts on Being a Mother
I often think about the kind of mother I will be one day. I have had many amazing experiences in my life and have many wonderful woman role models to learn from. I want to be a mom that encourages her child to be a leader. I want my child to feel loved and supported. I hope to be his or her friend but also set boundaries and limits. I like the idea of having dinner together every night to talk about everyone’s day and catch up with each other. I will respect his/her privacy and trust them. I look forward to learning from them over the years just as I see how my parents look to me and my brother’s for instructions with their digital cameras and Ipods. I so look forward to seeing my husband as a father. He is the kind of person that everyone loves immediately after meeting him.

Stephen's Thoughts on Being a Dad
I often think about what kind of dad I will be. I have fond memories of my childhood and I am grateful to my parents for the lessons that they taught me, and for their love and support. Just as I learned from my parents, I will teach a child to lead by example and that they can do could do anything that they set their mind to do. I plan to do many of the same things my dad did for me, such as playing catch and hitting grounders in the backyard and going fishing and hiking to explore and learn about the outdoors. I believe that education is very important and I plan to play an active role in educating a child by helping them with their homework and educational projects. I will be present and supportive of all our child's activities and support their individual interests.

Our Home
We live in a cozy, three-bedroom Victorian home in a sunny, quiet, residential area of San Francisco. We have a fenced in backyard complete with a lemon tree and fresh herbs. Within walking we have excellent public and private elementary, middle and high schools. Our neighborhood is very family oriented with parks and playgrounds, farmer’s market, libraries, community recreational centers and an active parent neighborhood association. We maintain a healthy, chemical-free living environment in our home.

In Closing
We will parent by modeling kindness and respect. We believe in the importance of education and will provide a child with ongoing experiences that will broaden his or her mind. We will encourage and support a child’s sense of individuality and creativeness. We will provide unconditional and non-judgemental love. We value openness and honesty in our relationships, which is why we are so excited about open adoption. We will honor and respect your role, whatever you may be comfortable with for the future. We look forward to building and maintaining a relationship with you.

Thank you for taking time to read our letter. We hope that we will have the opportunity to get know you and possibly create a lifelong bond and connection. If you would like to get speak with us directly, please feel free to call us toll free at 1-800-509-8568, or email us at jenniferandstephen@katzspeech.com. You are also welcome to visit our website to find out more about us at: http://www.sdunlimited.com/jenniferandstephen/. You can also contact our adoption attorney, Susan Romer at 1.800.U.ADOPT.US (1.800.823.6788) or email at adamsromer@aol.com.

Jennifer and Stephen

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