We began our adoption journey # 2 with the start of 2012. We have chosen to do a domestic adoption this time in hopes that it will be quicker than our international adoption. Below is my rough(what I can remember at this point) outline of the past few months of our adoption process and progress. We were/are amazed with how much work the adoption process requires even with being seasoned adoptive parents. We quickly learned there are NO advantages or shortcuts to previously adopting and NOTHING moves fast! However, we are so excited to continue to build our family through the joy of adoption. Isaiah is SUPER excited about having a baby bother or sister. And if he could chose he thinks he wants a baby sister, but have told our agency that we were open to adopting either gender.
Loves Amazing Adoption Journey # 2 Timeline Thus Far
January 14- meet with Mark and Jan at Chapters Coffee in Newberg to discuss their domestic adoptions through Florida's Advocates for Children and Families agency
January 15- emailed our social worker from Holt International to ask her questions about writing another homestudy for us
January 19- emailed Advocates for Children and Families adoption agency in Florida to ask a few questions
January 20- printed adoption application for Advocates for Children and Families adoption agency
January 26- printed application from Holt International for them to do our homestudy
January 30- communicated with Holt International that we wanted to work with them again to do our homestudy
January 30- asked Nate and Amy, Josh and Sarah, Adam and Brook to write reference letters for us to mail with our application to Florida. Thanks friends!
February 8- had several things notarized at the Newberg City Hall
February 9- mailed adoption application to Florida with $100.00 application fee postage cost $3.20
February 10-12- received reference letters from friends
February 13- mailed reference letters to Florida postage cost $1.30
February 13- beginning to write a birth family letter
February 20-Holt sent Advocates for Children and Families and agency agreement to be signed
February 23- got fingerprinted
February 23- mailed completed fingerprint cards to Holt postage cost $ 2.40
February 23- need to update our personal data information form - a document we had created from our last adoption
February 24-emailed updated personal data information
February 24- beginning to make a profile book through Shutterfly
February 27- acceptance letter from Florida- they are willing to work with us!
March 6- booked our homestudy appointment with our social worker for March 26-during spring break
March 8- still haven't received the agency agreement
March 12- confirmed that Florida has the agency agreement
March 15- another confirmation that Florida has the agency agreement and will work on it and get it back to Holt
March 19- still haven't received the agency agreement, so Holt has not mailed our reference checks out yet
March 20- received a super annoying email from Holt identifying 7 tasks that still need to be done before doing our homestudy interview in less than one week (copy of birth certificates and marriage certificate, corporal punishment policy signed, employment verification, financial statement, medical report, letters from our references, and TEN HOURS OF ADOPTION PARENTING TRAINING)
March 22- Kalina went to the doctor to have a TB test done
March 22- registered for adoption parenting training online classes through Adoption Learning Partners cost $ 131.75
March 23- went to Washington County Records office for copies of our marriage certificates cost $23.25
March 23- completed and passed 2 hrs- Creating an Adoption Profile that works online class
March 24- Kalina had TB test results read=negative (our Niece Kiara was born today!)
March 24- completed and passed 2 hrs-Ain't Misbehavin': Discipline and the Adopted Child online class
March 24- completed and passed 2 hrs- Let's Talk Adoption online class
March 25- completed and passed 2 hrs- Finding the Missing Pieces: Helping Adopted Children Cope with Grief and Loss online class
March 26- our social worker came to our house and we did our homestudy interview
March 26- Travis went to the doctor to have a TB test done
March 27- received a call from Kalina's doctor office that her doctor was out for spring break and would fill out the medical report when she returned on April 2nd
March 27- completed and passed 2 hrs- The Journey of Attachment online class
March 27- all ten hours of adoption parenting training is complete!
March 27- still haven't received the agency agreement so we emailed Florida AGAIN!
March 28- Travis had TB test results read=negative
March 28- Florida apologizes via email for not returning the agency agreement
March 29- called Florida again to figure out why the agency agreement wasn't being signed- oops there was a mix up and they thought our family file was on hold
March 29- Florida FINALLY signed and returned the agency agreement- PRAISE THE LORD!
April 2- Travis' medial report has been received by Holt
April 2- paid invoice for homestudy cost $1,750 (30% discount as a returning family)
April 2- got an email from Kalina's doctor asking her to go in for her HIV test (HIV test was only needed if we were adopting internationally)
April 2- emailed and called Kalina's doctor to clarify the medical report requirements
April 3- called Kalina's doctor office again to clarify that the medical report was completed - medical assistance said the form would be in the mail
April 5- received an electronic copy of our homestudy to review and edit
April 5- Kalina's medical report is STILL not turned in yet
April 5-6- sent revisions of our homestudy via email to our social worker
April 6- Kalina's medical report is in after 2 weeks- PRAISE THE LORD!
April 7- homestudy done, social worker sent an email to Florida to see how many copies they want
April 9- contacted Florida to schedule our conference call hopeful to do the call the week of April 16-20
April 9- ready to order photo book, but asked from feedback from Florida agency
April 9- email confirmation that we are waiting for the signature pages to arrive before homestudy can be mailed to us and Florida
April 11- received options for conference call and got feedback on our photo book
April 11- we picked April 17 for our conference call
April 12- conference call confirmed for April 17
April 12- checked to see about getting copies of our homestudy
April 12- signature pages arrived and we received an electronic copy of our homestudy
April 13- hard copy of our homestudy arrived
April 17- conference call with Florida cost $350
April 17- photo books from Shutterfly ordered- 5 copies for our agency and 2 copies for us cost $163.08 The photo books should arrive by the end of this week or early next week and then everything is for for Florida to show our file to birth families
April 17- paperwork discussed in conference call is signed and mailed to Florida postage cost $0.65
April 17- confirmation from Florida that they received an original copy of our homestudy
April 17- Pray that God's will is done and be hopeful that God's will doesn't require too much waiting. Have peace that God has already picked out the perfect birth family to be matched with our family. Continue to pray for our birth family and child to have a safe delivery and be healthy!
2 comments:
Hard journey but what JOY! I'm so glad I popped in today to hear you are going through this journey again! I'm excited to hear how God writes this story! I've been enjoying a new blog of a woman who loves Jesus and has adopted several kids. Her blog is www.nogreaterjoymom.com. She had a great idea of using a program called "chip in" to raise money for adoption through her blog. Perhaps you guys could use that too so anyone can just donate! :o)
Huh - sounds like the first round! We have sort of started the international route again - dragging our feet hoping Vietnam opens or Ethiopia becomes easier again. =) I hope this route becomes easier (and faster!) for you! Congrats! -erin and brad
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