The state of Illinois reportedly has declared its intention of blocking the adoption of a child by a Joliet couple. The family, the state has hinted, has too many children to fall within the boundaries of how many adopted children a family can raise.

The couple has 14 children, six of them adopted from African nations. Deeply devout Christians, the couple believes caring for ill children from abroad and helping them to get medical attention for their maladies is their calling.

They hope to bring home and adopt a 3-year-old Ugandan orphan who suffers from HIV and Down syndrome. The state reportedly says the couple will not receive a license for another child, which Uganda will require to allow the boy to be adopted.

The couple has seven adopted and seven biological children from the woman's first marriage. They have taken out a second mortgage to pay for the overseas adoptions. The father is a painter, and the mother is a stay-at-home mom who homeschools her brood.

The couple already has fought one battle, helping to make it easier for HIV-positive people to enter the United States. It is important to them to bring the boy to Illinois as soon as possible so that he can take the drugs necessary to help him live a long life. African countries have little access to the medications.

To adopt a child from Uganda and some other countries, families must first have a state-issued foster car license. Families can have licenses for only eight children unless they are granted a waiver. Special-needs children account for two kids, severely limiting the number of children the family can raise. Two of the couple's adopted children have AIDS.

Adoption can be tricky for families who don't know the law as well as attorneys and lawmakers. A family who wants to help children and has proven capable of doing it effectively should consult with a family law attorney in an attempt to get their case resolved.

Source: The State Journal-Register, "Illinois says religious family too big to get bigger," Manya Brachear, Jan. 6, 2012