Adoption Timeline

Adoption Timeline

2014

August 7, 2014 - Submitted application to All God's Children International.

August 11, 2014 - Finalized our decision to adopt from Bulgaria!!

August 13, 2014 - Submitted our application to Carolina Adoption Services to complete our home study.

September 4, 2014 - Received a VERY large packet of paperwork from Christian Adoption Services who has approved our application for a home study!  Time to start writing, typing and photocopying!

September 16, 2014 - Approved by All God's Children International for their Bulgaria program!

September 29, 2014 - Mailed our home study application packet off!

October 24, 2014 - Mailed in fingerprints and requests for clearances from all the states we've lived in.

November 7, 2014 - First home study meeting.

November 11, 2014 - First dossier informational phone call.

December 5, 2014 - Last Home Study Meeting, all state clearances are back. Waiting on FBI.

2015

February 19, 2015 - Received clearances from FBI.

February 20, 2015 - Mailed FBI clearances off to DC for apostille. Received home study approval (home study expires in February 21, 2016, need to begin home study update in about 9 months, December)!

March 9, 2015 - Traveled to Columbia, SC to get apostilles for remaining SC notarized documents. Mailed NC notarized documents to Raleigh for NC apostilles.

March 14, 2015 - Mailed dossier (minus the I-800a) to agency.

March 23,2015 - Homestudy approved by SC DSS.

March 30, 2015 - Mailed I-800a to be approved by USCIS.

April 2, 2015 - AGCI mailed dossier off for translation.

April 18, 2015 - Received letters back with our I-800a fingerprint appointments.

April 22, 2015 - We could not make our fingerprint appointment so we showed up today to do it!

May 22, 2015 - Received I-800a approval!!! AGCI will have their copy notarized and apostilled. (expires July 22, 2016)

June 4, 2015 - Completed and translated dossier was sent off to Bulgaria!

June 12, 2015 - Dossier was registered with Ministry of Justice in Bulgaria! We are a waiting family!

October 2015 - Began the paperwork to update our Homestudy. Scheduled medical appointments and sent off for clearances from the county and state. Sent out reference requests.

November 25, 2015 - Went to courthouse to get local police clearances.

November 30, 2015 - Went through an FBI approved channeler to complete our FBI approval. Received the necessary documentation within an hour to our email! It costs a bit, but I highly recommend using this if possible!

December 5, 2015 - Emailed and mailed necessary documentation to Homestudy agency.

December 17, 2015 - Met with our social worker to interview and update our Homestudy.

2016

January 13, 2016 - Homestudy update is finalized with CAS and being sent to All God's Children, our placing agency. They will review it and approve it. Then it must be approved by the state of South Carolina.

January 19, 2016 - Homestudy update is approved by All God's Children. Later it will be sent off for approval by the state of South Carolina prior to updating our USCIS approval in April.

April 29, 2016 - Received approval from the state of South Carolina for our homestudy. CAS sent it off for approval the first of April.

May 2, 2016 - Mailed renewal paperwork for USCIS. First, extension is free.

May 31, 2016 - Received USCIS extension approval (expiration August 23, 2017).

June 17, 2016 - Copied and notarized the USCIS extension approval. Mailed the approval and homestudy off for apostilles from Columbia, SC.

June 23, 2016 - Sent off two copies and the originals of our homestudy and USCIS extension approval with apostilles to our agency. They will mail it to Bulgaria for translation. They said that takes about two weeks then it is submitted to the MOJ.

July 20, 2016 - MOJ requested MOJ Confirmation Update for their paperwork. Submitted it on July 21, 2016

September 16, 2016 - Updated our special needs list for our agency and Bulgaria. I was surprised we could do this separate from our homestudy update! We had become more educated and more open to additional special needs since we original filled this out in 2014.

October 13, 2016 - Ministry of Justice requested all families mail a copy of our special needs list. Mailed it in on October 14th.

2017

January 7, 2017 - Began updating homestudy. We need new medical paperwork for the entire family, financial update, first two pages of our tax return, copy of immigration approval, references, homestudy update agreement, complete South Carolina criminal, sex offender and child abuse clearances. The homestudy update is $400. After this is all collected, we will meet with our social worker for our homestudy update visit.

February 2, 2017 - Homestudy update visit completed. Updated ages, updated our broadened special needs and adjusted any other changes from the last year!

March 27, 2017 - Submitted SLED clearances. ($8 per person)

March 28, 2017 - FBI channeling for fingerprints. Received results shortly after and emailed them to agency. ($50 per adult)

May 1, 2017 - Mail letter for SC local clearances ($5 per person).

May 5, 2017 - Move to Wilmington

May 8, 2017 - Emily got NC driver's license and received SC local clearance in mail.

May 18, 2017 - Kevin got NC driver's license. Homestudy update meeting with new NC social worker. Increased age to 6 and under and expanded up to two children. CAS faxed RIL to the state.

May 22, 2017 - Got local NC clearances, scanned and emailed to homestudy agency ($25 per adult). Fingerprinted for SBI ($15 per adult).

May 23, 2017 - Mail SBI fingerprints and paperwork off ($14 per adult).

May 30, 2017 - SBI approval returned to us. Emailed a copy to CAS. CAS still waiting for RIL response (received approval in early June).

June 27, 2017 - Homestudy approved by All God's Children. Waiting on three notarized copies of homestudy from CAS. One is to send off for immigration, one is for us and one is to be apostilled and sent back to our placing agency, All God's Children.

July 11, 2017 - Three homestudy copies received.

July 12, 2017 - Mail i800a, supplement 3; copy of homestudy, homestudy approval from AGCI and check for $555 to cover approval fee and biometric fingerprints. All needed to receive USCIS approval.

