We've contacted a local adoption attorney to assist us with Hana's readoption. The nice thing about the readoption is that the official name change can be done simultaneously. Our adoption attorney shared with us stories of grown international adoptees who, without the readoption paperwork complete and presentable, were actually deported! Can you imagine being raised in an American family, as an American, then at age 25 being deported to a "foreign" country where you don't know the language, culture, or have any known family?!
With the paperwork, a new birth certificate can be obtained, then certificate of citizenship, subsequently an American passport. With an American passport (and the American birth certificate, plus the CoC, plus the readoption paperwork) deportation is not a risk.
We had to fill out a 1 page informational form for their law firm, send a copy of all the documents from Ethiopia (court papers, medical updates, embassy paperwork, referral information, etc) along with a check for about $400. Within a week we had a court date here in adoption court. That date is July 20th. At that time, if we pass court here...she's officially readopted, and (from my understanding) an American Citizen.
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