Adoption timeline

It occurred to me that many of you may be interested in learning how the adoption process works. We are new to adoption so don't expect this to be an exhaustive reference for all your adoption planning needs. The one thing I have learned from talking to other families that have adopted (and reading lots of blogs) is that every adoption is different and the unexpected is normal. That being said, here's how it worked for us:

We started getting serious about the possibility of adoption in March. We read a great book called Adopted for Life by Russell Moore. It is NOT a manual on how the adoption process works but it did help us know what questions to ask and what to research. We settled on international adoption and after consideration of different programs, decided to pursue Ghana as the source country. Once we had that down, I started researching agencies.

I'm sure there are lots of ways to identify a great adoption agency. I chose to send emails to several that had existing Ghana programs and see what kind of response I would get. I had so many questions. From most of them, I received auto-responses of the, "thank you for showing interest in our international adoption program" nature. One agency, however, responded with a real message from a person who showed interest in our family and our plans. I started a dialogue with a case worker named Kelsey and eventually decided to work with her. The agency is Faith International Adoptions in Tacoma, Washington. Kelsey, by the way, has been absolutely brilliant as we navigate the adoption waters. She is prompt, kind, and knows the answer to everything. She always has time to talk and answer questions and has a great ability to calm my occasional fears. If you're reading - Thanks Kelsey. You are a gift from God.

We decided to partner with FIA, filled out an application and signed a contract and were matched with Kwabena in a surprisingly short time. There is a lot more to tell about this part of it, but I'll save that for another post.

Next came the paperwork. Tons of it. Contracts to sign, financial statements, marriage certificates, police clearance reports, fingerprinting, passports, copies of our deed, and on and on. And most of it has to be notarized. And lots of bills...an unavoidable fact of the adoptive process. Please don't think I am complaining. It was nice to know that every errand completed and every dollar spent got us a step closer to bringing our son home.

We completed a home study which was not as difficult or time consuming as I expected. Once that was done, we were able to apply to the Department of Homeland Security to get permission to adopt. I'm not completely sure what they are checking but I think it is just a formality for immigration purposes. That is where we are now....waiting to hear from the US Government.

In the meantime, we completed the pile of documents necessary for the adoption dossier. That is the packet of info that gets shipped to the local government in Ghana once the US government gives us permission to move forward. As soon as we're approved, the dossier goes across the pond and we wait again for Ghana to establish a court date for us.

When we are assigned a date, we make travel plans for the first of two trips. On the first trip, we will meet him (finally!!!) and complete the adoption in Ghana. Then - and I can hardly stand to think about this or write this down - we leave him there while his visa/passport/immigration papers are processed. That can take 60 days. When that process is complete, we return to Ghana and bring him home. That will be a happy day. That's one I like to think about.

This is just the black and white, clinical version of the story for the sake of those that may be thinking about adopting and want an idea of what to expect. The whole story is far more personal and miraculous. Hopefully, we can communicate some of that on this blog. Stay tuned.

JRR