Thoughts about travel prep

The Sheraton Addis Ababa

I just finished reading Christie's blog:

Wow. I'm so happy to hear her honesty. Hearing her story will hopefully help me prepare that much better.

For example...we're pretty sold on staying at the Hilton/Sheraton. With her/their experience with power outages, cold water, boredom, and insects....

...Not to mention our personal feelings of safety (like in case of civil unrest, or whatever). Being at a major hotel is safer for foreigners than out in the 'community.' I can't get Hotel Rwanda out of my mind.

I'm certainly bringing just about every piece of medical equipment, treatment, medication, that I can think of...including my otoscope, stethescope, tongue depressors...gloves.

I'm bringing cortisporin otic (antibiotic ear drops), erythromycin (antibacterial eye ointment); hydrogen peroxide (and maybe even laceration repair material). Cold/flu medication, allergy medication, oral antibiotics (to cover pneumonia and other upper respiratory bacterial infections) for us and all children. Nausea medication, good ol' American (full of fat/preservatives/crap) cookies and crackers. I'm bringing lice/scabies medication for everyone. I wonder if I can bring IV hydration stuff?? Hmmm....

...and really, just preparing to be self-sufficient while there (i.e. hire our own drivers); plan our own itinerary (as we do when we plan trips to anywhere). The Amex concierge has been very helpful so far...so we'll certainly utilize this service for this trip.

I'm actually hoping to *convince* someone to go with us...like my sister-in-law :o) - just in case you're reading this!! That way we can leave Haley and Ian at the hotel when we go out to do some of the business stuff. Then me and her can leave Dad and Ian at the hotel while we go out and see a bit more of the City (cuz dad and son are the type who'd rather stay pool-side eating cotton candy watching Direct TV/football on the laptop). We'll have an extra pair of (nurse) hands with us. And any doctor will tell you how very valuable it is to have a good nurse at your side. ;o) - have I convinced you yet Sister?

Still waiting...

...sometimes I think to myself that perhaps there's a little girl there waiting at the orphanage - just waiting to become eligible for adoption...and when she does, we'll get her referred to us. :o)

Other times, I feel that perhaps we've been forgotten. That little girls have come and gone, and our file is...being overlooked. :o(

***

Hubby received his second round of vax (polio cannot be given with MMR - apparently).

The Vax

So...we went today to get our first round of vaccinations.

I got the typhoid and the first Hep A (the typhoid shot is good for 2 years); they think Hep A is good for 6 months, then a booster at 6 months offers lifetime immunity.

Hubby got: Tdap (tetanus, diptheria, and acellular pertussis); Hep A, Hep B (combo shot); typoid; and polio booster; then had MMR titers drawn (Tdap is every 10 years; Hep B is very similar to Hep A in that immunity is adequate after the first shot, but wanes with time so boosters are necessary for a certian portion of the population. In order to "cover" everyone it is recommended that Hep B is done as a series. Most adults only require one polio booster in their lifetime...so it's good for quite awhile).

Haley got typhoid and Hep A.

Since Ian is younger, we decided to hold out a bit longer...
...just in case the newest medical research to be published in tomorrow's medical journal does indeed find an association between vaccines and autism. We want our little guy to be as old as possible...just in case.

So next week, hubby has to get Hep A/B combo number 2, and I'll have to check whether or not me and Haley (and Ian) will need 2 Hep A shots. I think I may get the polio booster if I can't find records of my titer.

Let me tell you...my right shoulder muscle (deltoid) where Hep A shot was given, is very, very sore right now. And Haley (being a bit dramatic) is *really* nursing her little thigh.

And hubby's Tdap site is the most sore....
***

We purchased a few more items for "baby sister" this week. A few onesies, a dress, and some PJs.

No new news...still waiting.

No news yet...
..but congratulations to Alicia on her first referral!! Her timeline, and our timeline are very close. Hopefully our referral will arrive soon.

So far we've purchased a few blankets. We've been saving our money, exploring travel options, and (at this stage) mentally planning for a new baby.

I wonder how old she'll be. I wonder how big she'll be.

Haley is super excited. This weekend past we had the opportunity to meet another great family who recently adopted a little girl from Ethiopia, using our agency. We asked lots of questions, saw photographs and videos, and Haley had the chance to 'play big sister' to a baby girl. I think we've made some new friends....

So we wait. We're not quite ready...
...but we could get ready real quick if need be.

We would love to go to Addis this summer...

Waiting for Referral - dossier translated, legalized and registered

Our dossier has made it thru the Ethiopian process, where it was translated, legalized, and registered.


We are now officially waiting for a referral!!
Expected wait time is about 3-4 months. Hopefully it'll be sooner...especially since 'baby girl' is out there in the midst of a drought. Haley's like "mommy, we have to go get her *today*" Maybe we'll have a referral (that we can/will accept) within the next *couple* of months.



Per US Dept of State Intercountry Adoption website
11 steps total - we are awaiting Step 5 (the referral)

Step One - Prospective adoptive parents must take or send all of the required documents already certified and authenticated, to the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, D.C. for additional authentication. Once the Embassy has completed its authentication, the completed packet is returned to the adoptive parents/agency. Then it's should be mailed to:

Ministry Of Women’s Affairs (MOWA)
Children and Youth Affairs Office, Adoption Team (CYAO)
P.O. Box 1293
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia

MOWA reviews the documents for completeness and creates a dossier on the adoptive parents.
The documents have to be translated.

Step Two - The parents’ dossier is taken to the Claims and Authentication Section of the Protocol Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ethiopia to be authenticated (legalized).

Step Three - The parents’ dossier is returned to CYAO. CYAO will then affix a summary sheet, on which will be noted items such as court decisions, background data on the adopted child or children, and the names of Adoption Committee members who will complete the form at a later date.

Step Four - CYAO submits the parents’ dossier to the Adoption Committee for review and approval to adopt. Only if all the members of the committee agree, and sign the recommendation, is the request approved.

Step Five - Once the Committee has approved the parents’ dossier, a child is selected and referred to the prospective parents to adopt, according to the parents’ preferences for age and sex. The child selected must have its own dossier at MOWA. That dossier describes the child, the child's history, how the child came to be an orphan, and who has legal guardianship of the child. Once a referral is made, the prospective adoptive parent may accept or refuse the referral.

Drought and Starvation

Ethiopian Millions 'Hunger Risk' (via BBC News) in today's news 5/20/08

Six million children in Ethiopia are at risk of acute malnutrition following the failure of rains, the UN children's agency, Unicef, has warned.

More than 60,000 children in two Ethiopian regions require immediate specialist feeding just to survive, Unicef says.

The situation is expected to worsen in the next few months as crops fail.

Aid agencies in Ethiopia say they are short of funds as donors concentrate on the emergencies in China and Burma....


