Where are you in the adoption process? ROLLCALL

[Mamatohaleybug]

I thought it would be nice to see where everyone is in the adoption process and share a little about our experiences.

We are in the process of adopting our second child. We are approved and just waiting for a match. We are using LDSFS and are looking for an infant of any race and would accept special needs if it felt right. Our daughter was adopted through LDSFS at birth. It was a transracial, special medical needs adoption. We are thrilled with our daughter and our experiences so far. Haley is almost 2.5.

We would like to adopt a few more times after this.

So, how about you? Are you an adoptive parent? Where are you now? Plans for the future? Past experiences? Were you adopted? Are you a birthmother?

[annethcz]

We are currently paperchasing to adopt #4 from Haiti. This will be our first adoption, and we're soooo excited. We have 2 more documents to collect before we can schedule our homestudy visits. DH keeps putting off his physical- he's afraid they'll want to do a prostate exam :LOL

We're also waiting for a response to a letter we wrote the the director of Haitian social services (IBESR) asking for preapproval to adopt. We don't meet the legal requirements to adopt from Haiti (VERY few adoptive parents do, this is common), so we're waiting for preapproval before send our dossier to Haiti.

To be honest, I've been feeling a little apprehensive about Haitian adoption lately. I keep hearing stories of adoptive parents who have been stuck in process for months (sometimes years) on end. It's so tempting to choose a different country where timeframes are more consistent. But both DH and I feel drawn to Haiti, this is where we feel we should be right now, so I guess we'll stick with it. But we're not going to file any papers with immigration until we receive the preapproval.

[EFmom]

We have adopted two children from China, in 97 and 01. We are now in the process of readopting them. In my county, it's a complete PIA--like doing a private adoption from scratch, and I have to admit, I've been dragging my feet. We will need an entirely new homestudy, and the judge in this court will only let you use a SW of her choosing, which really ticks me off. We had a great SW for our adoptions and post placements and it just kills me to start this stupid process all over again with somebody new.

However, we can't take the tax credit on #2 until the readoption is complete, so that's a motivator. The only real reason I'd do this is that dd#2 won't be a citizen until we do. My physical is Thursday, and I'm hoping the doctor won't want to check my prostate, either. :

:LOL

[Heavenly]

We are in the process of homestudy and paperchasing for a Haitian adoption as well. I am basically in the same place as annethcz. We don't fit the requirements for a Haitian adoption and with the stories of people waiting for so long we are tempted to switch programs as well. But we really feel drawn to Haiti and that it is where we are supposed to adopt from. Either way we are also waiting on pre-approval. We probably have another 2 months until our homestudy and paperwork is done and then it has to go to the Canadian government which will take about a month and then on to Haiti. We have been at this since mid-October and it seems to be taking forever!

[SpringRain]

We are in the information gathering stage of adopting #3 (first adoption) from China. We don't meet the age requirement yet so we are in a holding pattern until my 30th birthday. We hope to have all the docs done and be DTC (Dossier to China) right after my birthday. As It stands now that means we have 1 1/2 years to go until we send in out paperwork and 2 to 2 1/2 years until we hold our next child in our arms. It feels like an eternity right now, but the plus side is we have tons of time to paperchase and save, save, save.

[dharmamama]

We brought our son home from Ethiopia on November 20th (National Adoption Day!). We had started the process the pervious September, so it took us 14 months. We didn't actually apply to the placement agency until February, though. We had to take state-mandated classes and do our homestudy first.

We have a bio daughter who will be three in February, and our son will be 2 in February. The kids are officially 355 apart, but our son's birthdate is approximated (although we feel it's very accurate).

We both hope to adopt again. We will go back to Ethiopia. We plan to adopt a 3-5 year old boy when our kids are 6 and 7. But I told our agency's director to keep us in mind for any child she feels would fit into our family, because we know that the right child will come along for us at the right time, just as our first two did.

Namaste!

[Belleweather]

We're 18 months into TTC and starting to examine other options to become parents. We've found programs that we're interested in, but there isn't much chance that we'll be able to do anything concrete for several years as DH and I are both graduate students and have very, very little income.

However, I do have an interview for a job that would be part time until graduation and full time afterward that has as a part of their benefit package a comparitively large adoption benefit... so that would potentially move the timeframe up a little bit.

[Leatherette]

Hi, I am an adoptive mom. Our daughter has been with us just over a year and we finalized in November. We did a domestic transracial adoption, and everything has gone great.

My son is a bio-child. He's great, too.

L.

[Tigeresse]

We brought our dd home from China 4/29/04. She is now just about 20 months old. We completed our readoption in Nov., and have the adoption decree, but are awaiting an American birth certificate from the state. She should now be considered a US citizen but I have yet to have that affirmed by the powers that be. After we get her b.certificate we'll get her a passport to show her citizenship. We still have 1 more postplacement visit in April, then that's it!