July 18, 2017 - Notice sent that i800a, supplement 3 was received at the lockbox. (received confirmation letter, July 21, 2017)

August 11, 2017 - Received appointment letter from USCIS (Notice date, August 3, 2017). Appointment scheduled for August 16, 2017 @ 3pm.

August 16, 2017 - USCIS fingerprint appointment. Received approval letter, August 23, 2017.

August 24, 2017 - Mailed homestudy and notarized copy of immigration approval to Secretary of State in Raleigh for apostilles (received back August 31, 2017).

September 1, 2017 - Mailed apostilled original homestudy and notarized and apostilled copy of immigration approval, along with two copies to AGCI. (AGCI received documentation 9.5.17)

September 5, 2017 - AGCI mailed apostilled homestudy and notarized and apostilled copy of immigration approval to Bulgaria. Usually takes about two weeks to be translated and updated in Bulgaria. This makes our documentation up-to-date.

January 24, 2018 - Called about a child that had been turned down by another family and decided to apply for that child, along with many other families.

January 26, 2018 - Began referral paperwork process and talked with International Adoption Pediatrician.

April 2, 2018 - Heard from agency that we would hear the government's decision on choosing a family for little boy by April 4th.

April 3, 2018 - Heard from agency that the little boys file was withdrawn.

April 5, 2018 - Received call from agency for our official traditional referral of a almost two year old little boy. Agreed to pursue little boy.

April 6, 2018 - Sent paperwork to International Adoption Clinic in Birmingham (amaaaazing office and doctors) for review.

April 9, 2018 - Talked with International Adoption Pediatrician.

April 10, 2018 - Submitted AGCI Transition plan and told our girls about the adoption.

April 11, 2018 - Transition plan call with AGCI.

April 12, 2018 - Mailed completed referral paperwork package to AGCI.

April 17, 2018 - Received updated pictures following visit to orphanage on April 16th. Agency received our referral package and informed Bulgaria we were "good to go."

April 18, 2018 - Five day Declaration Form notarized and mailed off for apostille from the Department of State in Raleigh. Received unconfirmed travel dates.

April 19, 2018 - Mailed I-800 paperwork.

April 20, 2018 - Travel call with agency.

April 23, 2018 - Received apostilled Five day Declaration Form back from Raleigh, NC to take to Bulgaria with us.

April 24, 2018 - Travel dates confirmed.

May 13-19, 2018 - In Bulgaria meeting "Little B."

May 25, 2018 - Received pink slip from USCIS because we left out a document.

May 29, 2018 - Mailed needed paperwork for pink slip to USCIS.

June 8, 2018 - Used a channeler to do FBI prints and emailed results to AGCI to have them apostilled.

June 13, 2018 - Mailed documents (Medicals, Income tax, Proof of Property, Homestudy Letter and Parental Rights Letter all notarized, the last two were notarized by our homestudy agency) to Raleigh for apostilles. Had apostilled documents mailed directly to AGCI to save time instead of coming back to me. They will need to be translated. (Received June 15, 2018 by AGCI after being apostilled in Raleigh.)

June 15, 2018 - Received I-800 back with Provisional Approval Date June 7, 2018.

June 16, 2018 - Notarized and mailed I-800 to Raleigh for apostille. Ask for apostilled documents to be mailed directly to AGCI to save time instead of coming back to me. They need to be translated. (Received June 18, 2018 by AGCI after being apostilled in Raleigh.)

June 18, 2018 - Called National Visa Center and got invoice number and case number. AGCI applied for our DS260.

June 28, 2018 - Found out today that our Article 5 was issued and our file had been submitted to the MOJ.

July 31, 2018 - File is with the courts and we have been assigned a judge. Waiting for a court date!

August 7, 2018 - Received a court date for August 14, 2018. Additional documentation was requested for the judge.

August 8, 2018 - Found out we needed more additional documentation for judge.

August 10, 2018 - Found out we needed all additional documentation for judge apostilled and had to have it in Bulgaria before court on the 14th. Fortunately, acquired all documents in Knoxville, TN because we were visiting, drove to Nashville for apostilles and mailed them that evening.

August 14, 2018
 - Court date. We heard it went "well."

August 17, 2018 - Found out judge needed my birth certificate apostilled as well. Daddy was able to go to Health Department in Knoxville, pick up birth certificate and mail them to be be apostilled in Nashville.

August 20, 2018 - Received tentative travel dates for September 12-22, waiting for them to confirm so we can buy tickets.

August 27, 2018 - Reserved last four round trip tickets on a cheap flight with Adoption Airfare. Purchased tickets with a 24 hour cancellation window. Took girls to get passport photos.

August 28, 2018 - Received confirmation of dates, found out the court decree had been signed on August 22, 2018 and received confirmation our kids could travel with us. Expedited the girls' passports (Received them back Sept 4, 2018).

September 9, 2018 - Drove to DC for flight.

September 10, 2018 - Flew out of DC for Bulgaria, arrived one day early.

September 13, 2018 - Gotcha Day and applied for passport for Bozi and took passport photo!

September 17, 2018 - TB test for Bozi.

September 19, 2018 - TB test read and US Embassy visit for visa interview.

September 21, 2018 - Received passport in hand and needed documents for travel!

September 22, 2018 - Flight out of Sofia and into DC.

September 23, 2018 - Drive back to Wilmington, NC.

December 8, 2018 - Received Certificate of Citizenship
















Comments

Gina said…
Oh my goodness Emily!!!! Man I thought we had to do a lot for adopting through foster care. That's quite the list. Praying you guys will get your kiddo soon!
em said…
Thank you!!! Somehow I missed this comment! It is a lot! I know it will be worth it. Just impatiently waiting!