Many have emailed and asked about what happens once we get in country so want to post some information as we know it. First of all, we will not be alone. There will be a coordinator in the country working with us and taking care of our needs during the trip. This coordinator is our translator, arranges travel (transportation, housing), makes the appointments with orphanages and arranging for medical examinations of the child we select.
(Note: Throughout this Blog you will notice me using the term "orphanage" which we do not do in the U.S. In Europe they still call their institutions orphanages. We are being Politically Correct)
As you already know, we have an appointment on March 3rd with the central adoption authority in Kiev. Essentially how the process works is that we will go to this first meeting and be shown photos and information about children that meet the criteria we desire. We put on our adoption paperwork that we are open to whether the child is a boy or a girl, but specific in that the child be healthy and at or under the age of 3 years old. This age group is in high demand so there are fewer children available for adoption.
At the central adoption authority meeting we will review the information about the children we are shown. The coordinator can not be present for these meetings. They provide a photo, age and medical report. Once we select one of the children, we then travel to the orphanage where the child is located. There are many orphanages across the Ukraine, so the trip may be short (car or train) or long (airplane). We just don't know until we select a child where we have to go.
Once at the orphanage, we have a meeting with the director to discuss the child and their background. After this we get to meet the child. I have no idea how we will make a decision on the spot, but this is what we will have to do. If we "like" the child, we will then have our personal physician to an examination to verify the medical report and check any other concerns we may have. If everything checks out we.......? I guess we say we want to adopt the child. IF something is something medically wrong or the situation with the child and choose not to select the child, we have to make another appointment with the central adoption authority and go back for another appointment. This appointment usually happens in a few days, but who know.. (We hope to get it right the first time)
Once a child is selected, we stay in the region with our coordinator and get to visit the child during this period. The coordinator sets up a court date and works through the paperwork. This takes a couple of weeks from what we understand. We go to court and have the adoption approved,
We then travel back to Kiev to attaining a birth certificate. In the Ukraine, unlike other countries, we get to leave the Ukraine with a birth certificate that states our names as the parents of the child, which is very nice.
Lastly, we go to the US Embassy and obtain a visa for the child to travel back to the US with us. I believe their citizenship becomes official once they arrive in the US.
We have many details to fill in, but will get these questions answered with our agency in January. We will keep you updated.
Lastly, we realized that this will be our first and last Christmas together alone. Zach and Lauren will not be here, and we usually are with one or the other sets of parents. From 2008 on, there will always be little feet with us in the house! Very special!
Merry Christmas!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
We have a date! What a long road it has been.
After many months of work and hope, we finally have an appointment with the State Department for Adoptions and Protection of Rights of the Child (or the Ukrainian adoption authority for short) in the Ukraine. We will leave at the end of February and be in the Ukraine for a month while we find our child and work through the process. We are so thankful we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and are blessed with such loving family and friends who have supported us directly in our quest to add to our family. It is amazing to think that right now there is a child alive in the Ukraine that is in an orphanage and is awaiting our loving arms. We only need to get there and find him or her. WOW!
To bring those up to speed on what we have gone through over the last year (yes, a year), I thought I would provide a quick synopsis of our journey.
(NOTES:
"journey" is frequently used in adoption circles to make the process of adoption seem softer and easier than using descriptors like "work" or "effort". It puts a spin on the process that attracts the adventuresome and naive. The "journey" is also a surrogate to 9 months of pregnancy and labor. You are excited, scared and anxious and you know this is not going to be easy. All you can count on is there will be someone new in your life to make it all worth while.
"patience/patient" is the term frequently used by adoption agencies with their clients. Often used to inoculate the client so that the "journey" can unfold in its own special, magical way.)
December '06: We decide to adopt. We do not know how to do this or where to go to find out, but in the midst of our busy lives, we'll get it done.
January '07: After reading up on the subject decide upon foreign adoption. The rationale is that it is not an open adoption process like the U.S. and the speed to adoption. Scott is not getting any younger. We decide upon Russia as our adoption destination.
February: Through a reference and homework we choose an agency which specializes in Russian adoption. Started the process of paperwork, interviews, background checks and physical examinations. One thing is for certain; we will know ourselves better than we ever have in our lives by the end of the "journey"!
March: Russia shuts down adoptions for US citizens. Apparently they are changing the accreditation process for adoption agencies. Sad to think they have about 1 million orphans with little hope or prospects in life, but in their "best interest" they shut down access to the people and a life that can really make a difference. We are devastated with this news. Decide to keep moving forward with the process and stay with Russia in hopes things open up. Lots of paperwork.
April and May: More paperwork. Every aspect of our financial history is collected and submitted. We write down our life's story and all our deepest thoughts in an essay designed to put who we are as individuals down on paper. Started home study process. A social worker quizzes us for hours/days about every private aspect of our lives, relationships, finances, faith and philosophy. Very invasive. I won't sugar coat it. Completed physicals. Started local, county and state police background checks and began FBI background checks.
June: Disappointment. We are given the news that Russia is a dead end for Americans. Decided to go to our second choice, the Ukraine. Some good news came. For those reading this and love us, you will be proud to know that Lara and Scott are clean and have no criminal record (We're sticking with that story (whew!)). We were also given a clean bill of health. Most importantly we do not have aids, hepatitis, syphilis or any other communicable disease. I am sure this is a big relief to those who share a bathroom with us. Additionally, we had to submit health information on Zach and Lauren.
July: OK, now that we're going to the Ukraine, we have to repeat our physical exams and redo a lot of the paperwork. We're starting from scratch again. We want to thank our patient physicians who had to do all of this twice on forms that were really not medically relevant. We also were fing
er printed; first by the county and then by the feds. This along with other paperwork were submitted to the INS and Homeland Security for approval to adopt and return with a child. L
ara and I took photos (as required) of our house, belongings, cars, boats, etc. to go along with everything else. The best one is where we are standing in front of the cars one of our boats and the ATV. Looks right out of the Price is Right. Lara looks stunning.