Ethiopia: At Least 3 Million Ethiopians Now Need Food Aid - UN Relief Wing

Some 3.2 million people are now in urgent need of food aid in Ethiopia because of the continued drought in the African country, up from 2.2 million just one month ago, according to the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)...

...The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warns that as many as 6 million children under the age of five are at risk of acute malnutrition....



***
Likely multiple factors at play here: global climate changes/drought; high price of fuel/oil because of...well, we'll refrain from political discussion in this blog; and unequal distribution of wealth worldwide (but, again, we'll leave politics out of this).

Anyway, if everyone helped someone...the world would be a bit better, don'cha think? We hope to change the world for (at least) one child.

A case number...

Yesterday we received a letter from the United States Department of State National Visa Center in New Hampshire. It explained that the letter was to serve as notification that our petition (I171H) has been forwarded to US Embassy in Addis Ababa...and was given a case number (provided). So, when we get to Addis everything should be ready for our interview (and subsequent issuing of the appropriate visas).

Haley's Passport has arrived!!

Super quick turn-around time...again!!

One week and one day.

Our dossier is on it's way to Ethiopia

So, the DC authentication process is complete...
...and it's on it's way to Ethiopia. Yay.

Once there, it has to go thru translation, legalization, and registration. This takes about 3 weeks. After this...we'll be eligible for a referral.

Passport renewal application for our big girl is in....

So, I was doing some reading (actually I was just skimming the literature that accompanied Ian's passport...you know, those little pieces of paper that fall out of the envelope that we typically promptly throw away?) Well, on my way to the trash can...I decided I should at least *look* at the stuff...

...and it said that some (?many) countries will require a passport that's valid for at least 6 months post trip.

Really?

I didn't think you could even renew your passport until within about 6 months of it's expiration. But...apparently...according to this piece of paper...I was mistaken.

So I pulled out everyone's passport to check out the expiration. Well, kids have to renew every 5 years...so Haley's was due to expire in April . That may be cutting it kinda close. And if it turns out we travel later than we thought...we'll be scrambling to renew the passport expeditiously. Rather than do that...

....we applied for a passport renewal for Haley today. It was the same price as Ian's...required a copy of the birth certificate and the old passport; new pictures, and an application. We all had to go together. And the expected time is 4-6 weeks.

note: had we known the above info, i would have just renewed Haley's passport when we applied for Ian's.

Our Dossier is...

...in the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington DC.

Out of the US Secretary of States office...federally authenticated...and in the Ethiopian Embassy. Hopefully this will go smoothly...

Recommended Vaccinations

So, I had an appointment with the travel clinic (on behalf of my entire family)...and subsequently did some research on my own.

The discussion

Hep A in children is a benign disease, so they may not get this one...but probably they will.

Flu
Pretty benign viral disease; vax are frequently ineffective due to inability to predict the appropriate strains. Young healthy people with healthy immune systems typically overcome the flu quickly. So we won't get that one.

Meningiococcal is recommended in Addis Ababa only in the dry season (from December - June). And is recommended in the instance of intimate and prolonged contact with native people. We will be traveling in the wet season; and our 5 days trip to pick up a baby doesn't qualify as "intimate/prolonged exposure to native people."

"Travelers to sub-Saharan Africa may be at risk for meningococcal disease. Travelers to the meningitis belt during the dry season should be advised to receive meningococcal vaccine, especially if they will have prolonged contact with local populations." CDC website.
So it is not recommended for us unless we travel in December or later.


Yellow Fever
Yellow Fever/Malaria Vaccination Requirements from CDC
Country requirements: If traveling from an endemic zone and >1 year of age
CDC recommendations: For all travelers >9 months of age (if going to endemic zone)
Risk areas: All areas at altitudes below 2,000 m (<6,561>No risk in Addis Ababa.

TABLE 4-24. Countries that require proof of vaccination against yellow fever for all arriving travelers
Angola
Benin
Bolivia (or signed affidavit at point of entry)
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Congo
Côte d’Ivoire
Democratic Republic of the Congo
French Guiana
Gabon
Ghana
Liberia
Mali
Mauritania (for a stay >2 weeks)
Niger
Rwanda
São
Tomé and Principe
Sierra Leone
Tanzania
Togo
No vaccinations are currently required for return to the United States. (Updated April 21, 2008)

**Additionally, I spoke with the Ethiopian Embassy today at (202) 364-1200, and was informed that no Yellow Fever card/vaccination proof is required for entry into Ethiopia for US citizens coming from the USA.

There is no risk of yellow fever in Addis Ababa (per CDC website), and vaccination isn't required (or even recommended by our travel clinic); nor is it required to return home. The shot is not without 'real' risks. The risk of getting Yellow Fever is small anyway...and by confining our trip to only Addis Ababa...the risk of exposure is too close to zero to justify the risks of the vaccination. So...we won't be getting this shot

Malaria - not an issue in Addis Ababa; no prophylaxis necessary.

So, what's left?

I'll be getting a Hep A and polio booster/titer; and perhaps typhoid (shot is good for 2 years). My titers indicate I'm immune to MMR, Varicella, and Hep B. I've had a Tdap booster 1-2 years ago for work.

Hubby - will need Hep A/B, polio booster/titer, MMR titers, Tdap booster, and perhaps typhoid.

The kiddos - have received all their standard vax. They may not need any additional shots...and one physician so far actually recommended *no* additional vaccinations.

Travel clinic is willing to 'make available' pretty much whatever we request. Perhaps we'll all get the typhoid shot. Maybe the Hep A...and if we end up traveling in or after December, we'll all get meningiococcal immunization.

I'll let you know.

Recommended Books

We purchased a couple of books yesterday...

...and started researching airfare costs.

This book is AWESOME. 10 Steps to Successful International Adoption.

Note to self: wish I hadda picked up a copy about 5 months ago.

Also a very helpful book: The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decisions for Your Child.

Travel Health

We also discovered that our current health insurance *does* cover us anywhere in the world. For "smaller" issues...it's expected that you pay, and submit receipts for reimbursements. For "larger" expenditures (including medical evacuation) they have numbers/people you call for authorization, and they will pay at the time.

But I'm still gonna look into supplemental. Maybe American Express has something?

Amended I171H - now being sent to Addis

See what I mean? The first I171H pretty obviously should have been sent *somewhere* and the highlighted "is being held here with us"...motivated me to write the letter (also upon recommendation of my homestudy agency, who also receives a copy of USCIS documents) asking them to go ahead and send it...somewhere.

The 'amended' I171H form indicates that...

...it has been sent to Addis Ababa.

Now that seems right.

Ian's Passport Arrived!!

Wow, that was quick...one week and one day. Date of issue was 4/21...so that was actually 3 business days. I'm sure glad I didn't pay the extra $60 for expedited service!! :o)

Be the Change - more thoughts out loud.

When I tell people we're in the process of international adoption, I usually get raised eyebrows, curious grins, and lots of questions. After about 5-10 minutes of brief (well-rehearsed) "explanation" I almost always get a positive response. I've even had a couple of colleagues start crying a bit. Other's will go into their own story of "how they want to adopt." Overall a positive response.

