Follow-Up Visit with Our Social Worker

Yesterday we had a follow up visit by our social worker, Whitney, from BCHFS. These visits are necessary in order to keep our foster home license, which is required by IL in order for us to adopt. The visit included checking smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and hot water temperature.  I was also asked some questions like, how will you discipline your child, and how many hours a week does Brent work? We will need to keep our foster home license until we receive our child, or longer if we were going to adopt again.

Additional visits from our social worker are required by China to do post-adoption reports. These will take place at one month, six months, and twelve months after the adoption, and then one at the second, third, and fifth year after the adoption. The only problem I have with these post-adoption visits is that they can be scary for the child. I’ve heard that some adopted children fear that they will be removed from their home if the visits don’t go well. This of course is not true, but I can see where a child might think that.

                                                           

Lori

Lots of Waiting

We received a I-797C from the USCIS. It is basically a formal looking receipt. It’s not the I-797 paper we need for our dossier. We are expecting to receive a letter soon with the appointment time and place to go have our fingerprints made again. We had to do this for the state, and we will have to have prints done again for the federal government. I guess they don’t share with one another. We haven’t heard anything about the interest free adoption loan or any of the grants yet. Lots of waiting.

                                                                       Lori

The Scary Unknown

We have applied for an interest free loan to be paid back with the adoption tax credit, which is currently $13,170. We are praying that we are approved for it, and that we receive grants to make up the difference of the near $30,000 that our adoption will cost. We have submitted applications for 4 grants so far and there are a few more that we can apply for a little later on in the adoption process. The cost of adoption is a strain on most people’s finances, but following God’s will is always a walk of faith. When He calls us to do something, He always provides the way. And though the unknown is scary, we continue trekking along on this journey. At this point with our I-800A submitted to the USCIS and the dossier submission right around the corner, I am getting more and more anxious with anticipation of getting matched with our child. I will be praying daily that she is safe and well cared for, that we bond easily with her, and that we have her before the end of the year. Please commit to praying daily for our adoption and for the estimated 160 million orphans worldwide (a staggering number). There is great power in prayer that is aligned with God’s will.

If you have any questions about our adoption or adoption in general that I may be able to answer, you may submit them as a comment under this post.

                                        Lori

Finally, Home Study Approval!

Our home study approval was for real last week, and our journey is once again moving forward as I overnighted our I-800A application today to the USCIS (Citizenship and Immigration Services). This is an application for determination of suitability to adopt a child from a convention country. We were not able to mail it last week because it required our adult son’s signature, and he was in CO. on a trip with our church’s youth group.

Now, we must wait once again. We are hoping and praying that we get USCIS approval in time to get our dossier in China by the Oct. 1 deadline, so that we do not have to meet additional requirements, which would mean more time, paperwork, and money. Our adoption agency told us back in April that the USCIS was taking 6-8 weeks. We are hopeful, though, after reading another adoption blog that recently reported having their USCIS approval in four weeks.

We have been reading several other adoption blogs. It’s wonderful to see their stories unfold as they get referrals and meet their child for the first time. Looking forward to those days!

                            

                                      Lori

Can We Move Forward?

We once again are being told that our home study has been approved. We even have it in hand now, but we are not allowing ourselves to get too excited because last time our adoption agency, Children’s Hope International, found an oversight that had to be addressed. That costs us a three week delay.CHI still has to review it this time too and send us a letter of approval that will go to the USCIS along with the I-800A, the home study, a copy of our marriage license, copies of our birth certificates, and a money order for $975.  I am hoping that the letter from CHI arrives tomorrow or Thursday. I will then overnight the package to the USCIS office in Texas. I will overnight it because at this point ever day counts, and could make or break us meeting the deadline for having our dossier to CHI by Sept. 1 so that they can have it in China by Oct. 1. If we don’t make the deadline, we have to meet new requirements that China has set for anyone that doesn’t have their dossier to them by Oct. 1. We would have to get a new home study agency that is Hague accredited. We would basically have to start the whole process over with the new home study agency. The new requirements would also require that our reference letters be redone and notarized. We would also be required to have additional reference letters; one from our adult son and from one of our daughter’s teachers at school. It would also mean additional costs. So it is very important to us that we meet that deadline.  Please keep praying that everything falls into place.

On a happier note, I am starting to think about decorating the nursery or little girl's room. (We don't yet know how old she'll be.) I bought a beautiful Oriental table cloth from a yard sale that I am going to turn into a couple of throw pillows. I also have been sketching a picture of a cherry blossom tree that I want to do as a moral on the wall. I will posts pictures in the future as the room takes shape. Right now I am just in the planning stage, but this is much more fun than paperwork. 

                                                                         
                                                                                            Lori