Paperwork Progress

I am relieved to announce that our dossier, which is the enormous stack of documents indicating our interest and qualifications to adopt Vanessa, has entered IBESR. This now officially begins our wait to proceed with the adoption process in Haiti.

On the home front we have been busy getting Vanessa in with her new medical providers in Arizona and gathering documentation to apply for her to remain in the US, so that she may receive the additional surgeries that she requires as well as mental health care. On a more personal note, I spent the evening working on completing a big stack of paperwork needed to complete our new home study in Arizona. It is overwhelming to have to do this process all over again. This is now my fourth FULL home study to be completed in 5 years. At least I have the paper and electronic filing system down by now. Manila file folders are a regular part of my life, both at work and at home! It was amusing reading our original autobiographies for the start of our very first home study back in June 2007. Even more interesting was the 18 page document that I wrote up to complete our "Multicultural and Older Child Adoption Plan". At that time Children's Home Society and Family Services had us answer a huge list of questions regarding our own cultural awareness, how we will raise a child of a different race then ourselves and how we will help a older child adjust to our family. I was so glad to have lots of professional experience and training to help me answer those questions. Reading them now, I actually got most of it right, as far as the attachment and adjustment to older child anyways. I really think that EVERY adoption agency who places a child of a different race or older then age one year should require families to complete a similar plan. It definitely made me really think about all the different scenarios. Better to be over prepared then under!

And so, life goes on, with one more stack of paperwork completed. I am sure there will be more to follow............