Our Process So Far

Since we're starting this blog a little into our adoption process, I thought I'd give an update on where we are right now and what we still have to do. 


Accomplished:

• Finished home study- still need to get the results from our fingerprinting; once these are obtained, the home study will go to the state level for approval
• Ordered copies of marriage and birth certificates for dossier
• Applied for/updated passports
• Obtained employment letters
• Made copies of insurance policies
• Applied for foster care licensing (required in Illinois for adoption)
• Got physicals
• Requested letters of recommendation from family and friends
• Completed 10 hours of adoption training

Still to Go:

• Complete financial documents needed for dossier (dossier = the compiled paperwork needed to show our ability to adopt)
• Complete cover letter/application letter for dossier
• Put together family photo pages for dossier
• Wait for approval of home study
• Put all of these things together for dossier
• Ship off to adoption agency in Virginia
• Receive approval of dossier and send to Ethiopia
• Have dossier translated
• Wait for referral
• Travel to get the child/children (we're hoping for twins!)

Wow- does that seem like a lot of work? It has been. Thankfully, Don was able to use his "project management" skills to help us plug away at it in an organized/non-overwhelming way!