Brooklyn Park Couple Promotes Affordable Adoption Idea
CCX Media | By Shannon Slatton
There's never a dull moment in the Bullock house. Seven-year-old Alaya and 4-year-old Annika keep life busy and their parents on their toes. Their parents, Nicole and Geoff, wouldn’t have it any other way.
When Nicole and Geoff married 11 years ago, they knew they wanted to build a family.
"We thought about it the traditional way, but we kept going, we felt a call, a burden, a tug to go in another direction," remembered Nicole.
The couple became foster parents first, then went a step further.
"It turned from foster care into adoption and we met our oldest daughter though foster care and she’s amazing and we had the opportunity to adopt her three months into having her, so here we are," said Nicole.
A few years later, they had the opportunity to adopt Alaya's sister, Annika. But the price to adopt a newborn was high.
"I told Nicole, I’ll work five jobs if I have to, she’s our daughter and this needs to happen," said Geoff.
Instead, the couple sold their Brooklyn Park home and used equity and savings to pay for the adoption.
"We thought there has to be a better way for other families to adopt," says Geoff. "What about families that don’t have resources and what about families that would be great homes for kids, but don’t have $30,000 sitting around the house?"
An Idea was Born
Geoff works for Firefly Credit Union and came up with an idea to make a credit line available for families. He entered his idea in a national contest and won. On Jan. 2, Firefly Credit Union launched that new line of credit. Instead of taking out a loan where families are responsible for interest right away, a credit line is available so families only have to pay interest on the amount they use.
While the Bullocks say the decision to sell their home to pay for their second daughter’s adoption was an easy one, they are thankful other families won’t have to make this same decision.
"I really hope we can help families get over that barrier," says Nicole. "So they can reach out and connect with other children who need a home and forever families."