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The Completed Home Study Packet
We got our FBI fingerprint/criminal history report on Monday. Talk about incredible... we got our prints taken on Friday, mailed them Saturday and then we had an email Monday afternoon saying that they were ready. I printed them and then added the reports to our GIGANTIC packet. Had we used the FBI directly it would be 6-8 weeks before we'd get anything back... so strange that by using Accurate Biometrics, we were able to have them get them on our behalf and it was a two-day turn around.
Anyway... I had hoped to have everything ready to mail on Wednesday, but I still needed the last part... the pictures of us as a family and then one of the exterior of the house and one of a bedroom. My Shutterfly order came yesterday so I had everything ready to be mailed this morning!
Now we wait.
And wait... and wait... and wait. LOL
We know that the soonest that we can have a home study visit scheduled is mid-October, but it's all out of our hands at this point. I remember this part of the adoption process with Gus. It was so much easier to just let it go and have the stuff that's in my control be finished. While in some ways, it's easier having the control, in others, it's just more stressful. Now it's out of our hands and we just have to wait for a call saying that everything is good and we can schedule the visit.
I'm having mixed feelings about the visit. One part of me is elated that we only have to have ONE visit (as opposed to the usual three). I LOVE that it's cheaper... that's for sure. But I feel like we have one shot to get it right and if something's wrong, I don't know what happens. So I'm stressing about making sure that EVERYTHING is baby-proofed. I think I'm going to cook a bunch of food just before our visit so that the house smells like food... and not like... pets.
Anyway... just wanted to quickly post the latest. In my honest opinion, getting the home study packet completed is the most time-consuming process. There was a lot that we had to include:
- FBI Criminal History/Fingerprints
- GBI Criminal History/Fingerprints
- Notarized copies saying we give them permission to do a background check for abuse and for a criminal record.
- Signed forms saying we won't abuse our child and saying that we understand that spanking is not allowed, and one saying that we understand the risk factors of SIDS and that we'll do all that we can to make sure we avoid those risk factors.
- Copies of rabies vaccinations for all our pets.
- Extensive medical history/physical with 5-panel drug screen for me and Steve
- Physical exam for Gus with a signed document saying that he's up to date on all vaccines.
- Pictures of the home, a bedroom, and each person in the family.
- Copies of: each of our birth certificates, divorce decrees, marriage certificate, adoption decree, medical insurance, drivers licenses, car insurance, a water/utility bill, a letter from Steve's employer stating his start date and salary, and tax returns.
- An autobiography of me and Steve (separate) answering their specific questions (mine was like 20 pages I believe).
- A form with all our expenses and income.
- 911 Call History reports from places that we've lived in the past five years.
- Four letters of reference. One had to be from my former AP since I worked with children.
I'm just glad to have it done and pray that everything was submitted as needed and we're just waiting for the visit. Once that's scheduled and happens, we have to wait for it to be written up and then they'll send it to us to have.
It's good for a year (I believe). If we don't have a baby placed with us before a year, we will have to go through the whole process again. :-(
I'm exhausted... off to bed. TGIF (in 15 minutes)!!!
4 comments:
Every time I am reminded of just how much people who have to adopt go through, it breaks my heart. And that's just the paperwork! Now comes the part of hoping someone picks you out of all the hopeful waiting people. Then the birth and more hoping and waiting. It just breaks my heart. I think of all I went through with the infertility and IVF and how stressful that was, and it's just a drop in the bucket to adoption. You have my thoughts and sincerest hopes that you are paired very soon. Mandy B.
So granted I do not believe in spanking so it's a nonissue. I still was annoyed that we had to say we would not spank. If its mandated for me then every parent that leaves the hospital should have to sign the same document and shouldn't be allowed to leave the hospital until they do.
I'm so excited for your #2. I'll be interested in seeing what you think about the wait for #2. Im also interested in how Gus does w the wait. I'm torn about jumping right back in as baby girl will be too young to register what's going on especially if it involves a failed adoption which is always a risk. At the same time I'd like some of a gap between the two.... But since you never know how long the wait will be I don't want too big of a gap!
Congrats!!!!
@TTABaby Yeah, we don't believe in spanking either so it wasn't an issue, but you're 100% right.
As for the wait... it's going to be difficult, but with having a child it shouldn't as bad as with #1. With Gus, we only waited a month... so technically we had it REALLY easy. Our entire process with him (from initial contact with the agency until his birth) was five months. Which is unheard of.
We're not telling him that we're adopting again because he doesn't understand it. Even when we have a match, we're not going to say anything. Until we have a baby in our arms and he's a big brother, nothing is going to be said to him, which we feel is best.
That's what is so hard about adoption- you don't know how long the wait will be. We wanted to wait until Gus was at least two or two and a half before starting. He'll be two and a half November 11th... so we've got at least that much of an age difference. :-)
@pixnlil
Yes... it's a lot. Add to that the additional pain of infertility and wasting years TTC and then adoption becomes even more complex (granted, not everyone adopts because they couldn't get pregnant).
We appreciate all the prayers that we can get for baby #2!!! The process is a pain, but so worth it in the end!! I consider this process my labor. :-)
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