Couple launches billboard hoping to find another child to adopt

It took Orna and Jay (not their real names) two years to adopt their son, Ben.

“The moment I held Ben as my son I knew I felt happiness I never felt I could feel,” Orna tells CBS New York.

Now that their son is 18 months old, the Maryland couple wants to give him a younger sibling.

But according to them, they’re going to have a much more difficult time with the adoption process as they say birth mothers prefer to entrust their babies to the care of a childless couple. This way, they say, the birth mother knows her child will get the most love and attention. (Adoption experts, please feel free to weigh in here.)

Instead of taking their chances with the system and potentially encountering long delays, Orna and Jay have decided to be proactive.

Also see: Is everything you know about pregnancy wrong?

That’s why they paid for a large, neon yellow billboard atop a New Jersey highway advertising their desire to adopt.

They’re hoping pregnant women who are considering adoption will see the ad and consider going the private route with them.

“Our goal is to market ourselves to people to let them know there’s an option for the 16-, 18-, 20-, or 25-year-old young woman who isn’t ready to be a mom,” adds Jay.

They also tell CBS they chose to advertise in New Jersey instead of their home state because in New Jersey a birth mother only has 72 hours to change her mind, while in Maryland there’s a 28-day grace period.

On the billboard, which reads “Loving couple looking to adopt,” there is a large photo of Jay giving Orna a kiss on the cheek and information on where to contact them.

Also see: Crowdfunding for adoption, fertility treatments a growing trend among those desperate to conceive

The couple even set up a website specifically for this purpose. Adopt2013.com offers more detailed information about both spouses (Orna is a doctor, Jay an entrepreneur) and includes written statements about their characters, family values and son.

“Orna and Jay are very fortunate to have grown up in loving families which stressed honesty, integrity, hard work and education. Each set of parents have been married for 45+ years. Both of our fathers owned businesses. With thirteen nieces and nephews all under the age of 13, our second child will be surrounded by children eager to play,” they reassure any prospective birth mothers who may be reading.

Though they haven’t had any bites yet, the couple remains optimistic. Plus, their unconventional method had certainly garnered its fair share of attention.

It’s possible that they get what they want. If that’s the case, could this encourage future couples to try the advertising route? While there are some who would consider this method a red flag, there will always be others who admire the couple’s initiative.

What do you think of Orna and Jay’s adoption tactic? Sound off below.