August: Agency is compiling paperwork and translations. Received official INS and HLS approvals!
September: Dossier submitted to the Ukraine!
October: Just waiting.......
November: We have an invitation to travel and an appointment with State Department for Adoptions and Protection of Rights of the Child. March 3rd, 2008!
December: Lots of questions to help us plan.
In all seriousness we really do want to thank everyone who has helped and supported us to get this far (first names only): Maxine, Jane, Norman, Clarke, Zach, Lauren, Gregg, Sandy, Beth, Jeff, Andy, Missy, Tina and Mark. Thanks also goes out to Dr. Nerenberg, Dr. Crandall, Dr. Campbell and their staffs for putting up with our multiple requests and rework. Without all of you, we would not be here writing this blog today. We love you all.
We're amazed that this has gotten done. In the midst of all of this we of course have had a lot going on in our lives. Lara's work continues to be extremely busy. She took part in Sarah's wedding this summer and is involved with her book club and with our dogs. Scott started a new job, traveled the globe, started some new hobbies, took the kids out west skiing, traveled twice on hunting trips out west and survived the layoffs this fall at his company only to find the job he changed to changed again. We continue to be involved in Zach and Lauren's busy lives and also added a new dog (#3) member to our household. All in all good training and practice for what is to come.
Stay tuned!
To bring those up to speed on what we have gone through over the last year (yes, a year), I thought I would provide a quick synopsis of our journey.
(NOTES:
"journey" is frequently used in adoption circles to make the process of adoption seem softer and easier than using descriptors like "work" or "effort". It puts a spin on the process that attracts the adventuresome and naive. The "journey" is also a surrogate to 9 months of pregnancy and labor. You are excited, scared and anxious and you know this is not going to be easy. All you can count on is there will be someone new in your life to make it all worth while.
"patience/patient" is the term frequently used by adoption agencies with their clients. Often used to inoculate the client so that the "journey" can unfold in its own special, magical way.)
December '06: We decide to adopt. We do not know how to do this or where to go to find out, but in the midst of our busy lives, we'll get it done.
January '07: After reading up on the subject decide upon foreign adoption. The rationale is that it is not an open adoption process like the U.S. and the speed to adoption. Scott is not getting any younger. We decide upon Russia as our adoption destination.
February: Through a reference and homework we choose an agency which specializes in Russian adoption. Started the process of paperwork, interviews, background checks and physical examinations. One thing is for certain; we will know ourselves better than we ever have in our lives by the end of the "journey"!
March: Russia shuts down adoptions for US citizens. Apparently they are changing the accreditation process for adoption agencies. Sad to think they have about 1 million orphans with little hope or prospects in life, but in their "best interest" they shut down access to the people and a life that can really make a difference. We are devastated with this news. Decide to keep moving forward with the process and stay with Russia in hopes things open up. Lots of paperwork.
April and May: More paperwork. Every aspect of our financial history is collected and submitted. We write down our life's story and all our deepest thoughts in an essay designed to put who we are as individuals down on paper. Started home study process. A social worker quizzes us for hours/days about every private aspect of our lives, relationships, finances, faith and philosophy. Very invasive. I won't sugar coat it. Completed physicals. Started local, county and state police background checks and began FBI background checks.
June: Disappointment. We are given the news that Russia is a dead end for Americans. Decided to go to our second choice, the Ukraine. Some good news came. For those reading this and love us, you will be proud to know that Lara and Scott are clean and have no criminal record (We're sticking with that story (whew!)). We were also given a clean bill of health. Most importantly we do not have aids, hepatitis, syphilis or any other communicable disease. I am sure this is a big relief to those who share a bathroom with us. Additionally, we had to submit health information on Zach and Lauren.
July: OK, now that we're going to the Ukraine, we have to repeat our physical exams and redo a lot of the paperwork. We're starting from scratch again. We want to thank our patient physicians who had to do all of this twice on forms that were really not medically relevant. We also were fing
er printed; first by the county and then by the feds. This along with other paperwork were submitted to the INS and Homeland Security for approval to adopt and return with a child. L
ara and I took photos (as required) of our house, belongings, cars, boats, etc. to go along with everything else. The best one is where we are standing in front of the cars one of our boats and the ATV. Looks right out of the Price is Right. Lara looks stunning.August: Agency is compiling paperwork and translations. Received official INS and HLS approvals!
September: Dossier submitted to the Ukraine!
October: Just waiting.......
November: We have an invitation to travel and an appointment with State Department for Adoptions and Protection of Rights of the Child. March 3rd, 2008!
December: Lots of questions to help us plan.
In all seriousness we really do want to thank everyone who has helped and supported us to get this far (first names only): Maxine, Jane, Norman, Clarke, Zach, Lauren, Gregg, Sandy, Beth, Jeff, Andy, Missy, Tina and Mark. Thanks also goes out to Dr. Nerenberg, Dr. Crandall, Dr. Campbell and their staffs for putting up with our multiple requests and rework. Without all of you, we would not be here writing this blog today. We love you all.
We're amazed that this has gotten done. In the midst of all of this we of course have had a lot going on in our lives. Lara's work continues to be extremely busy. She took part in Sarah's wedding this summer and is involved with her book club and with our dogs. Scott started a new job, traveled the globe, started some new hobbies, took the kids out west skiing, traveled twice on hunting trips out west and survived the layoffs this fall at his company only to find the job he changed to changed again. We continue to be involved in Zach and Lauren's busy lives and also added a new dog (#3) member to our household. All in all good training and practice for what is to come.
Stay tuned!
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