SPRINGFIELD, Mo.– National adoption month brings attention to the thousands of children in need of a loving home.

Derek and Rachel said they knew early on that they wanted adoption to be a part of their family story. The couple said their now two-year-old son Jadon has truly changed their lives.

The couple has been in their son’s life since the moment he was born.

Derek said, “The nurse brought Jadon up to me for a little swaddling, here’s your son, and it was really just pretty instant that it likes oh yeah here’s my son.”

He said he encourages other families to consider adoption, “we all need someone to take care of us and we’ve been blessed that we can and we have the heart to go through the challenges of parenthood.”

Derek and Rachel have an open adoption with Jadon’s birth mother and said they’re thankful to have an on-going relationship with her.

However, Rachel said there are often stereotypes associated with adoption “especially open adoptions, one of the biggest things, they don’t want to feel like someone else is helping them, parent, like they want to be the parents…”

She said their experience has been just the opposite, “One of the most accurate descriptions has been that they’re seen more as like an aunt or like a relative that cares about the child they want to know that they’re safe, that they’re healthy but they don’t have like day to day decision making as a parent would.”

She said they’re blessed to have Jadon in their lives.

The couple worked with the local non-profit, Nightlight Christian Adoptions.