Well, we have Step 1 completed for our adoption:
Home Study Completion- notarized and ready to be sent to India!
Many people have asked us what this means and where we’re at
in the adoption process, so I will do my best to explain. I’m still trying to
process each detailed step. Even though we’ve completed so much paperwork, I
still feel like I’m drowning in mounds of paperwork.
For the India program, we have to complete several steps:
1.
Complete
the Home Study and Hague training: This is done! This was a long process.
We actually received our initial home study paperwork over a year ago. A little
deployment delayed our plans. Then we finally were able to have our home study
in February, but there was more paperwork, which finally came in this past
week. Signed—sealed—delivered—done!
2.
Register
on CARINGS: This is the online adoption system in India. India allows 100
families per month to register. Since it's only mid-May we have a good chance
of registering. It generally takes them about two months to approve or disapprove a family. If
India does not approve our home study this time, we will do another home study
when Brooks is two (November) and try again.
3.
Submit
the I-800A application: This is the process where we request permission
from the US immigration office to bring an adopted child into the US. Basically
it’s more paperwork and fingerprints again! We will be starting this step once
we complete our CARINGS registration.
4.
Finish
collecting and notarize dossier documents: Our dossier is a collection of
about 30 documents we had to collect: Home Study, birth certificates, marriage
licenses, physicals, financial forms, five reference letters, etc. I am so
thankful to report we only have two documents left to collect! Then we will
head to the notary with a giant file complete our dossier. We are hoping to
complete our dossier this month.
5.
Apostille
the dossier documents in each state where the document originated: Before
beginning our dossier, I had never heard of an “apostille”. Basically, an
apostille authenticates the notary. This
will be an easy process, it will just take some time. Most of our documents
will head to Hawaii or D.C.
6.
Send
completed dossier to AWA with payments and additional documentation: I’m
not sure when we will complete our dossier, but I know that it will be soon.
Our adoption fund is quickly depleting, which is a good sign because it means
things are happening!
We are at a place now where we need to ask for financial help.
In addition to filling out paperwork for adoption grants, we are squeezing in
one quick fundraiser before we PCS to Wyoming. We are partnering with Noonday Collections
to raise funds for our adoption: "Noonday Collection is the go to spot for on
trend fashionable accessories and we are so excited to partner with Noonday's
local ambassador for an adoption fundraiser trunk show in her home! The passion
at Noonday is to advocate for orphans and help others rise out of poverty while
styling you along the way. Fashion and design are a vehicle for opportunity and
change. By wearing Noonday, you get to join the story of transformation one
purchase at a time. Noonday is a fair trade company whose mission is to create
sustainability through dignified jobs and fair wages to the most vulnerable in
over 10 countries."
Noonday will send 10% of the total sales to our adoption agency.
If you’re interested in participating in this fundraiser, please let me know!
We will also send you one of our postcards with a thank you note. Our sweet and talented friend, Abby, designed them for us. Please post these cards on your fridge as a reminder to pray for this whole process.
We will also send you one of our postcards with a thank you note. Our sweet and talented friend, Abby, designed them for us. Please post these cards on your fridge as a reminder to pray for this whole process.
We are overflowing with thanks to God for the incredible paperwork progress we've seen this month. We're encouraged!
So Thankful,
Melissa
