Paperwork

So what's next?

Let's see...
Paperwork, Paperwork, and more Paperwork. (this was India's...I wish that was what our's looked like now...all done :)

This is actually great timing. It is the start of summer and even though I vowed to school the kids somewhat all summer (so they dont forget basically everything like last year!) It is still quite a lighter schedule and it's not everyday either- (Basically- when Jack's around...no school...if I hear, "mom, Im bored...it's school :)

So the main thing right now is the 'Homestudy.'
We work w/ a state social worker who does a home visit- last time she wanted to see our fire extiguisher and our fire evacuation plan...no joke. So now that we have our extinguisher this time around I feel ready for her :)
Actually we are using a different homestudy agency this time- homestudies somewhat expire after 1 year- and we are supposed to pay for a whole new homestudy. Amazingly enough- the woman is allowing us to pay just a little more than what an 'update' would cost because so much of our history never changed she can use alot from our old homestudy. THis is shocking to me because nobody does that- we will be saving $450...yahoo!
So now we write our auto biographies, gather references, fingerprints, bloodwork, physicals, and kids Dr. forms. Then she askes us a bunch of ?'s- deciedes whether we are should be 'approved' to adopt a child- and then she writes a 7 page Homestudy on us. Oh yeah- and we have to take on-line adoptive parenting classes where we learn how to become a 'transracial family' for 10 documented hours (and having done this already- doesnt even count.)
THis is where every adoption has to begin.
We can not be accepted into the Ethiopia program until they have our homestudy.
We meet w/ our social worker in 1 week and if nothing is delayed we can be what is called, "homestudy ready," possibly by the end of the summer ?
From there we become 'logged into the Ethiopia program' were we wait for a child referal (more explaination on this another time.)



While the homestudy is being written I will be gathering a whole other set of paperwork (called your 'Dossier') for our actual adoption agency (which is WAPCAP.) India is known as a harder country to adopt from- more paperwork than others...and yes I felt swarmed last time. Ethiopia is on the opposite side- it is known to be a easier- less paperwork. I have the paperwork infront of me and although all my efforts right now is the homestudy- I occasionly flip through it and it look's ALOT BETTER than India's...I am totaly Not overwhelemd at all...horray!