RAPID CITY, S.D. — The Kaemingk home is like many homes with four children: it has a little bit of chaos and a lot of love.
Kaemingk family
The Kaemingk family always felt drawn to adoption.
Adam Kaemingk, father, says, “It began in our hearts, and God really led us to…to continue to pursue adoption, and we felt like the timing was right. So we started started down that journey not knowing exactly how it would go, how the fundraising would go and…and we just trusted that the God would provide for us and be able to do that for us. And as we’re going through it, things just fell into place, and it went pretty quick.”
After connecting with an adoption agency, they began their journey to find their additional family member.
Adam goes on to say, “We explored all the different options with adoption, and we were set on an agency, Bethany Christian Services, who helped us along the way and gave us all of the options. And with our preferences and our timelines that we wanted to do, the China…China Special Needs program was really the only one that fit with the way our family wanted it to go forward with that.”
They began their family with three biological children: Anders, Eliot, and Reese. Their first born child, Eliot, was born with a condition that led to blindness in her left eye. They believe that prepared them to adopt Theo, who was considered a special needs child in China, who was also blind in his left eye. Theo was 17 months old when he was adopted. He is now six years old.
Adam mentions, “There is a huge need out there, not only in China, but right here at home in South Dakota, there’s there’s a lot of kids that are in need of a of just some love and some, some care and some stability.”
Theo
The Kaemingk’s say the journey was easier with the help of a support structure.
Hayley says, “We want to tell people that, you know, if you really called to do it, it’ll all fall in place. And if you’re not called to do a bit of a heart for it, it’s showing up at those fundraisers for people. I mean there is so many ways, praying for them, just anything to be a support. ”
“So we would just encourage anybody who’s thinking about it to reach out to an agency, reach out to the state and ask about the foster care program and different adoption agencies and find out the resources that are available.”
The Kaemingk’s feel that adoption can make a world of difference for a child, even if it’s just one.
Adam says, “Walking around an orphanage of 700 kids and you’re only walking out with one, it’s, it’s a little bit overwhelming. It’s a little bit heartbreaking, but to know that you’re making a difference in one kid’s life, is this helpful. It means a world of difference to to every child, even if it’s just one.”
Click here for more information on adoption and foster care on the Department of Social Services.
Kaemingk
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