Adoption Update

I apologize for the length of time between posts. Adopting a child internationally has proved to be very time consuming. The following is an update on what we have done so far in the adoption and what we still need to do. This spring and summer we have been bogged down with paperwork. Our kitchen table, coffee table, and desk are evidence of this. At first it was very overwhelming. We weren’t quite sure where to start. J finally relented and made an Excel document, which outlined everything that need to be done in great detail. It was amazing how much this helped.

Here’s a glimpse of what we have done in the past few months: We were fingerprinted, twice. We sent in an application to USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) to approve our child for entry into the US. We applied for police clearance from our local station, a background check, and a child abuse registry search. We have gathered birth certificates, marriage licenses, old tax forms, and reference letters. We’ve read an extensive book on parenting an adopted child and passed the online test with flying colors. We’ve done two additional online courses for the international agency, and have attended two of four required lectures through our local agency. We’ve submitted passport photos, testimonies, family photos, and more forms than we can count. We’ve racked up the mileage on our cars making trips to the police stations, Jefferson County government buildings, and fingerprint offices. We’ve attended one Ethiopian adoption support group party and can’t wait to attend more. We endured 3 home visits from our social worker (really they weren’t that bad).

We are very close to being done with the Home Study and the Dossier. This can take anywhere from 1-4 months. In Ethiopia they have only one judge for 57 orphanages. The courts also take August and September off for their New Year. Therefore, it can be a long, arduous process. After they approve us, we will receive a referral. This is the paperwork on a potential child. It will include photos, a biography (as much as is known), and health information. We will then have ten days to talk to each other and a doctor, and pray. If we decide to adopt that child, we then will wait probably about a month to travel and pick him or her up. We will only have to be in Ethiopia for 3 days if everything goes as planned. However, we may go earlier to do some sight-seeing. When we return to the states there will be a few more forms and possibly a court hearing to finalize the adoption. We will have at least 3 post-placements visits by our caseworker in Denver after the adoption to make sure we are all doing well. And that is that. Simple, right?

We are also planning a benefit dinner to raise money towards the adoption. We hope to have this dinner organized by September or October. We will invite many of our family and friends to join us to learn more about our adoption and support us in our journey. We will be serving an Ethiopian meal and hope to have live music as well. More information on that to follow.

Thank you again for your prayers, thoughts, and support. We can’t wait to bring our little one home and introduce him or her to all.