Home Study Done

We have now filled out applications and questionnaires, read our required reading on attachment, bonding, and child development, taken our on-line classes required by the Hague Treaty, obtained newly certified copies of birth certificates and marriage certificates, gathered tax docs, filled out financial forms, had criminal background checks in Idaho, in Washington, and by the FBI, had medical exams for everybody in the family, and finally had our fingerprints taken (again) for USCIS (Citizenship and Immigration Services). Some of the stuff is really silly. I mean, our fingerprints are the same, no matter how many times they are taken for how many agencies, and neither our birth certificate nor marriage certificate has changed . . . but these are the hoops, and so through them we go. It will be worth it. Yesterday, we received the FedEx confirmation that our home study has joined our I800-A (Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country). So now we . . . wait.

Eventually, we will get approval from USCIS (adoption forums indicate this averages 50 - 60 days). After that, all of our original documents need to be notarized/certified/authenticated. I am not sure how this works; it is different from last time. When we adopted Ari, it felt like we were practically on a first-name basis with every notary in Spokane. This time, our agency takes care of this for us - which is a big blessing - but I don't know how it works. After that, the dossier will go to China, be translated into Chinese, and then go to Chinese officials for processing, and we will eventually receive LOA (Letter of Acceptance) and TA (Travel Approval).

Let's go, USCIS!