Adoption Saga Recap {Week 1}

 I guess I should start out by filling you in on the direction we've decided to head in what I lovingly refer to as the Adoption Saga.

When trying to decide which path God wanted us to take, we looked into all the options. International Adoption. Domestic Adoption. Private Adoption (finding a birth mother to allow us to adopt). We said yes to International Adoption and Private Adoption, although both options are really expensive. But in true Chase & Ashley form, when it came to Domestic Adoption, we said the one word that will almost always backfire on us: "No".

Our reasoning for saying no is that we've heard the horror stories of families taking in a child and falling in love with them, only to have them sent back to the crackhead birth parents. We also began to evaluate our financial situation and it became clear to us that even though we feel led to do it, it doesn't mean it has to be now. We believe that God will provide for us when the time comes to get a child from another country. So it's not out of our life forever, it's just not in our life right now.

Through a series of events and people in our lives, God showed us that we needed to take a closer look at Domestic Adoption through the state (DSS). We were pleasantly surprised to find out that the process to adopt through DSS is not very intense like we thought. Once you're finished with the process, you just wait.

Since waiting is invovled in any of the paths we would have chosen, we're not too worried about it. While we know that there is a risk invovled with fostering to adopt, we know that our God is in control. We just have to choose to put that in His hands every day and not worry about it.

I'm going to start recapping each week so that we can look back on the process and see how God has moved us through each step of this journey. I know some weeks there won't be much to report and other weeks we'll be SCREAMING IN ALL CAPS about something that God has done. Either way, you'll know about it.

As for this week...

I made the call on Wednesday to get the process started. I spoke with a very helpful woman who led me through each of the intake questions. I opted to have the application sent to me by email instead of snail mail - because let's face it...email is much faster and much easier on everybody. She told me that if I hadn't recieved it in a day or two I should call and check on it.

I hadn't recieved it by this morning so I called them again.  In talking with a friend who has been through this same process recently, the only advice she gave me was to stay on top of my case. She explained that they are very busy people and that the more you call and check, the faster things go. Not that I'd do this to pester them, but just to make sure things are getting done. She had her paperwork lost twice and had luckily made copies of everything the second time so that she could resubmit it quickly.

When I called, they were very helpful but informed me that my information had been lost. I answered all the intake questions again (which were only about 10 so it took just a few minutes). She said not to expect anything before next week but to call by Friday if I hadn't recieved anything.

I received an email from them this afternoon with all the information and with the application. I was able to fill it out and scan & save it just in case it was lost.

I also scheduled our orientation class that will take place on the 12th of this month. Once we're through with that, there are some big steps that we'll take. But for now, I'm happy to have the preliminary steps out of the way. Below you'll find the list taken directly from the SC DSS website. I get excited just reading through it and seeing that it's really not that many steps.

Steps in Adoption Saga

1. Complete over-the-phone intake and provide email or mailing address to receive application {Completed 11/30/11 and again on 12/2/11}
2. Application completed {Completed 12/2/11}
3. Orientation at regional office & turn in application
4. Complete SLED/ Fingerprints and Child Abuse Central register releases on all members of household 18 years and older
5. Attend 14 hours of preparatory training to help with self evaluation of the types of children which would fit into our family
6. Fire and sanitation inspections completed on home by the Fire Marshal and DHEC.
7. Home Visits: adoption specialist visits the home and completes interviews for pre- placement investigation
8. Three/ Four References received and interviewed by adoption specialist
9. Medicals on all family members
10. Provide copies of birth certificates, Marriage license and divorce petitions and decrees if applicable
11. During assessment we along with the agency assess qualifications and readiness to adopt
12. Approval received and we are considered for children along with other approved and waiting families
13. Placement committee selects us and notifies us of a child
14. We are presented full background on child/children for whom we are selected
15. We meet child/children and begin visitation with child/children
16. Placement occurs when child and we are ready for move
17. Post placement period begins and can continue up to 12 months
18. Finalization of the adoption in Family Court (Hallelujah!)

Your prayers through this process are much appreciated!