The Adoption Process

Below is the basic list of paperwork we have to gather for the official dossier. While we completed much of this for our home study, the home study just required copies of these docs and not necessarily new originals, so I have had some gathering to do - it's called the paper race....I mean chase.  Of course, its not as simple as just gathering the docs - they have to be notarized and then authenticated on many different levels before they can be bundled together as a complete dossier. But we're plugging along. Green indicates the item is done or will be done this week. Red indicates - got some work to do!

 1. Notarized Application Letter.  Letter requesting to adopt a child from Haiti.

(Each family creates a small formal request for IBESR) - 

WRITTEN - WILL NOTARIZE ON MONDAY

2.  Certified copy of Birth Certificate on Adoptive Father and Adoptive Mother.

                                   ORDERED, SHOULD ARRIVE THIS WEEK

 3.  Certified copy of Marriage Certificate.

                                  ORDERED, SHOULD ARRIVE THIS WEEK

4.  Certified copy of your Divorce Decree(s), if any.

                                 NOT APPLICABLE TO US!!!

5.  Notarized Home study.

                                 DONE!!!!

6.  Notarized Report of Health Examinations for each spouse (include blood test results with details for both the Adoptive Father and Adoptive Mother).

                                WILL MAKE APPT. ON MONDAY, WAITING FOR OFFICIAL DOC  THAT      DR.WILL NEED TO GO BY/SIGN/NOTARIZE

7.  Notarized Declaration and Certificate Concerning the State of Health of Prospective Adoptive Parents  for each spouse.

                              SAME AS ABOVE.

8.   Notarized Police Letter for Adoptive Father and one for the Adoptive Mother.

                             HAVE MINE DONE. WILL GET BILLY'S DONE THIS WEEK.  

9.  Notarized Psychological Evaluation.

                           TRYING TO FIGURE THIS ONE OUT. IS IT SOMETHING OUR REGULAR DR. CAN      WRITE UP? DO WE NEED TO SEE ACTUAL PSYCHOLOGIST? IF SO - WHO? AND HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE? AND HOW MUCH DOES IT COST???

1O.   Two Notarized letters of Reference addressed to “The Officials of the Republic of Haiti”.

                         HAVE PEOPLE GETTING THIS DONE. WILL HAVE THEM THIS COMING WEEK!

11.   Notarized Bank Letter.

                      NOT SURE YET WHAT THIS NEEDS TO SAY, BUT CAN GET IT DONE THIS WEEK.

12.   Notarized Particulars of Property.

                    WAITING ON THIS DOC.

13.   Notarized Employment Letters – one for each spouse

                    CPA IS AWARE OF OUR NEED FOR HIM TO WRITE BILLY'S. MINE IS WRITTEN AND JUST NEEDS NOTARY.

14.  3 passport type photos attached to Certification of Pictures for each adult.  (These DO NOT have to be processed like the other documents – just notarized, but must go to Haiti with your Dossier.)

                   WAITING ON DOC. CAN GET THIS DONE FAST!

15.  Copy of most recent taxes (Does NOT have to be processed like other documents)

                    HAVE THIS SOMEWHERE, JUST NEED TO COPY IT.

16.  After you received the I-171H from the USCIS office please also submit a copy of the approval attached to the enclosed I-171H Certification Cover Sheet.

                   WE FILED OUR I-600A A WHILE BACK. ON MONDAY I HAVE ONE FINAL APPOINTMENT TO CLARIFY MY FINGERPRINT SITUATION AND THEN OUR I-171H SHOULD BE ON ITS WAY WITHIN 10 BUSINESS DAYS!

So - as you can see, we are well on our way. Once everything is gathered I have to have some of these docs state certified - in KY, SC and TX. And then on to higher levels of authentication... which takes some time and money... but I could see us being done with all of this in May, easily!