I have gotten some negative comments:
"why would you want to adopt when you have 2 kids already?" "Can you afford another child?" "what if they grow up to not like you?" "I could never love a 'random kid' as much as I love my own..."

And when I mention that we're actually planning a trip to Ethiopia....likewise, there are supporters, and those who wrinkle their brow and pooh pooh on it.

See...
...as you may be aware, initially as we were choosing a placement agency we planned to stay home and have the child escorted. I was sorta very skeptical about traveling. I'm not a huge fan of flying...especially with two little kids. And with all the weird stuff they have in Africa, all of the problems, the war, the disease, the bugs, lack of sanitation, starvation (do they have leprosy there too? What about those worms that penetrate the skin and take up residence in your muscle?) Seems like everything bad you hear about...every bad virus, or animal disease, genocide, war, you name it....it's in Africa. In medical school we learned about all kinds of esoteric diseases....most of which are no longer familiar to American physicians...but go to Africa and you'll find an example of just about every bad bug known to man (and animal).

And, what if we get stuck there...like all those people in Hotel Rwanda? Or what if we get sick...do they have hospitals in Ethiopia? What if someone gets sick enough to need a *good* hospital...does that exist in Ethiopia, and would we be able to get to where we need to be? Don't they have rampid rabies there? And what about Malaria and Yellow Fever? The children must have lice/fleas/scabies...and what if we bring it home with us? And, what if we get something, and don't know it....and remain sick for awhile once back in the US for some time since (as mentioned) American doctors are unfamiliar with these weird African bugs.

Is it safe to go? Politically and healthwise. Is it okay to take our kids? How crazy to even consider potentially exposing them/us to....Africa!!

BUT, we only get this one life. AND we cannot be afraid to do God's work. This trip will likely be life altering for Haley. And we cannot abandon Ian while everyone else in the family embarks on this great adventure. PLUS, I've always wanted to travel, especially to Africa.

Then I remind myself that - much of the disease in the world is not from bugs per se, but rather from the body's inability to effectively keep the bugs in check. Malnutrition, poor sanitation, lack of education, and poor living conditions contribute to outbreaks and weakened immunity. As evidenced in the US, mortality from common childhood diseases (including mumps and measles) dropped significantly well before mass vaccinations against these viruses. The drop is attributed to, basically better hygiene, better nutrition, and better handling of sewage (I mean, c'mon, they used to toss raw poop over the balconies and into the street...and the rats/flea problem is what caused the plague outbreak). Pest control, and improved living conditions helped control these diseases, probably more than any other element in our evolution (a close second is probably antibiotics...and I'm sure vaccinations helped too).

So, it's not the bugs we should be terrified of...but rather focus how we live when we go there. What we eat, our access to clean water and adequate sewage. Plus staying indoors from dusk to dawn to avoid pests...avoiding standing bodies of water and stray (or not stray) dogs, cats, and animals in general. Not leaving the major city. Never being far from the embassy. AND staying in a nice hotel, like the Hilton or the Sheraton while we're there (that way we'll be more protected in the instance of political disruption). Also, limiting prolonged close contact with people; and before we leave on our last day we should be sure we're clean and rested, and perhaps self-treat for fleas/lice/scabies with elimite prescription for everyone. That way we bring no bugs back home with us.

Initially we were planning (tentatively) to go thru London...and maybe even stay in London a few days (to see the city). But, I'm thinking that we should just fly from San Francisco to DC...then on to Addis Ababa (and come back home the same way). That way, it's a non-stop flight once we leave the country. Then, on the way home, if someone gets ill, we're not in London (with the weak American dollar), but in DC. We can be treated in DC. We know people in DC. We can get to/from DC to home in 4-5 hours. There are multiple flights/day. We could even drive if we had to. DC is a better place to be as a lay-over for us...with 2 or 3 small children.

I'm hoping if we plan this right, it'll be a life-enhancing, positive, memorable adventure for everyone involved. We will stay healthy, and have access to the things we need. We will be confident, and unafraid to follow our hearts. Our children will appreciate another culture, and will understand that being a spoiled, entitled American is not the pathway to happiness nor does it enhance spiritual awareness. And if we "be the change we want to see in the World," our experience will be enhanced in the most Divine positive ways.


By opening our hearts and home, sharing our resources, and nurturing a little soul who needs us, we gain so much. We allow ourselves to become vested in another culture, in another country, and in another human being. We add richness to our own lives, and the lives of our family. We develop a deeper understanding of the world in general, and Africa in particular. If everyone in the world would interest themselves in achieving similar goals, our planet would be much better. We must "be the change we want to see in the World." Therefore, we are enthusiastically seeking to expand both our family, and our perspective.

By allowing us to adopt a child from your orphanage/country we will be the change, and help create the change, we want to see in the world - a world of love, understanding, peace, and mutual respect. A world where every child has the opportunity to experience a forever family, and actualize the greatness they are destined to achieve.

It is important to keep our eyes on the larger goal when people introduce negativity into this process. It's important to decipher *constructive* criticism from just plain criticism. And use these tools (and learning opportunities) to more fully prepare ourselves to successfully follow the path of our lives to our divine purpose.

Thinking out loud

So, the U.S. Department of State authentication goes:

Fees: The authentication fee is $8.00 per document...

Mail Service: The Authentication of documents takes approximately 5 business days to process from the time of receipt...

Mailing Address
U.S. Department of State Authentications Office
518 23rd Street, N.W. SA-1
Washington, D.C. 20520

The Authentication Office will mail documents directly to the Foreign Embassy or Consulates if provided with a transmittal letter, fee, and a pre-addressed stamped envelope. Please enclose an additional pre-addressed stamped envelope for the embassy or consulate to return the document.

Walk-in (Counter Service)
Open - 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Monday thru Friday except Federal Holidays
Each customer (company) is limited to 15 documents per day on a while-you-wait basis.

Location:
Authentications Office
Columbia Plaza Store Front
518 23rd Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20520

THEN
to the Ethiopian Embassy for Authentication -

Before any of the documents are sent to the Embassy, the following process must be completed:
1. The documents/s has/have to be authenticated by the Secretary of State of the state in which the organization exists or the individual lives.

2. The document has to be sent to and authenticated by the U.S. Department of State...
3. This authenticated document has to be sent to:

The Embassy of Ethiopia
3506 International Dr. NW
Washington DC 20008

You must include a payment of $94.80...
...and a self addressed envelope with pre paid postage for the return of your document

The Placement Agency navigates this process on our behalf. Radu said it takes 10 days to move thru the US part...and another 10 days to move thru the Ethiopian part. Then, I guess the document is mailed back to Radu (for final review), then forwarded to Ethiopia.

Expected time = about 3-4 weeks.

