Adoption Update: Dossier Call

We are always excited to receive packages at our house especially packages from All God's Children (AGCI).  Kate is holding our orientation packet which included our contract and several other documents that needed to be notarized.  We also had to send in a about one-fourth of our adoption costs which means we are officially in the Ethiopia program.  I am not sure what Kate is telling the girls, but it must be something important because they are paying attention.

Today was another a big day in our adoption process - The Dossier Call.

After receiving our paperwork, AGCI sent us my new best friend : Our Adoption Planner.  Our caseworker went through the Adoption Planner which contains all the procedures and paperwork we would need to complete in order to have our dossier approved by AGCI.  The dossier is then submitted to the Ethiopian government for translation and approval.  By the end of the call, I felt completely overwhelmed with all the little things that need to be gathered.

After having a few hours to process it all, it will definitely be doable - just think baby steps!  Everything has to be done just so or documents will need to be resubmitted which in turn will mean more delays in the process.  It normally takes 4 months to complete the dossier.  Once the dossier is submitted and approved, we are placed on a waiting list to receive a referral (matched with a child).  The estimated time on the wait list has been increased to 12-18 months - Yikes!

The first big item to complete is our homestudy which we are hoping to have done by the end of the October.  This may be wishful thinking.  We are also working on completing our education requirements which include the workbook Eyes Wide Open and several online training courses.

After the homestudy and education courses are completed, we will be working to get a TON of paperwork together including certified copies of birth certificates, marriage licenses, update passports, medical forms, criminal checks, and the list goes on...

I think that motherhood may have dampened my Type A personality - I no longer enjoy checklists like I used to!  In some ways, it is similar to being physically pregnant - I think we are enduring the morning sickness (paperwork) right now.  It will be so worth it when our little one joins our family!  And who wouldn't want to be a part of this motley crew?

Mother's Day 2010