The Borkowski family consists of Amanda, her husband, and their eight children, ranging from ages 9 to 29. With the help of the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program, they were able to create a life with their kids sharing beautiful memories. We spoke to Amanda about her advice on adoption and her adoption journey.

Can you briefly describe your family?

We are a large adoptive family, combining his, hers, and ours. We have four sons and four daughters, ranging in age from 9 to 29.

Can you tell us a bit about your experience with the adoption process overall?

Ours was an unusual case: we waited a very long time to be approved to adopt. Unfortunately, our worker was often away due to medical reasons. It took us two years to finally be approved to adopt and then two months later we were meeting our future kids.

More specifically, what was your experience like working with Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program. Did you approach the program, or did they find you? 

They found us! What I love about the program is how much back story they collected for our kids. They created a lifebook for them, which they treasure, and they helped with transitioning. It was a great resource.

What is a piece of advice for adoptive families?

You have ALOT of waiting to meet your littles, so take this opportunity to learn trauma-informed parenting.

Can you tell us one challenging part and one high point of your adoption journey?

A challenging part we had in the adoption process was the waiting and just trusting the process. 

A high part of the adoption is looking at my kids now forgetting that I didn’t give birth to them as it feels like I have had them from the beginning. 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Don’t be scared by special needs. With my little guy, I forget he has different needs—he presents like a neurotypical child. I can speak from experience that once you are attached, they grow in ways you never imagined. I am so proud to be an adoptive parent and excited that we are adopting again.