This process seemed faster for other people. I wonder if we (thru our agency) could have gotten someone to do the 'over the counter' service. That only takes half a day, and fedex is overnight. That makes the US part about 3 days. The Ethiopian Embassy website doesn't say how long their end of the process takes....but it seems that a courier could take the document by hand (like with the US Dept of State)...and our dossier's stay in Washington DC can be cut from 20 days to...about 3. With 2 days of mailing (overnight fedex), seems like our completed package could be back to the Placement Agency all authenticated in 1 week...and ready to head over to Ethiopia.

I think I'll email him and ask him if this is possible....

UPDATE:
Got a return email. He said that this process is actually done via hand courier, and isn't as 'simple' as it seems...which is why the agencies tend to do these steps. He confirmed that we aren't eligible for a referral until our documents arrive in Ethiopia. I guess he will let us know when they arrive...
...he approximates 3-4 months before getting a referral.

Letter requesting that our i171h form be sent to ethiopia

When we originally submitted our 600A application, we left a few items of page 2 as 'unknown.' How many kids - not known/more than one. Where? not known.

So now that we have our approval...its being held in the San Francisco office. Apparently it needs to *not* be held there....but rather sent to the US Embassy or Consulate in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We didn't fill in this information b/c we wanted to stay flexible....

But now, we need it to be there when we go....so that they might issue us the appropriate visas and such to leave the country and enter back into the US (or something like that).

So our homestudy agency called this morning suggesting that we write the USCIS a short letter requesting that they send our i171h approval to the US Embassy in Addis Ababa. That was done today.

Note: next time I would go ahead and fill in this information on the original 600A application....just to avoid this step, since we were quite sure that Ethiopia was our country of choice from the beginning.

On it's way to Washington DC for Federal Authentication of the State Seal...

I spoke with Radu, and he received our dossier....reviewed it...okayed it....and sent it to DC today.

The process takes up to 10 days in Secretary of State at the Federal level...then it goes to the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington DC for another sort of authentication (where they authenticate the Great Seal of the USA) - that can take up to 10 days...

...so in 20 days (or less) it heads over to Ethiopia to be translated and incorporated into their "process." After this point...we'd be eligible to receive a referral.

So....forward progress continues as we allow the process to take place.

It feels good that we're all done with 'our part' of this document collection.

But, still, there's tons to do - planning the trip. I have to figure out how to get our 171h to the ?American Embassy in Ethiopia so we can obtain the I600 form to get the visas...so we'll be able to take the child from Ethiopia...and bring her into the USA.

BTW, my mom decided that she wasn't going to go with us.

Shift focus

I spoke with Radu today, and he's out of the office until tomorrow...
...hopefully our Dossier is safe and sound. Hopefully it'll be sent to Washington DC on Monday.

Now that that's done we've done all we can do for now, we can shift our focus on the travel.

I always like to start with things that could potentially take a long time...and we have little control over. Such as passports. We all have our passports, except Ian. His application was submitted yesterday. They said it'll take 4-6 weeks...and that should be fine.

My mom and my sister are thinking about going with us. So, as I gather information about vaccinations and travel insurance...I'll share it with them.

I called Kaiser today to begin the travel medical evaluation/vaccination process. Also, I'm trying to figure out if travel health is included in our policy. And whether or not we'll need supplemental travel insurance of some sort...

We'll need to start planning for the care of our 2 doggies while we're gone...and fix our sprinkler system so our grass stays green when we're not here to water it.

I'll need to start thinking about how to schedule my shifts at work as to cause the least amount of disruption...(which hopefully won't be an issue).

And, finally, I'm starting to research (so I can begin gathering) the various medications and treatments we'll need to take with us in an attempt to self-treat many common aliments...and prevent the spread or acquisition of others. There are drugs/treatments for the adults...for the children...for the adoptive child.

Then...after we arrive home...there's still other medical things to do (vaccinations, nutritional status, testing, etc). aye, yai, aye...a bit overwhelming!!

The Dossier has been delivered...

Label/Receipt Number: 0307 0020 0003 2903...

Status: Delivered

Your item was delivered at 2:17 PM on April 16, 2008 in PORTLAND, OR 97219.

I emailed Radu to ask him if he actually has our dossier in his hands yet. AND...what's next?!

Passport for the baby

Ian's application for a US Passport is in....

expected wait time: 4-6 weeks.

Cost: $60 (passport fee) and $25 (postoffice fee) = $85.00 total (2 different checks required)

BOTH PARENTS HAVE TO BE PRESENT

(or else the 'missing' parent must notarize their signiture/permission for their kid to get a passport...OR the 'present' parent must notarize a statement that the 'missing' parent is indeed missing...and why. Apparently this adds time (maybe they have to verify the statement or something?).



application for a US Passport

The Dossier Has Been Sent!!!

So, we made a copy of the I171h form, attached the 'true copy' statement...notarized it as scheduled on Saturday afternoon with our friendly neighborhood notary.

Hubby took the documents (the newly stamped birth/marriage certificates along with the newly notarized *copy* of the I171h form) to the Secretary of State today...

...and they AUTHENTICATED it!!

Then...he took the Authenticated Dosssier to the post office and...and...

...he *MAILED* it!!

We are done with the Dossier!! Yay us!!

Authentication of documents

So, we've completed the Authentication of our documents.

Points to note:
Grant deeds issued to you by the registrars/recorders office with the purple stamp don't need to be notarized.

The State Police Clearance letter - does not need to be notarized

The registrar/recorder issued birth certificates/marriage licenses don't need to be notarized (just make sure they have the appropriate signature stamps).

The federal document the i171h form needs to be copied, and a true copy statement attached...then this statement needs to be notarized.

Family pictures also need a true copy statement attached, then notarized.

Passport pictures didn't need to be notarized.


To get the Documents Authenticated
Per the Secretary of State website:

Documents can be hand delivered to any office location for over-the-counter processing between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) or mailed to the Sacramento office. Regional offices do not process mailed in documents. Office locations are as follows:

Sacramento Office (for hand delivery)
Notary Public Section1500 11th Street, 2nd Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 653-3595

Regional Offices (see website for addresses)
Fresno
Los Angeles
San Diego
San Francisco

When submitting documents to any of our offices for over-the-counter processing, no appointment is necessary. Customers are served on a “first come first serve” basis.

Documents submitted for over-the-counter processing are normally processed within an hour. The average processing time for documents submitted by mail is approximately two weeks.

There is a $20.00 processing fee (per signature authenticated) and a $6.00 special handling fee (per public official for documents submitted over the counter).Payments over-the-counter in Sacramento can be made by check, money order, cash, or credit card (Visa or MasterCard).

