International adoption story
From Six Children to Twelve: The Vermaas Family’s International Adoption Story
A China Special Needs Adoption Story
Garry and Jodi Vermaas built their family through international adoption, eventually adopting 10 children from several countries. Their journey included adopting a sibling group of six children together with the help of Hand in Hand International Adoptions. Today, their family includes 12 children.
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What does a family that has already opened its heart and home to four adopted children do for an encore?
For Garry and Jodi Vermaas, the answer was extraordinary: adopt six more children, all at the same time.
The journey was not always easy. It meant facing challenges head-on, helping children heal from difficult experiences, and learning what it truly means to create an intentional family. Today, the Vermaas family is a remarkable example of how international adoption can bring people from different countries and backgrounds together as one family.
A Family That Understood Parenting Wouldn't Always Be Easy
Looking back at the beginning of their journey, Jodi says parenthood was eye-opening from the start.
“We never had the misgivings of parenthood being easy. That never existed because the first time was not easy.”
The first of their two biological children has been on the autism spectrum since childhood.
“It has been challenging, and also incredible,” Jodi says.
As Jodi and Garry traveled internationally for work, they encountered children living in difficult circumstances. Those experiences eventually led them to consider international adoption.
“And that’s why, as we traveled the world for work and saw children in need, we sort of felt called to adopt,” Jodi explains. “Not because of a need to have more children, but because we knew that there were children that needed a home.”
Their International Adoption Journey Begins in China
The Vermaas family first adopted a four-year-old girl from China whom they found through a special-focus adoption list.
Later, they pursued adoptions from Vietnam and Laos, but those plans fell through when the countries’ adoption programs closed at the time.
The family returned to China, where they adopted two boys at the same time. Both children had special needs or histories of trauma.
Their international adoption journey didn’t end there.
After spending significant time in India for work, Jodi and Garry adopted an eight-year-old child from India who had also experienced a traumatic childhood.
Their family had grown to eight.
And they thought they might have room for one or two more.
Hand in Hand International Introduces the Family to Six Children
Jodi says she and Garry had made a deliberate decision about how they wanted to use their resources.
“Instead of giving to charity or tithing, we decided that we would use our resources to help as many children as we could.”
After becoming a family of eight, they began thinking about adopting again.
Then Hand in Hand International Adoptions presented them with something they hadn’t expected: a group of six children who needed to remain together and were looking for one family.
Jodi remembers Garry’s response.
“I just remember Garry saying, ‘I think we can do it. I think we should do it.’”
It wasn’t a decision Garry and Jodi made alone.
“Our children agreed that we had room in our home and our hearts to welcome these six children, and so that’s what we set out to do.”
Adopting a Large Sibling Group Meant Facing Real Challenges
Adopting six children at once while already parenting six children was anything but simple.
“Nothing has been easy these past few years,” Jodi says. “It was a fierce process.”
And completing an adoption wasn’t the end of the journey.
Every child arrived with an individual personality, history, needs and challenges. Building trust and learning how to function together as a family took time.
“There were some dark moments, and they had to learn to listen and trust us as their parents; not just one another,” Jodi says.
But she also remembers something else.
“At the same time, the children are so full of love, excitement and exuberantly loud joy.”
That combination of difficulty, resilience, healing and joy have became part of everyday life for the Vermaas family.
Becoming a Family of Fourteen
Welcoming six children simultaneously didn’t affect only Garry and Jodi. It changed life for their children, grandparents, extended family and community.
The couple talked extensively with their parents and other family members before moving forward.
“We talked a lot to our parents and our family to make sure that they were ready too,” Jodi says.
Their extended family might not have chosen the same path themselves.
“But now that they’ve experienced it, they say they wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Today, simply getting everyone from one place to another can require some serious logistics. But after everything the Vermaas family has experienced together, a complicated family outing is hardly enough to stop them.
Jodi Vermaas Tells the Family's Story in Get Money Do Good
Jodi Vermaas tells much more of the family’s story in her book, Get Money Do Good: A True Story How-To.
Published in 2020, the 314-page memoir follows Jodi and Garry’s international journey as their family grows to 12 children. The book explores international adoption, autism, trauma, human trafficking, faith, business and the couple’s belief that financial success can be used to create meaningful change.
It also goes well beyond the adoption story. Jodi writes about the difficult realities behind some of their experiences, including government opposition, financial setbacks and the challenges of parenting children who had experienced significant trauma. The story is told from multiple family perspectives and examines what the Vermaases describe as their approach to doing good through both business and direct action.
Book: Get Money Do Good: A True Story How-To
Author: J.D. Vermaas, Ph.D.
Published: 2020
Length: 314 pages
Frequently Asked Questions About International and Sibling Adoption
Can siblings be adopted together through international adoption? adoption?
In some international adoption programs, siblings may be eligible for adoption together. Keeping siblings together can be especially important when they have already experienced significant loss or disruption. Eligibility and requirements depend on the children’s country of origin and the laws governing the adoption.
Can a family adopt more than one child at the same time?
Yes. Depending on the country, adoption program and family’s eligibility, families may be able to adopt siblings or, in some circumstances, more than one child at the same time. Large sibling-group adoptions are less common and require careful preparation and evaluation.
What is sibling group adoption?
Sibling group adoption occurs when two or more biological siblings are adopted by the same family. When possible and appropriate for the children, placing siblings together can allow them to maintain an important existing family relationship.
Can families with biological or adopted children adopt internationally?
Yes. Many families who pursue international adoption already have biological children, adopted children, or both. Each country’s adoption program has its own requirements regarding family size, parental age, health, finances and other eligibility factors.
Can children with special needs be adopted internationally?
Yes. Some international adoption programs include children with medical, developmental or other special needs. Families considering special-needs adoption should receive complete information available about the child’s needs and carefully consider whether they have the resources and support necessary to parent that child.
How can families learn about international adoption through Hand in Hand?
Families interested in international adoption can contact Hand in Hand International Adoptions to learn about current country programs, eligibility requirements, waiting children and the international adoption process.
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