COME TOGETHER FROM WORLDS APART.
>> READY, SET, GO.
>> MEET IAN STRATTON.
AN ACTIVE AND RESOURCEFUL NINE-YEAR-OLD.
>> ARE YOU BY YOURSELF?
THIS IS PRETTY AWESOME.
PLANES, OR LEGOS?
>> I LIKE PLANES.
>> DO YOU WANT TO BE A PILOT ONE DAY?
>> THAT’S PRETTY GOOD.
>> I SEE TROPHIES.
>> THIS IS MY FIRST SOCCER TROPHY.
>> ARE YOU GOOD?
>> YEAH -- WELL, I’M NOT EXCELLENT, BUT YEAH, I PLAY.
>>’S BEDROOM, A SNAPSHOT OF HIS LIFE.
>> THIS IS A BALL MY COACH GAVE ME.
>> IAN HAS NOT GIVEN UP EITHER EVEN THOUGH HE HAS FACED MANY OBSTACLES IN HIS SHORT LIFE.
HE HAS SPENT HIS FIRST SEVEN YEARS IN AN ORPHANAGE IN CHINA, LEFT THERE BY HIS BIRTH FAMILY.
NOT MUCH IS KNOWN ABOUT IAN’S EARLY DAYS.
>> WE KNOW HE WAS FOUND.
HE WAS LOVINGLY PLACED OUTSIDE THE ORPHANAGE, TUCKED INTO A SPOT OUTSIDE THE DOOR, WRAPPED IN A BLANKET.
SOMEONE LOVED HIM.
>> A WORLD AWAY, JEN AND SETH STRATTON DREAMED OF COMPLETING THEIR FAMILY.
>> JEN HAD TWO CHALLENGING STRATEGIES.
WE ALWAYS STOP HE WANTED A THIRD, SO SPOKE OF ADOPTION >> ONE FATEFUL DAY, JEN OPENED AN EMAIL.
A CHILD WELFARE AGENCY SPECIALIZING IN INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS.
>> IT WAS THE CUTEST LITTLE FACE.
THE LAST LINE SAID HE WAS ASKING THE NANNIES TO FIND HIM A FAMILY.
I SET, THAT IS ASKED.
>> AFTER MONTHS OF WAITING, THE FAMILY FLEW TO CHINA TO FINALIZE THE ADOPTION AND BRING IAN HOME.
>> HOW HAS THE TRANSITION BEEN?
>> HE HAD TO LEARN THAT A MOM AND DAD ARE ALWAYS THERE AND THEY ALWAYS LOVE YOU, EVEN IF YOU ARE NAUGHTY.
>> JANICE HOFFMAN IS WIDE HORIZON’S CEO.
SHARON MRAZ, -- OF ADOPTION PROGRAMS.
BOTH SAY POTENTIAL PARENTS SHOULD NOT FEEL INTIMIDATED BY INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION.
>> THAT SOUNDS BIG AND OVERWHELMING.
FAMILIES ARE MADE THIRD OPTION EVERYDAY.
>> THE NUMBER OF FOREIGN ADOPTIONS MADE BY U.S. PARENTS DROPPED 14% IN 2018, A 14 YEAR DECLINE.
WHEREAS AND HOFFMAN SAY THE REASONS ARE COMPLICATED.
>> THERE ARE POLITICAL OVERTONES IN INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION.
THERE ARE ALWAYS CHANGES.
REQUIREMENTS CHANGE.
>> DESPITE THE ANTI-IMMIGRANT RHETORIC WE SEE, IN MY EXPERIENCE DOING THIS OVER 30 YEARS, AMERICANS HAVE HUGE HEARTS.
>> FINANCIAL COSTS FACTOR IN AS WELL.
>> AN INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION THESE DAYS RANGES FROM $35,000 TO $40,000 DEPENDING ON THE COUNTRY.
MANY FAMILIES WHO MAKE A HUNDRED -- TO MAKE UNDER $200,000 A YEAR, THERE ARE SUBSIDIES.
THEY DON’T HAVE TO BE WEALTHY, THEY HAVE TO BE WELL-INTENTIONED PEOPLE.
>> HE IS A BRAVE BOY.
WE FLEW 15 HOURS ACROSS THE WORLD TO ANOTHER COUNTRY WHERE WE DON’T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE WITH PEOPLE YOU MET ALL WEEK AND A HALF AGO, THAT TAKES BRAVERY, STRENGTH COMMAND FAITH IN THE
PROCESS.
>> WHEN YOU FOUND OUT YOU WERE GOING TO BE ADOPTED, WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION?
>> HAPPY.
>> I BET.
>> THE STRATTONS SAY IAN IS THRIVING.
HE IS EXCELLING ACADEMICALLY AND WAS RECENTLY FITTED FOR A PROSTHETIC HAND THAT ALLOWS THEM TO GO MOUNTAIN BIKING.
ONE CHALLENGE HAS BEEN TRYING TO EXPLAIN RACISM TO IAN.
SADLY, THE STRATTONAS SAY THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED ANTI-ASIAN DISCRIMINATION.
IAN ACTUALLY LOVES REMOTE LEARNING.
IT GIVES THEM MORE TIME TO SPEND WITH HIS NEW FAMILY.