Think I figured it out...the authentication of the I171h form

Okay...I found this online -

Notice of Favorable Determination Concerning Application for Advance
Processing of Orphan Petition (Form I-171H): issued by the US Department
of Homeland Security-Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. The
prospective adoptive parents must make the photocopy of the Form I-171H.
The copy must be a legible and clean copy, i.e. do not sign, write, or notarize on
this photocopy...(attach a statement that it is a true/unaltered copy). Upon receipt of a properly executed Oath form (statement) attached to the Form I-171H, our office will then prepare the Authentication... (source)
***

And, I spoke with someone in the Secretary of State's office in Sacramento. She agreed that we should make a copy, attach a 'true and original' form to the copy...sign it. Have our signature notarized....

...and they will authenticate the notarization of our signature.

Tomorrow we have an appointment at noon to get this (hopefully) last item notarized...and ready for Sacramento on Monday, along with our 'corrected' birth/marriage certificates.

Hopefully our completed package will be mailed off to our Agency Monday afternoon...
...and they receive it Tuesday morning.

The good news is: This timeline is still in concert with what I'd been hoping (after receiving the i171h form), afterall, even if everything was 'perfect'...my plan was to wait until Monday to mail the packet/dossier (to avoid weekend mail issues). Besides, even if the packet arrived today, nothing would be done with it until Monday. AND payday is on Tuesday (let's not overlook that a 'rather large check' has to accompany our dossier to the Agency).

Sacramento to Los Angeles

So, hubby made the trip to Sacramento yesterday to the Secretary of State's office. Discovered that our *certified* (i.e. costing over $200 in total) birth/marriage certificates we obtained from the LAX branch of the County Registrar's office lacked a signature....therefore could not be authenticated!!

So...since hubby had to fly to LA today for a meeting, he went back to the registrars office (after we spent all yesterday afternoon on the phone 'letting folks know just what we thought of this screw-up'.) They were very apologetic...and "fixed" the certificates for no additional charge (the least they could do, IMO). So, we/he goes back to the Secretary of State with the birth/marriage certificates for authentication on Monday. Hopefully they'll be 'right' this time.

Another thing: The Secretary of State *wouldn't* authenticate the I171h form as it is a FEDERAL document (which is what I've been saying to people...).

So...now, I have to figure out *exactly* what it is they expect us to do with the I171h form...

-the good news is: we got everything else authenticated with no problem!!

Note to self: If I had have known...I would have went ahead to Sacramento weeks ago when I originally planned, and wouldn't have waited for the 171H form. That way, any problems or issues encounters with the authentication of the other docs, could be dealt with while waiting for the 171H.

Note to others: Make sure your birth certificate and marriage license has the signature.

I171H Approval Has Arrived!!

Tomorrow to Sacramento for authentication...

response to the email I sent...

...said our 600A petition was approved on April 2nd (which is huge!!)

Hopefully that means that the actual I171H is "in the mail."

fingerscrossed that it'll come tomorrow.

Sent inquiry email...

Still waiting for the I171H form (the approval of the I600A).

I'm starting to get a bit concerned since others in the yahoo group from San Francisco said they received theirs...what was the phrase?..."at the speed of light." Now, light travels quite fast!!

So...I called the number...went thru the automated prompts...finally spoke with a real person...who told me to email them. So I did.

Apparently they have this process for receiving questions.

I hope they didn't opt to not approve us. I hope they didn't lose our fingerprints...or drop our application packet onto the floor...and someone came by and accidentally kicked it under the desk...and now it's covered in dust bunnies and spider webs...

yikes!!

...checking the mail.

Still waiting for the 171H to arrive. Nothing to do until it does....

Hold off...

The placement agency reviewed the docs I sent....and said everything looked great. (Now, all docs have been reviewed and blessed by our agency...that's all done).
***

I learned that we should wait for our I171H form to arrive, and include that in the packet of documents to take with us to Sacramento. Maybe it has to be authenticated too (but I didn't think so since it's a form that comes from the federal government (immigration)...why would the State authenticate a federal document??)

Nonetheless, it's not like we can get a referral for a child without the I171H form (even if our dossier documents are all authenticated...so there's no harm, or time lost, in waiting to go to Sacto).

So we'll wait for the 171H form...

...then we'll go to Sacto. Some say they received clearance (i.e. the 171H form) in weeks. Hopefully we'll receive ours soon. Hopefully nothing will come up on FBI fingerprinting (like some sort of identity mix-up, or a traffic violation in college....???)

Until then...we wait.

FBI fingerprinting done for the USCIS and Dossier is Complete - 3/11

So, all of our dossier documents are complete!

And we both had our fingerprints done today for the USCIS.

Our placement agency is to receive copies of our dossier documents in the morning for final (re-)review before we head up to Sacramento on Thursday for authentication.

Now...we wait for our I600A approval (the I171H), and we authenticate our documents.

Update

So, we did receive our notarized copies of our homestudy, the homestudy license, and a couple of other forms that we had to have the Homestudy agency fill out for our Placement agency.

We have our FBI fingerprinting in the morning. Actually they give you a 5 day stretch to just show up between 8:00a and 3:30p or so. We're gonna go tomorrow.

We didn't get the homestudy until Saturday afternoon via fedex...so we'll have to go to Sacramento later this week...

Maybe, Wednesday.

The USCIS FBI fingerprinting appointment came - 3/4

That was way fast. The homestudy was mailed just yesterday. Maybe she mailed it Thursday...and they received it yesterday, and mailed out the appointment yesterday...that we received today??

Nonetheless....
...YAY!!

Our appointment is the week of 3/11.

Papers review 3/4

today I sent copies of everything (notarized dossier documents) to the placement agency for review (before going to Sacramento for authentication). I made additional copies for us to have.

the homestudy was mailed yesterday to USCIS (we were told by the HS agency). And our notarized copy is to be mailed in the morning. Hopefully we'll get it by Thursday 3/6 so Hubby can take it to Sacramento Friday (along with our other dossier documents that will hopefully be done with their placement agency review by then too).

2/29 - The STATE Police Clearance letter via CA Dept of Justice

The letter arrived today!!

So, our dossier is complete!! We just need to actually have (in hand) our homestudy report, and homestudy agency license (notarized) to take with us to Sacramento...maybe this week!!

Obtaining this letter wasn't clear or intuitive at all...
...here are the steps.

Refer to this website - Office of the Attorney General DOJ.

Take note of the far right hand column about half-way down - the information about "Visa/Immigration and Foreign Adoptions".

Download this form, as instructed.

Fill it out using this guideline. - note, check the 'visa/immigration' box; write "Foreign Adoption" on the line.

Find a Livescan facility to get your fingerprints done (this is a separate livescan from the one you do for your homestudy agency; and they cannot 'save' fingerprints on the computer, so you have to do it twice, and pay twice). Be sure to get a copy of the form - especially making sure the numbers on the bottom of the form (ATI number, agency and terminal numbers) are clear...you may need them to check on your results via the automated system.

