Paperchasing Grady

There is a thing in the adoption community called paperchasing. Instead of having a little life growing in my belly...I'm paper-pregnant and it is tedious. At the end of our LAST paper pregnancy- I should have given birth to an elephant. We had waited THAT LONG. THIS paper-pregancy should be more normal in terms of length...we pray.

So, many of you have asked what it takes to adopt internationally. There are many ways to answer that but I'll start with these: patience, bravado, gumption, FAITH, perseverance, a love for ALL children, thick skin, and lots of paperwork.

Below is a list of all of the little pieces of paper we have had to procure in order to bring Grady home:

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Homestudy performed by a Hague Accredited Agency (4 visits including a home inspection and 2 post placement visits after Grady is home)

This is a list of all things needed to complete a himestudy:

~Application to home study agency

~4 references (non related)

~Autobiographical Form (1 for each parent- this a "book" of essay questions about

your life history)

~Release for Child Abuse Registry

~Release for Sexual offenders registry

~List of all prior addresses of both parents

~Signed fee schedule

~Cultural worksheet (essays)

~Transracial Parenting worksheet (essays)

~Financial forms (assets, liabilities, budget)

~Summary of most recent Income Tax Return

~Birth certificates (all members of family) from the local health department

~Marriage Certificate

~Copy of drivers license & insurance (both parents)

~Physical Exam Reports (test for HIV, Hep B, TB, etc) (both parents)

~Drug screening (both)

~Pediatrician's report (on all kids in home)

~Immunizations (all in home & current)

~Affidavit of health insurance coverage

~Criminal background check

~Fingerprinting (both parents) at the local sheriff's office

~List of all 911 calls made in the last 5 years

~Signed child safety agreement

~Letter from employer stating date of employment, position, & present salary

~Letter from each side of family stating feelings about our adoption

~Pet vaccinations

~Photo of all family members

~Guardianship Statement

~Certificate for 10 hours Adoption Training

Dossier (this is the file that is actually sent to CHINA)

~Homestudy Report -- notarized

~Application to Placement agency

~USCIS Application (I-800A) immigration paperwork to bring an orphan home

from another country

~Fingerprinting at the USCIS office

~USCIS/NBC (I 797)

~Birth Certificates - certified copy issued by the state (different from above)

~Marriage Certificate - certified copy issued by the state (different from above)

~Medical Reports (separate and more detailed than ones needed for homestudy) notarized

~Employer Letters- notarized

~Financial Statements- notarized

~Police Clearance Statement -on letterhead, notarized, stating I do not have a record

--both parents

~Copy of passport (both)

~8-11 photos of home and family life

~Guardianship Letter

~6 2x2 passport photos

~Visas to get into China

~LOI- letter sent to China to accept Grady's referral

~Treatment Plan for Grady's special needs

~ shoe, hat, & underwear size (not really- but almost!)

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All of this has to be State Sealed and then sent to the Chinese Consulate for verification and translation...THEN it goes to China and we are officially LOGGED IN. And we wait some more. We hope to travel by early Spring...so now you see why it takes so long....

red tape + bureaucracy = time.

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On a side note...I spent some time in our local government building yesterday ordering a certified copy of our marriage cetificate...isnt it poetic that one must go to the same office for a marriage license an one would go to for a gun permit?

gotta love the government...always good for a chuckle