TUSCUMBIA — When Timmy and Maggie Bea Ray decided to adopt a child from a foreign country, they knew it would involve travel, learning about a new culture and, above all, money.
They began the lengthy process in 2013. In late 2015, the adoption of Maddux, a young boy from Ethiopia, was finally completed. Maddux is now 6 years old and thriving in his new home.
Timmy Ray is a worship minister at Woodward Avenue Baptist Church in Muscle Shoals. A couple of modest means, the Rays had to be creative in raising money to help defray the costs involved in the adoption.
They are also in the process of adopting a second child, this time from the South American nation of Colombia.
Timmy Ray, along with his brother, Ben, who make up the Ray Brothers, were recently joined by several of their local musician friends for a fundraiser that featured the band performing the music of rock legend Billy Joel.
"We knew going into it we wouldn't be able to do this alone," Timmy Ray said of the adoption. "You can get to five figures pretty quick."
There were other fundraisers, too, such as bake sales, skate nights, yard sales, T-shirt sales, barbecue dinners and other events to defray the administrative and travel costs that can run $10,000 to $40,000.
"There's been some amazing people who have come alongside us, not only supporting us, but helping us fundraise," Timmy Ray said. "You think of all the skills you have. I've played music for a long time."
Millie Wiginton, of Muscle Shoals, has twin Ethiopian girls she and her husband adopted when they were 2 years old. Meryn and Saryn are now 7 and in school in Muscle Shoals.
The adoption process took about 1 1/2 years to complete.
Wiginton said the hardest part of the process was sitting in front of an Ethiopian judge and have him grant custody, only to have to leave and wait for the U.S. government to complete its part of the lengthy process.
"They have to make sure everything is on the up and up, and nobody has been coerced and nobody has been given any money," Wiginton said.
Timmy Ray also said the U.S. portion of the process took longer to complete.
Once the process was completed, the Wigintons received a phone call. They had about a week's notice to travel to Ethiopia to pick up the twins.
With all the administrative fees and travel to Ethiopia, the adoption cost $45,000. She said it was more costly because it involved two children.
Buddy Hooper, president of the Alabama Foster and Adoptive Parents Association, said an international adoption can cost $20,000 to $40,000.
"It is very expensive," Hooper said. "Through the Department of Human Resources, there's virtually no expense. We've got children here needing forever homes. We have over 300 children waiting to be adopted."
Hooper pointed out that May is National Foster Care Month. He said the children waiting to be adopted in Alabama through DHR are ages 9 and up.
"You're not going to be able to adopt a newborn through DHR," he said.
Hooper said it's hard to put a time frame to complete the adoption process, but typically it can last six to 12 months
"If the child is free for adoption, it can happen in 90 days," Hooper said.
While it's not the only reason, Hooper said the biggest reason so many children are in foster care is parents using drugs.
DHR will work to help the parents straighten up to the point where they can raise their children. Many times the children return to their parents, or they go live with a relative.
"If that can't happen, they can be adopted through DHR," Hooper said.
He said DHR provides training for parents to be dually licensed as foster parents or adoptive parents. He said there aren't enough adoptive or foster parents in the state to fill the needs.
Wiginton, who has a 17-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter, said the Lord led them to adopt Meryn and Saryn.
"We believe every child has a right to loving parents and to be placed in a family," said Wiginton, who is involved with local foster families and has a ministry at Highland Park Baptist Church. She also works with the Colbert County Department of Human Resources.
Wiginton couldn't explain why they picked Africa.
"For whatever reason, we absolutely knew we had to adopt from Africa. After a lot of prayer, we knew what we were supposed to do," she said.
Maggie Bea Ray said she had a deep passion to adopt a child since she was young. Prayer was also a part of the decision process of the Rays. Since they're a Christian family, they have a duty to care for the vulnerable in society.
The Rays adopted Maddux through Children's House International, a fully licensed non-profit international adoption agency based in Washington state.
Timmy Ray said he and his wife were accepted into the agency's Ethiopia program in 2013.
The couple had to complete online courses, and were fingerprinted by several different agencies during the adoption process, including the FBI, Department of Human Resources, local police and Homeland Security.
"We spent 28 days in Ethiopia finalizing his adoption," Timmy Ray said. "It was a very long process to get him."
Some of the couple's costs were defrayed by a ministry in Ethiopia, which provided them a place to stay with a fully furnished kitchen. They had all their meals there, and had a driver to help them get around.
"Flights to Ethiopia are expensive," Ray said. "The fees go all over the place."
There are fees to social workers, paying for the operation of the adoption service providers and their staff, lawyers and court fees. Read more here
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