You'll likely want to check the status of the fingerprints if you haven't received them after a week: 24-hour Automated Telephone Service Available: 916-227-4557. If a requesting agency does not have results yet and digital Live Scan fingerprints were submitted, you can use the automated telephone system to check on your submission. You will need the following information: (1) your date of birth; and (2) the 10-digit Automated Transaction Identifier (ATI) number that appears at the bottom of the Department of Justice form requesting Live Scan fingerprint background checks. The ATI number always appears in the following sequence: 1 LETTER; 3 NUMBERS; 3 LETTERS and 3 NUMBERS. - from the DOJ website.

They will mail you a printout to your home - no criminal record may take 1 day. Yes criminal record? Took 35 days for us.

The printouts arrived looking very unofficial (just a printout); like something I could do on my home computer. Didn't seem "right" or "official." So....

I called DOJ. Of course I got the run around as most of the automated pre-recorded messages (you'll encounter on their website) are not very helpful - so I left a message (on two of the voicemails). I spoke with a few people (at this point in the process) who tried to tell me I'd need another livescan...my agency needs to provide me with a certain requisition paper, etc. (I think they were confused with livescan #1...nonetheless, they didn't know what they were talking about).

But there is one person who was tremendously helpful: (916) 227-3807, her name is Lena. Her voice mail instructs you to leave a message and she'll return the call within 2 business days. Actually, everyone returned our call that same day, or the next day...so go ahead and leave a message.

She understood what we had, and what we were missing (i.e. we "had the printout, we were only missing the 'letter'). She said she'd mail us a letter, on letterhead with a seal. Two days later, a letter arrived - on letterhead with a Seal impression and signature. Attached to the letter was a printout (the same printout they initially mailed to us sans the letter). So, again, after getting the print-out, we had to call Lena and have her subsequently mail us the 'letter.' Maybe the letter should have come initially with the printout?? but it didn't.

Letter done and in hand - looks very official in comparison. Take to Sacramento to the Secretary of State Office for authentication:

How do I get my response notarized as required by the foreign government from where I am attempting to adopt a child? The Department of Justice does not provide notarized responses, however, your response may be submitted to the California Secretary of State Office for an Apostille Certification.

Per the Secretary of State website:
Documents can be hand delivered to any office location for over-the-counter processing between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) or mailed to the Sacramento office. Regional offices do not process mailed in documents. Office locations are as follows:

Sacramento Office (for hand delivery)
Notary Public Section
1500 11th Street, 2nd Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 653-3595

Regional Offices (see website for addresses)
Fresno
Los Angeles
San Diego
San Francisco

When submitting documents to any of our offices for over-the-counter processing, no appointment is necessary. Customers are served on a “first come first serve” basis.
Documents submitted for over-the-counter processing are normally processed within an hour. The average processing time for documents submitted by mail is approximately two weeks.
There is a $20.00 processing fee (per signature authenticated) and a $6.00 special handling fee (per public official for documents submitted over the counter).

Payments over-the-counter in Sacramento can be made by check, money order, cash, or credit card (Visa or MasterCard).

3/3 - Homestudy mailed to USCIS San Francisco Office

2/28/08

Yay!!

I went down to our HS agency to drop off the police incident report letter (just in case USCIS requests it - eventhough the certifed court papers we provided indicate that all charges were dropped), and while there explained to them that the Placement Agency guy was in Ethiopia....and will be back next week.

So she said..."you know, I'll just go ahead and mail the homestudy to the USCIS so you can get your fingerprinting appointment..." she went on to say that she'll just provide us two notarized copies of both the agency license and the homestudy report...so we can continue preparing our dossier. If the Placement agency requires more copies, she'll just provide them at that time.

So, forward progress continues....

Update: 3/3/08
Homestudy was actually mailed to USCIS on 3/3/08 per HS agency.

The reason for the delay with the placement agency's response.

I just received a response from a fellow prospective adoptive parent on the group forum. Apparently the director of the Placement agency, Radu, is in Ethiopia now. So, communication is likely delayed for that reason. It's nice to know that he actually goes over there...and really is involved in making things go smoothly (and sometimes your presence is just absolutely necessary to making this happen).

But, with the lack of communication - I was starting to worry....
...and now I won't as much (for now).

Even still, business must continue...so I hope he's back in the mix soon.

2/27 - Waiting for the Placement Agency to review the Homestudy

So, the homestudy was sent to the placement agency on 2/25. The HS agency is closed on Fridays, so business wasn't conducted from 2/22-2/24 (friday to sunday). I expected that the placement agency would have the info on Monday the 25th, review it, and be done with it by Wednesday 2/27 (today). I emailed Radu (informing him of the completed homestudy, etc) on Friday 2/22 - and I'm still waiting for a reply.

I'm hoping that he'll reappear, review the homestudy, and let our HS agency know it's okay...so they can mail it tomorrow. But, they have to notarize everything...and the don't work on Friday. So, maybe Monday.

I'm a bit frustrated that it's taking so long for the placement agency to at least respond...

As for the dossier - pretty much everything is done. Just waiting for the elusive state police clearance letters (oh yeah, the local police letter is not sufficient we were told).

Homestudy Complete!! 2/21

Our homestudy is all done!! All documents are in, the report written...and ready for review by our placement agency (to make sure the wording and such are consistent with the requirements of the Ethiopian Government). We've already reviewed it...and we sound like wonderful parents!! :o)
***

After the reviewing by the placement agency of our homestudy report...the homestudy agency will notarize everything and send it to the USCIS, afterwhich we can obtain an appointment for our FBI fingerprinting...
...hopefully our homestudy will be in the USCIS office next week

Also, we got the police explanation letter for the civil disobedience issue.

Next?...acquisition of the state police clearance letters for the dossier, and one more notarization of a letter of reference (for the dossier).
-Those items will actually complete our dossier!! (of course, along with the I-171H).

Travel vs. Escort

We're actually starting to really reconsider our initial thoughts of escort and rather go for the travel!!

How wonderful would a visit to Africa be? I tried to talk my mom into going with us...afterall we do have 2 kids that we just cannot leave behind, and her presence would be greatly appreciated. Afterall, a large part of this entire process involves educating ourselves and our children and our family about a different place.

I think my mom is actually excited. And she is not easily impressed!!

If we plan to travel...we have to prepare. There are various health issues to consider, making vaccinations, medications, and travel insurance a priority.

Today I contacted the kids pediatrician (she spent over 20 years at Children's Hospital before going to Kaiser, so I'm hoping she ends up being a valuable resource to us). Based on the CDC website (and other websites) the kids will need:

Meningiococcal
Hepatitis A
Typhoid
Yellow Fever

in addition to the above, I will need a
Polio Booster
titers drawn to check my immunity to MMR

in addition to both aboves, Hubby will need
tetanus, diptheria booster
Hepatitis B series

Thankfully, Addis Ababa is at an altitude where Malaria isn't a risk.

Things to watch and consider: health issues, safety (i.e. any American travel warnings), timing, cost...and of course overall planning the trip (flights, hotels, layovers, etc).

