Since mid-October we have been in the process of updating our homestudy. Yes that is a long time especially since its doesn't expire until February! But, we had to start collecting paperwork and setting up appointments. The homestudy update required new notarized personal references (thank you to all who helped--I know it's annoying), updated medical reports on the entire family, new fingerprints for local, state and federal clearances and an updated verification that we are not on the Sex Offenders Registry. Our adoption agency needed the necessary paperwork to be turned in by December. Then we met with our social worker so she could adjust ages and home or income changes.
FYI to anyone in adoption realm... This time we used a channeler for our FBI clearances. The FBI is great but a little slow when it comes to getting your paperwork back. The first time we sent off our fingerprints it took over three months to get them back. That's fairly stressful considering if something goes wrong you have to start that three-month process over. Bulgaria required us to use the paper fingerprint method sent off to the FBI for our dossier. Fortunately, for our homestudy update, we were able to use the digital fingerprint method with an approved FBI channeler at the UPS store. It cost $50 per person and was worth EVERY penny to reduce stress and receive the necessary approval back within a few hours versus waiting months worrying it was getting lost in the mail or we might have to do our fingerprints over because they were smudged.
Two weeks ago, our social worker completed our updated homestudy and mailed a copy to me and a copy to our agency. Since we are using Carolina Adoption Services (CAS) for our homestudy, they get all our homestudy stuff squared away. Then our adoption agency (All God's Children) must approve it and make sure it meets all their criteria. That is one reason it's nice to have the agency that completes your homestudy and adoption agency be the same, but that is not always possible. Fortunately, both of our agencies are super-awesome about working together. More than once I've been trying to answer questions from our adoption agency and I've been able to have CAS just call our adoption agency and work it out. That has been super helpful since CAS knows how the state of South Carolina works and can communicate with our Washington State based adoption agency, which is why they did not do our homestudy.In a few months we will send our homestudy off to be approved by the state of South Carolina. Then we will apply for our USCIS approval (immigration). Fortunately, this update will be at no charge, but if another 18 months pass before we are able to bring our child home, we will most likely need to do this again. But, of course, in 12 months we will need another updated homestudy anyway.
So, we wait. My prayer is God blesses us with a referral this year. In June we will have been on the waiting list 12 months and by December it will be 18 months. Maybe this year is OUR year!!
In the meantime, we continue to apply for grants as we learn about them, raise funds and pray for the child God has for us! We have about $400 needed for our matching grant to complete it. We have a few bracelets left, puzzle pieces are available for sponsorship, and we are selling coffee that also contributes to our matching grant! If you have any questions are are curious how to participate in any of these fundraisers just email me or comment below or click one of the links above.
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