Several people have asked and finally we have AN UPDATE! We were hoping to begin our home study in July but that didn't happen. So instead we started in September. I'm pretty sure most of the process will be like this, set a goal, wait and reach it 2-3 months later than planned. But that's ok. We stay so busy with everyday life that time is passing quickly. We've completed two in home visits with our social worker so far. I wasn't sure what to expect and a little nervous about the whole process. Of course we cleaned the house, not every room thoroughly but she did look in every room. She asked basic safety questions about fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, pet shot records, medications out of reach, etc. We talked a lot (and I do mean a lot) about our life growing up, our families, grandparents, siblings, our children. The social worker mentioned India was particularly concerned about whether an adoptive parent could love an adopted child the same as a birth child. When this statement was presented to me I couldn't help but get emotional. As a kindergarten teacher, I form a bond with my students and I get to love them for a school year. If I can love 20 little kinders, there is no doubt in my heart that I could love another child just as much. There were several subjects we touched on that were emotional and I had to tell the social worker that I am not a crier - nor am I emotionally unstable! Maybe she believed me... c: So what happens next?
- Our social worker will present the rough draft of our home study to us for review in about a week.
- Once we approve it, the home study will then have to be approved by DHR (Dept of Human Resources)
- Then our home study will be sent to USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services)
- Our agency is working on the I800A now and will send it to us to sign and mail off with a nice chunk of change.
- Once it's received, we will be assigned an appointment to be fingerprinted (again) in Birmingham.
- A few weeks after our fingerprints are received, we should receive our I797, which is our immigration approval. This means we are approved to adopt from India!!! Shewww! Easy, right? AFTER we jump through all these hoops, we can then register with CARA and wait for a referral (i.e. sweet, precious, little girl)
In the meantime, we are working on our dossier. It is basically *another* set of documents needed to process the adoption of a child from India, much like the information we collected for the final application.
We are also raising as much money as we can to go towards our adoption so please consider booking a photo session to receive "free" photos in exchange for a donation. Details here - FREE PHOTO SESSION Also, one of our generous friends is offering a free music download for adoption donations, check it out here FREE MUSIC Please help us spread the word!!