Something else to add to the mix...

(2/16) Passport photos. Bank letter. Employment letter. Fingerprint results. Next - Police letter? Dealing with fingerprinting results.

I love lists. Sometimes, after I complete a task I'll actually *write* it onto a list....just so I can cross it off said list!! Very gratifying for me to see a bunch of 'thing to do' crossed off a list...

Three more things crossed off....the bank letter (WaMu was great about this) with a nice post-15th payday balance. Called ahead of time, explained what I needed...and they said "sure."

Let me add, however, I had to call a couple of WaMu's before I got this response. So...of course, I simply went to the branch that was willing to give me what I needed. They typed the letter, printed it on letterhead...gave cumulative bank balances. Signed and notarized it there for free!! The first WaMu branch I called, downtown no less, would do the letter...but wouldn't notarize. The dude on the phone said "uhhhhh....we can't notarize letters in California..."

I informed him that between my husband and I....we must have at least 10 notarized *letters* in our possession....in California!! He didn't understand, and started making up his own 'notary rules' for the State....so I called another branch.

And passport photos are done. We have passports...but they asked for 'passport photos', not copies of our passports (which actually/technically have passport photos on them). Anyway, I'll check and see if everything is up to par before we're ready for authentication.

And hubby (finally) got the letter of employment notarized - had to bring a mobile notary into the office day before yesterday.

All that's left is....
The notarization of both the 'true-copy' form for our passport photos (I wonder if all the photos can be color-copied onto a single paper....like our family photos were?)

The notarization of our reference letters (which should be easy, as our friends are super enthusiastic for us...and "don't wanna be the cause of any delay." We have wonderful friends.

The police letter...it has been very difficult to obtain this as it is not clear what we need, exactly, nor who provides it to us (Highway patrol vs. Department of Justice), or how we actually gain possession of such a document. I'm thinking that just going down to our local police department, having them write a letter...bringing a mobile notary with us to notarize, will be sufficient. I've spoken to our local station, and they do such things "all the time." I'll let you know.

Oh, and it turns out hubby had his fingerprints run previously for civil disobedience...and now has to write a letter explaining what happened, and how it was resolved. Additionally, he has to go by the court house (and police station) and get a certified letter/record explaining the same. Hopefully this will be done over the weekend, and the court letter obtained sometime next week. When this is done, our homestudy agency will be able to complete our report. Again, hopefully this will be next week. And (the worrier in me) hopes that this will be easy, and won't prohibit us from progressing.

I'm hoping to have reviewed the homestudy report, have the placement agency have reviewed the report...and everything good to go to USCIS (next week would be nice, but dealing with the courts, and with all the 'reviewing' and possibly editing) the week after next.

Note: next time, we would have obtained a copy of the court record when we first started - just in case. If the incident is very minor, and even if you don't think you have to report it (i.e. charges were dropped, never charged with anything, speeding ticket...whatever), know that anytime your were fingerprinted for anything, it'll probably come up. Most people aren't fingerprinted for building code violations or traffic violations...so these minor things won't likely come up ('cause you weren't fingerprinted).

In short, next time we would get court records and write the letter preemptively- simply because fingerprinting took place at the time of the incident. We could have had this step done instead of waiting for the fingerprinting results (that were delayed).

fingerprint for HS agency...delay (2/12)

So now I guess it's the "wait part" of 'hurry up and wait'. I'm still totally psyched that the homestudy is all done...and that we passed. But there is a delay now in the processing of my husbands fingerprints.

After the fingerprints are done...the homestudy can *officially* be completed. Then we get to mail that homestudy to the USCIS...and obtain another set of fingerprints (which may or maynot have a quick turn-round time). After everything is approved...then we're hoping to get our 171-H form.

Nothing else I do to prepare our dossier is time sensitive since the actual rate limiting steps are obtaining the fingerprints (at this point).

Soo....we wait.

In the meantime, I'll go to the bank to get a letter this friday (after payday)...and I think we should make it a point to get our passport pix taken (and the little guy a passport).

I hope William will get the letters of rec signed/notarized by our friends....and the notarized employment letter from his HR. And, it would be nice if his fingerprint issue was resolved quickly.

Continue the Dossier Paperchase 2/5

While we await the *official* results of our homestudy (complete with fingerprint clearance, editing by us, the placement agency, and the homestudy agency itself); we continue gathering documents (and getting them notarized) for the dossier.

Second homestudy visit - 2/1

Haley and Ian are bathed and dressed up nice...afterall, this visit is to see them.

The lawn is done, and the dogs are...well they have fresh water.

The social worker comes over. She's more like a friend now...being that she knows our entire life and all. We sit...and chat. It's fun, and funny. The kids are in and out of the room. She talks to them, briefly. Nothing about adoption, disipline, or anything "heavy" is discussed with them. This was a huge souce of stress for me....'cause I know some pediatricians are of the mindset that it's okay to deposition kids about the ongoings of the parents behavior/habits with no reason to do so. "Does you mom have any boyfriends? Does your dad often work late? Do they argue, and what about?" Maybe these questions are okay if a reason exists to delve into the inner-workings of a family (such as child placement in adoption), but on a routine pedi visit...I don't think it's appropriate. Anyway, she didn't weigh the kids down with difficult questions, and suggest we're bad parents or that our family is being scrutinized and is somehow not measuring up. That was appreciated.

She watched them play. She watched them jump around. She went into their playroom and engaged Haley in random smalltalk.

Then she interviewed each of us alone. She asked more detailed questions and clarifications about our background, religion, families, etc.

Total visit was probably over 2 hours....but it was fun.

I jokingly asked if we'd passed. She said "with flying colors."

Yay us.

Now we can relax. All of my "what-if" scenarios involved opening our home, our lives, to a stranger for critique. And now, that was over...and we passed!!

Now we wait for the report.

Homestudy Paperchase (1/24-1/31)

The 2nd homestudy visit is the final visit, and at that time all papers must be completed and given to the social worker. So we had a week and days to gather all the requisite information.

There is a list of over 20 forms/documents/tasks to complete. Most just require digging thru your documents you have in your possession at home. Birth certificates, passport copies, grant deed to home, 1040 tax forms, marriage certificates, etc. There was a form for Haley's school teacher to fill out. We had to get physical exams, and have our physician complete the forms. We had to get our employers to do letters. And letters of recommendation from friends should be done.

Concurrently we're gathering (many of the same documents, except instead of being mere copies, certified originals/copies are required) for the dossier. Everything notarized. Letters to the government of Ethiopia, letter to the orphanage. Family photos. We got fingerprinted (again) so we can receive a printout letter ourselves...to have authenticated (vs. apostilled which depends on the country you're adopting from) as per dossier requirement.

We gather everything. We get our fingerprints done. We clean our house again. We are super nice to Haley...shower her with treats and everything...so she'll brag to the social worker about her wonderful parents (just kidding...kinda). We try to prepare her to speak well, and accurately. We're nervous.

