“I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.” John 14:18

I am Tana Stewart, and am a single mother by choice that has a nine year old son. I am an open minded, flexible, and patient parent that uses positive reinforcement and redirection. I am certified in parent child integration therapy and have 8 years of experience with the Orton Gillingham Reading phonics program. I hold a Masters of Business Administration in Finance and International Business. I have worked at the same firm for since 2012.

I always knew adoption would play a huge role in building my family. When the opportunity opened up to adopt, I proceeded with knowledge and excitement!

After four years of IVF fertility treatments and over a dozen normal five day old embryo transfers, I decided to pursue an adoption mindset. I continue to read books on attachment, childhood trauma, adopting older children with special needs, as well as continue to build out the proper medical and therapy resources to align to help build my children’s wellbeing and overall confidence and growth.

Growing up I had aunts and uncles that were active in the domestic adoption program. I have a few first cousins that are adopted and I love them.

I long to enjoy nature walks, Park hoping, and reading to my children at night as a family. I long to help build their confidence and provide life skills to grow them holistically.

I decided to adopt from Bulgaria because of the openness of adopting as a single mother by choice and I’m familiar with the special needs of Bulgarian/Roma children. I am also very aware of the unfairness, discrimination, and other conditions of the Roma children through my tight knit, diverse community here in the midwest. I’m well versed in various religions and cultures and spent the majority of my summers in undergraduate traveling abroad assisting in orphanages and homes for the elderly.

In my community, I am a volunteer Guardian Ad Litem advocating for the best interest of children in need of services. I have volunteered in this regard for 13 years. In addition, I am an active volunteer in the children’s ministry every Sunday since 2011.

Currently, I’m making martenitsa bracelets for my children and crocheting them blankets.

The children’s adoption plan is of utmost importance to me and while I do not feel comfortable sharing private confidential information around my child’s circumstances, I will practice the most ethical, and with respect authority for the birth mother, the children and the adoption plan. I will raise my children with open minded adoption conversations.

The children I am adopting is a set of siblings with various special needs and spectrums. I have aligned necessary medical intervention appointments alongside therapeutic and play therapy appointments to ensure my children receive the best care.

My financial summary is provided below:

• The adoption of the special needs sibling set will cost $179,526 and I have already spent $21,780 to date. My hope is that I will receive gifts and grants for the remainder of the amount.

• Receiving your gift could mean that I will bring my special needs children home sooner and start any interventions and build the foundation of family life and provide holistic care for their individual well beings.

Thank you for your review and consideration to put my family’s dreams over finances!

We are forever grateful for your time and in the future would love to pay it forward to future adoptive families!