We are moving along-SLOWLY but Surely

So, we are now in the process of getting each family member physicals for the adoption-this all takes some time with 7 of us, but it is going well so far. The things we are working on accomplishing are these:

For our home study we need:

FBI Criminal Check

State Criminal Check

Local Criminal check

Child abuse Checks

Adam and I Physicals

All 5 kids Physicals

Have 10 of ACGI forms notarized

6 reference forms filled out from friends, neighbors, relatives, etc.

Adam and I each fill out a 50 page questionnaire about our entire life, growing up, family, occupations, and everything ever known by anyone!

Do a 10 hour on-line class about bi-racial adoption

Fill out a 150 page workbook that is part of the on-line class with tons of questions on bi-racial adoption

Do a total and complete financial worksheet about every bill we pay and our income

Get a guardian (God Parent) for our new daughter and get that notarized

Get Employee verifications that are notarized from our employer

Get all our social security cards, birth certificates, and drivers licenses, marriage licenses copied and order original ones too

Copy of last tax return

Vet letter for all our pets stating they are up to date on their shots

A family photo

Get proof of life insurances and auto insurances and proof of health insurance

-------------------------------------

We then do a 6 hour (about 3-4 visits total) home study with our social worker from AGCI

-------------------------------------

Then for our Dossier-which is a large packet of info. that will actually go to Ethiopian government. A Dossier when defined is: A collection of papers giving detailed information about a particular person or subject



We need for this for the Dossier:

Two power of attorney -giving the orphanage leader-(Almaz is her name)-power of being our representative in court and our daughters temporary guardian-forms need notarized-one we had to get STATE certified-and went down to the building by the capital to do this

an application letter to the Ethiopian government-notarized

2 passport photos

Plus a passport for each of us to travel

photographs of the family, ourselves, inside and outside our home pasted neatly on paper

Another financial statement

A copy of our home study from ACGI when it is done

Another employment verification letter notarized from our jobs

another birth certificate-original copy for Adam and I, a marriage one

A medical form, notarized from our doctors stating we don't have TB and are healthy to have a child

Criminal check for both

two letters of recommendation one friend one family

Two copies of all of the above, and a huge chunk of money! :)



WHEW-well, I am please to say that we only have a few more papers to organize-my physical, 3 of the kids physicals, waiting for our background checks from FBI in Virginia to get back, do our homestudy, get a couple more people to send their reference letters and we are nearly done-it has taken 2 months to get this far-but we are moving along. :)



We are hoping our homestudy can be by the end of August- (anyone want to help clean a house? ) :)



Then the next step is to wait for the governments-both USA and Ethiopia to do their jobs and get a referral of a little baby girl for us-a referral is when they send us photos and all the info on the girl and we have 10 days to get a international pediatrician to review it and we decide if we will accept her or not.

If we were to accept her and then for some reason change our mind or back out, Ethiopian government has a law that that child can NEVER be adopted out again!!! Wow-talk about the pressure to make sure of something!

Will continue later-till next time-