We are in the middle of our home study now, and we're also working on the additional requirements for our dossier. The home study basically determines if we are fit parents and can provide a good home environment for a future child. It requires four meetings with a social worker. They even spend some time speaking with Chloe about adoption... It's pretty thorough. This Friday, we will have completed three of the four meetings!
The dossier includes the home study, as well as background check clearances from all the states we've lived in, FBI background check clearances, verification of our marriage, medical paperwork, Ministry of Justice (the Bulgarian department in charge of international adoptions) application, special needs checklist, photos of our home and our family, copies of our passports, a Power of Attorney for our adoption agency, and Department of Immigration approval.
Sounds easy, but some of these processes require making appointments, lots of relying on the postal service to not lose our paperwork and fingerprints, and pretty much everything requires notarization and an apostille. Word of the day--"apostille." An apostille is state authentication of documents, so they are acceptable to foreign countries. They're necessary in international settings. Which means... Road trip!!!!
When we have collected all the documents, we will drive to Columbia to visit the Secretary of State. I guess Columbia is not a crazy exciting road trip but, we will call it that. :) I've learned from a lot of friends in adoption that this paperwork is too sensitive to not hand deliver and retrieve if possible. Too bad we can't drive our dossier to Washington State to our adoption agency--now that would be a road trip!
I was really excited to learn today a little about how the Bulgarian government matches children with adoptive parents. When Bulgaria receives the translated copy of our dossier, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) will look at our gender and age requests (for us: either a boy or a girl, up to 4 years old). Then, when our application is next in line, they will begin to look for a solid match for us from children in all the orphanages in Bulgaria.
Our adoption agency said Bulgaria is one of their favorite national programs because the children are well-cared for in the orphanages and the orphanages work to create a family atmosphere. I have to say, that was so encouraging! Any adopted child will suffer loss and pain, but it's great to know that while they are waiting for us they are being loved.
We are super excited about our fundraising night at The Pizza Man, THIS Thursday, November 13, from 4-9 pm at 107 Bethel Street in Clover! Chick-fil-A day was such an amazing fundraiser for us... In total we received a little over $500! Such a blessing. Thanks Rivergate Chick-fil-A! I'm excited to see how this Thursday night goes.
God continues to send wonderful supportive people our way. Recently we were blessed by a friend connecting us to one of her friends. The result: a generous donation of $150 from someone we've never met!
Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, support, smiley faces and love! This was taken at our high school girls' small group in support of the FIRST ever World Adoption Day! It was one of many photos taken this Sunday in support of adoption, complete with smiley faces drawn on hands.
The dossier includes the home study, as well as background check clearances from all the states we've lived in, FBI background check clearances, verification of our marriage, medical paperwork, Ministry of Justice (the Bulgarian department in charge of international adoptions) application, special needs checklist, photos of our home and our family, copies of our passports, a Power of Attorney for our adoption agency, and Department of Immigration approval.
Sounds easy, but some of these processes require making appointments, lots of relying on the postal service to not lose our paperwork and fingerprints, and pretty much everything requires notarization and an apostille. Word of the day--"apostille." An apostille is state authentication of documents, so they are acceptable to foreign countries. They're necessary in international settings. Which means... Road trip!!!!
When we have collected all the documents, we will drive to Columbia to visit the Secretary of State. I guess Columbia is not a crazy exciting road trip but, we will call it that. :) I've learned from a lot of friends in adoption that this paperwork is too sensitive to not hand deliver and retrieve if possible. Too bad we can't drive our dossier to Washington State to our adoption agency--now that would be a road trip!
I was really excited to learn today a little about how the Bulgarian government matches children with adoptive parents. When Bulgaria receives the translated copy of our dossier, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) will look at our gender and age requests (for us: either a boy or a girl, up to 4 years old). Then, when our application is next in line, they will begin to look for a solid match for us from children in all the orphanages in Bulgaria.
Our adoption agency said Bulgaria is one of their favorite national programs because the children are well-cared for in the orphanages and the orphanages work to create a family atmosphere. I have to say, that was so encouraging! Any adopted child will suffer loss and pain, but it's great to know that while they are waiting for us they are being loved.
We are super excited about our fundraising night at The Pizza Man, THIS Thursday, November 13, from 4-9 pm at 107 Bethel Street in Clover! Chick-fil-A day was such an amazing fundraiser for us... In total we received a little over $500! Such a blessing. Thanks Rivergate Chick-fil-A! I'm excited to see how this Thursday night goes.
God continues to send wonderful supportive people our way. Recently we were blessed by a friend connecting us to one of her friends. The result: a generous donation of $150 from someone we've never met!
Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, support, smiley faces and love! This was taken at our high school girls' small group in support of the FIRST ever World Adoption Day! It was one of many photos taken this Sunday in support of adoption, complete with smiley faces drawn on hands.
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