New Adoption Policies

Today we found out that we will have to travel two times to Ethiopia to complete the adoption process.   About three weeks after we receive and accept our referral (in about 8-12 months), we will travel to Ethiopia for about a week to meet our future daughter and to sign adoption contracts that will begin the court process in Ethiopia.  Then we will come home and wait for the court dates and processes to take place before travelling back to Ethiopia to pick up our daughter.  There will be about 2 months between the two trips.

There have recently been 41 initially accepted referrals in Ethiopia (not with our agency) that have then been rejected by the adoptive families.  This new process has been put in effect to help prevent that from happening. 

Our agency had about an hour long conference call today to explain these changes.  So love how great our agency is with communication and how apparent it is that they love what they do--helping children around the world.  Love them and am so thankful for all they do.  I'm also so thankful for processes that support the integrity of the Ethiopian adoptions.  It would be awful to be a part of a corrupt system.

Still processing what all of this means.  There are some positives--we get to experience Ethiopia more than once within a short time frame, we'll get a trial-run at the whole travel experience so that we'll be better prepared for the second trip and we'll get to meet our future daughter face-to-face and hand-in-hand for the first time much earlier than we normally would.  But that leads me to the biggest challenge--meeting her and then having to leave her there for 2 more months...  Ugh...  Will definitely need some good perspective on this one.

Again, so thankful for all of you fellow adoptive families/bloggers--love reading your stories and outlooks.  Crazy but amazing journey--so worth it all!

Adoption Timeline

This is our adoption timeline.  A great way to be able to look over the past year to see how far we've come. :)  It sure it long!

02-17-2009:  Contact an Adoption Agency to get more information about the process
02-19-2009:  T turns 1 and we can "officially" start pursuing adoption
03-04-2009:  Trying to decide between Ethiopia and Haiti
05-12-2009:  Finish reading There Is No Me Without You-get a better picture of Ethiopia
07-02-2009:  After a break in our research, we start looking at countries again
07-11-2009:  Read book from AGCI packet and love their story
07-18-2009:  J reads the book from AGCI and also loves it
07-26-2009:  Decide on Ethiopia and AGCI
07-27-2009:  Pre-Application to AGCI approved
08-11-2009:  AGCI Webinar
08-30-2009:  Submit Formal Application to AGCI
08-31-2009:  Send in Medical Letters
09-03-2009:  Application Approved by AGCI
09-09-2009:  Orientation Phone Call
09-11-2009:  Select a Homestudy Agency
09-13-2009:  Receive Contracts from Homestudy Agency
09-24-2009:  G's Physical
09-24-2009:  All Contracts and Official Forms Notarized
10-17-2009:  Send all Initial Contracts and Fees to AGCI
10-21-2009:  Receive Binder and Workbook from AGCI
11-12-2009:  Complete Eyes Wide Open Workbook (intense)
11-14-2009:  CPR Certified
11-17-2009:  J's Physical
11-20-2009:  Start Online Courses--Conspicuous Families
11-21-2009:  First Fingerprinting
11-24-2009:  First Homestudy Visit
11-24-2009:  First phone call with Case Manager to go over Dossier process
11-24-2009:  Spent 4 hours working on Dossier paperwork
11-25-2009:  Spent 4.5 hours in Pok getting papers notarized and sent
11-29-2009:  Ordered Birth Certificates
11-30-2009:  Ordered Marriage License
11-30-2009:  G finished Autobiography for Homestudy
12-04-2009:  Marraige License, G's Medical Clearance, G's Employment Verification
12-05-2009:  FBI Fingerprinted (+another set of fingerprints)
12-07-2009:  Sent Fingerprints to FBI
12-07-2009:  Second Paperwork Call
12-08-2009:  J finished Autobiography
12-09-2009:  Received Power of Attorney back from Albany
12-12-2009:  Sent Criminal History Check Forms to Albany with fingerprints
12-14-2009:  The Journey to Attachment and Medical Issues in International Adoption
12-18-2009:  Finding the Missing Pieces: Helping Adopted Children Cope with Grief and Loss
12-20-2009:  Adopting the Older Child.  Completed all of the online courses!
12-21-2009:  Third Paperwork Call with our Case Manager--Almost done. :)
12-22-2009:  Take 5 on trying to get our "Letter of Good Conduct" from the local
                    police.  It has become quite difficult to prove that we are not criminals. :) 
                    Maybe next week...
12-31-2009:  Send Child Abuse Clearance forms to PA
01-04-2010:  Fourth Paperwork Call
01-12-2010:  Sent I-600A form to USCIS
01-18-2010:  Fifth Paperwork Call
01-28-2010:  FBI Clearances Arrive--last piece of paperwork needed for homestudy
02-03-2010:  First Draft of Homestudy
02-17-2010:  Homestudy Approved by AGCI
02-23-2010:  Send Dossier to AGCI
02-26-2010:  Dossier Accepted--#52 for a little girl 0-15 months and #24 for siblings
03-09-2010:  New Numbers--#48 for a little girl and #22 for siblings
03-10-2010:  Find out that we will have to travel to Ethiopia twice
03-15-2010:  Sent Homestudy to USCIS
04-05-2010:  Fingerprinted for USCIS
04-13-2010:  New Numbers--#41 for a little girl and #22 for siblings
05-14-2010:  New Numbers--#33 for a little girl and #17 for siblings
06-10-2010:  New Numbers--#29 for a little girl and #17 for siblings
07-12-2010:  New Numbers--#26 for a little girl and #15 for siblings
08-06-2010:  New Numbers--#20 for a little girl
09-07-2010:  Received FDL
09-09-2010:  New Numbers--#18 for a little girl and #13 for siblings
10-05-2010:  First Round of Travel Vaccines
10-06-2010:  New Numbers--#13 for a little girl and #14 for siblings
11-04-2010:  Second Round of Travel Vaccines
11-06-2010:  New Numbers--#5 for a little girl and #6 for siblings
11-11-2010:  Unofficially #3
11-17-2010:  Unofficially #2
11-23-2010:  Unofficially #1!
12-08-2010:  Referral!!!  For a tiny 5.5-month-old beautiful little girl!