We have 3 bio sons, so most likely we will not adopt (or birth!) again, but as I like to remind dh, never say never..... but I do feel our family is complete.

Looking forward to our 1st Chinese New Year all together!

[mogit]

I am in the process of adopting my second child from Guatemala. DS came home in Jan. 2002 at 5 months old. He is now 3 1/2! DD-to-be will be 2 months old tomorrow, and her case has just entered PGN, the final court. Of course, no one can say how much longer the process will take, but I am cautiously hoping for an early homecoming.

EFmom, could you readopt in another county? That's what I did (in Texas). My HS agency told me readoption was a big hassle in my home county (pretty much what you describe). They recommended going to another county (about an hour's drive from here) where the process was far simpler. I just paid the attoney and appeared before a judge for about five minutes, and that was that.

[mamarhu]

I am a single, WAH, homeschooling mom to 3 - one grown. I am just finishing (I hope!) the licensing process for domestic adoption and fostering. I am looking to foster high medical needs babies (preemie, drug-exposed, disabled, HIV+, or any combination). But at 47, I don't feel up to adopting an infant. 20 MORE years of full-time parenting!?! And we have far too many Legos aroung here for a toddler to be safe! I could, however, fall in love and forget I ever said this. I would also like to adopt a couple (or more?) school-age kids. Disabilities, medical needs, etc. could all be considered. I am a very verbal person, and I just love when kids get to the age to begin to have abstract conversations!

[EFmom]

EFmom, could you readopt in another county?

I wish. In our state, you must use the family or surrogate court for the county in which you reside. I guess it must be part of the "Social Worker Full Employment Act."

[dinade]

We have just begun...

our homestudy. Trying to save up the 600$ for the I600 form. Then we'll have another home visit and the waiting begins. Adopting 2 girls from Russia hopefully this year but could very well be next.

[AmyAngel]

I'm currently in the saving money/getting life in order stage of planning to adopt from China. I'm thinking it will be at least 2 years before I begin the process, which make take me longer because of the singles quota. Assuming no winning lottery tickets and prince charmings show up in the meantime.

[mommydama]

All done...for now!

Brought the last one (but the oldest one) home from Guatemala almost two years ago (February 26th). We plan to wait awhile before discussing if we want to adopt/foster again. We'll see!

[Diane B]

Glad to see I'm not the only one with a seemingly never ending process, but gosh, couldn't someone fix this crazy system?

The most important part was done in August, when we brought Anna home from Guatemala. Her re-adoption in our county was completed in mid-December, but I'm still waiting on a birth certificate so I can apply for citizenship for her. My partner then has to do a second parent adoption this year.

This child will have three birth certificates, two passports, a green card, a social security number and three adoption decrees by the time we are finished.

[annethcz]

Boy, Diane & EFMom, you 2 aren't giving me a lot of hope :LOL

IIRC, EFMom, you're in MN too, right?

I guess I just need to concentrate on getting a child home first, then I can worry about the PITA readoption stuff later.... (and PLEASE tell me that you're not in Dakota county, the judge sounds a wee bit unreasonable!)

[T. Elena]

We have one bio baby, who has somehow suddenly become a 5 y.o. boy. Like his parents, he is of mixed European/Scandinavian heritage.

Our daughter, who turned one in December, was born domestically to birthparents from Jamaica and Belize. Her ethno-racial heritage is complex -- I'm trying to decide what the short description should be when strangers ask casually and a five-minute conversation isn't what I'm after. Any and all of the following would be accurate depending on your politics and the context: biracial, black/white, Jamaican-Belizian, Afro-Latina, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Caucasian-Caribbean-Latina. I think that last one feels best to me for now -- want her to grow up knowing that we celebrate all parts of her heritage. If she wants to self-identify differently as she ages, she certainly can.

[As an aside, someone recently asked me what her *nationality* was. In all my busy thinking about how to honor her heritage, I forgot to say she was an American! Duh.]

We have an open adoption with her birthmother, who I adore and think about every day.

Both kids are the most beautiful, delightful creatures ever to grace the planet. How's that for heartfelt hyperbole?

[EFmom]

IIRC, EFMom, you're in MN too, right?

Nope. NYS.

[mamaBlue]

We are in in the middle of our first adoption from Guatemala. This will be our third time becoming parents, we have 2 daughters by birth. We currently have embassy approval for the necessary DNA testing and are expecting it to be done any day now. I am not sure if our case have entered Guatemalan family court yet. Our daughter will be one month old tomorrow (Tuesday). We plan on visiting her next month.