Deb left a message on Wednesday. Alaska clearance is back!
Go.go.go FBI and California.... !
A&B posted two great videos that you might be interested to see. The video on AGCI and Hannah's Hope gives you a glimpse into where our child will live (or lives now!), as well as the people who are caring for him, and the kids in Ethiopia. This video helped us decide many months ago to partner with AGCI as our international agency. I will attempt to point you to their blog so you can view. Thanks A&B!
http://ourjourneyjohn1418.blogspot.com/2009/05/baby-s.html
Friday, May 29, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
No Red Tape in Illinois
Deb left a message yesterday on the cell. Illinois already returned Dodd's child abuse clearance. Yee haw!
One down, three to go.
Most concerned about California since the state is having a hard time paying its government employees.
Thank you for your prayers!
One down, three to go.
Most concerned about California since the state is having a hard time paying its government employees.
Thank you for your prayers!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Went to Jail!
We are trying to make the most of our setback. All that stands between us and the wait list is 4 background checks. Our local agency moved like lightening and sent the requests for state background checks off the day after I brought the paperwork and releases to the office. Sunday we went to jail to have our fingerprints taken for the FBI. A sheriff's deputy led us through metal detectors, past rows of cells and ushered us into the Booking Office at the Washington County Jail. A delightful place we have not had the opportunity to visit until now. Ha! Dodd's sister was visiting from California and waited patiently for us while we were printed.Someday we will tell our son that Mom, Dad, and Auntie Jo had to go to jail to bring him home!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Starting to get the frustrating part
Will you allow me to vent a little?
We've hit obstacles with the home study. Did not realize when we started that we are required to have an FBI background check as well as background checks in every state we've lived in since we were 18.
What does this mean? We need to be fingerprinted. Then we send our prints off to a division of the FBI in Virginia to check them against their national database to make sure we aren't bad people. At the same time, we need to request child abuse clearances from the states of California, Alaska, and Illinois.
Some other things we didn't realize... we have to break down all our monthly expenses for mortgage, utilities, car payment, insurance, phone, cable, food, trash collection, etc.
...we have to know the date Dodd was brought home from the hospital when he was adopted as an infant.
...have we ever considered separating?
...how were we disciplined as children?
And the list goes on.
Ugh.
And we haven't started working with a foreign government yet. As Dodd said, Obama's cabinet was probably not vetted as thoroughly as us! I understand and appreciate that all of this is to protect kids. I just wish we could have been working on these requirements the past 4 months.
This is a big setback. Probably 2 months before we get all this back and assembled.
We were also informed of some setbacks in Ethiopia. But I that is a post for another day.
Ugh, ugh, ugh.
We've hit obstacles with the home study. Did not realize when we started that we are required to have an FBI background check as well as background checks in every state we've lived in since we were 18.
What does this mean? We need to be fingerprinted. Then we send our prints off to a division of the FBI in Virginia to check them against their national database to make sure we aren't bad people. At the same time, we need to request child abuse clearances from the states of California, Alaska, and Illinois.
Some other things we didn't realize... we have to break down all our monthly expenses for mortgage, utilities, car payment, insurance, phone, cable, food, trash collection, etc.
...we have to know the date Dodd was brought home from the hospital when he was adopted as an infant.
...have we ever considered separating?
...how were we disciplined as children?
And the list goes on.
Ugh.
And we haven't started working with a foreign government yet. As Dodd said, Obama's cabinet was probably not vetted as thoroughly as us! I understand and appreciate that all of this is to protect kids. I just wish we could have been working on these requirements the past 4 months.
This is a big setback. Probably 2 months before we get all this back and assembled.
We were also informed of some setbacks in Ethiopia. But I that is a post for another day.
Ugh, ugh, ugh.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Education Done!
We just completed the last of 6 classes!
The Journey of Attachment
Medical Issues in International Adoption
Conspicuous Families
Let's Talk Adoption: A Lifetime of Family Conversations
Finding the Missing Pieces: Helping Adopted Children Cope with Grief and Loss
Adopting the Older Child
In addition to the classes above, we also completed the Eyes Wide Open Workbook a couple weeks ago.
We've spent every Saturday but 2 in the past 3 months working on our education. The material is excellent. I am sure we will refer back to it often.
I just posted a link in the sidebar to a Nova special on the medical condition called Fistula. It's provides a glimpse into life in Ethiopia for women. Beautifully filmed and poignantly told, it ends with hope in an Ethiopian orphanage. I will warn you, it's heart wrenching.
The Journey of Attachment
Medical Issues in International Adoption
Conspicuous Families
Let's Talk Adoption: A Lifetime of Family Conversations
Finding the Missing Pieces: Helping Adopted Children Cope with Grief and Loss
Adopting the Older Child
In addition to the classes above, we also completed the Eyes Wide Open Workbook a couple weeks ago.
We've spent every Saturday but 2 in the past 3 months working on our education. The material is excellent. I am sure we will refer back to it often.
I just posted a link in the sidebar to a Nova special on the medical condition called Fistula. It's provides a glimpse into life in Ethiopia for women. Beautifully filmed and poignantly told, it ends with hope in an Ethiopian orphanage. I will warn you, it's heart wrenching.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Home Study Done...
...and sent to AGCI on Wednesday!!
Paperwork glitch with dossier. Notary commission expired in Feb. on the letters from the sheriff. Need to redo. Ugh.
Just 3 more classes to go!
Paperwork glitch with dossier. Notary commission expired in Feb. on the letters from the sheriff. Need to redo. Ugh.
Just 3 more classes to go!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)