The first homestudy visit - 1/23

The house was sparkling like new. We joked that we could be on HGTV...like design to sell. Everything was perfect. Almost unnatural, I thought. But whatever.

She arrived and we chatted a bit - small talk. We discovered that she had a child. This is a relief, because as all parents know, it's frustrating to argue/discuss parenting issues based on philosophy with someone who has no first-hand experience raising kids.

She spoke to both of us for about 90 minutes...together. She walked thru our house. We had to point out the spot we planned to use for baby. We explained to her that our plans were flexible, depending on the age of the child, and the desires of our own children with regard to sharing a room, etc. She seemed okay with that. She liked the kids (newly decorated) room. She even looked outside at our doggies (who had fresh water and a clean/poop-free yard, thank you).

Then it was over.

She wanted to return to interview each of us separately...and she needed to spend time with our children.

She agreed to return in a week and days, Saturday morning 2/2.

Livescan #2 - needed for the criminal clearance letter for the dossier

Before the homestudy time, we ran over to the livescan place and had our fingerprints recorded. For those of you going thru this:

for VISA/IMMIGRATION
Record Review
Mailed to your home

Turn around time for me was 1 day. Seriously, like the next day I had a clearance in the mail. Hubby's took longer.


Of NOTE:

Lesson: be sure to have the results of the livescan fingerprinting sent to your home. To do this you have to go online and download (on a PDF file) the form.

You will have questions, so check out the Office of the Attorney General's website; notice the right hand column, the information is pertinent to this process. In that column you'll notice a FAQ regarding obtaining a 'police clearance letter' (well, it actually says requesting visa/immigration clearance letter).

The part that seems most applicable to us is:

How do I get my response notarized as required by the foreign government from where I am attempting to adopt a child?
The Department of Justice does not provide notarized responses, however, your response may be submitted to the California Secretary of State Office for an Apostille Certification.

Preparing for our 1st home visit 1/18 - 1/23

Now it's on. Money has been paid....contracts exchanged. For the next week and days, we cleaned up our home. We purchased some new items of furniture. We washed our rugs and upholstery. We bought new rugs and pillows for the bedrooms. We even took our dogs to the groomer (afterall, what if she thinks to herself "wow, they can't even take care of their pets, much less another child!"). We tended to the yard (in the rain), and hauled some junk away. We washed the clothes, organized the house, and did a through cleaning in general. We were plenty busy for that week and days preparing to showcase our lives to a stranger.

Livescan #1 - 1/17

We went and got our fingerprints taken for our Homestudy Agency today. Very quick. My guess is that this fingerprinting includes child abuse registry index check. The results go to the adoption agency only.

Since we need a copy (to authenticate and include with the dossier), but didn't know this until the following day, we have to go back and get fingerprinted again. This is scheduled for 1/23.

I600A form - mailed 1/17

So, we had to intiate this process per our (brand new) adoption agency.

This form is the intial petition to bring an international orphan into the United States. With it you have to submit a form, money (of course), and supporting documentation. Our office required copies of our birth certificates, passports, proof of health insurance coverage for the adopted child, marriage certificate. Took a couple of days getting this info together. William had to travel to LA, so he picked up a few "extra" birth/marriage certificates for everyone (for >$200).

The USCIS asked for a cashier's check addressed to Department of Homeland Security...I sent a regular check (and fretted for days). But it was okay - they cashed it after a week.

We got verification that they received the info (about 1/23) and money, but would be waiting until a completed homestudy report was submitted before giving us a federal fingerprinting appointment.

Choosing a Placement Agency 1/13 - 1/17

This is a very difficult thing to do. But had to be done before I could mail the I600A - and should be done ASAP so I could collect appropriate documentation for the dossier as I collected my homestudy documents. Each placement agency requires a little something different.

I joined a couple/few groups, read a few blogs, and did lots of internet research. Joining the groups were a bit overwhelming at first because so much that's discussed is not applicable to you. Also, your hear stories of adoption (and international adoption) gone wrong...with unscrupulous agencies, and unstable programs. Almost paralyzing. How do I find a *licenced* agency, who is also *licenced* in Ethiopia? What are the pros-cons and considerations?

Well, I found a fairly reliable site with a group of agencies said to be legit and licenced in Ethiopia. The list was very reproducible, and member of the message boards were familiar with most. I wrote/called the final two, spoke with the program directors...and contacted references.

The Process of Choosing:
Well, first I wanted to make sure the Agency was licensed in Ethiopia. Some Agencies contract out their "Ethiopian Program" to one of the licensed agencies...and I wanted to be with a primary agency. At the time I sought information there were 15 agencies commonly known to be legit in Ethiopia.

We wanted the option of choosing gender - that eliminated Wide Horizons.

We wanted the option of escorting home - that eliminated many of the religious Christian ones, and Gladney.

We heard bad things about the operation of Christian World Adoption - so they were eliminated.

We want customer service and hand-holding - and heard the AFAA is not good in this area, so we eliminated them. For thousands of dollars, I want my hand held nice and tight. Besides, the wait was too long.

Some agencies have very long wait times - so we actually eliminated them. 18-24 months is too long. If the waits are long, lots of the paperwork (therefore time and money) is wasted.

In the end, there were a few left:

Better Futures Adoption Services - a brand new agency with only 4 kids home so far. But, very quick referral times, and the director is Ethiopian with strong relationships both here and there. She had good references, but they admitted to some snags secondary to the novelty of the organization. She was very hand-holding. Ultimately we decided against them because Ethiopia is the only country they represent, and if the situation change and we have to switch countries, we'd just be SOL with this agency. Also, when I did contact the agency, much of what they do is "form letter" format. I hate form letters. I asked 2-3 specific questions, and I get a 'form letter' informing of everything but the answers to my specific questions. When I called another agency for clarification...things were much clearer. So I went with them.

Adoption Advocates International - seemed okay, but the wait was much longer. They offered escort, got good reviews, love their website...and price is reasonable. More than one program, and established, licensed, with many happy clients. Again, the wait times (plus anticipated snags) could make it a 2 year process. Versus other agencies who've gotten kids home in 6 months. If all else is equal, I'd prefer *not* to wait 2 years.

Adoption Avenues and Dove
-both on the West Coast, which is a plus. Wait times are short, and escort is an option. You can pick the age/gender, and good customer service. The orphanage they use is in Addis Ababa (the major city), and the kids are well cared for. The price is reasonable.

In the end, Adoption Avenues' director is a physician...and he went out of his way to explain the process, answer questions and emails, and he had a great reputation on the message boards. He understood my situation as a physician (the debt, the financial situation in general). He's knowledgeable, and so far, I've appreciated his no-nonsense, 'just get your kid home safely' attitude. A local family who just completed the process and is home with their daughter had good and bad things to say about both agencies (since they work out of the same orphanage, many of the affiliated American families meet and share experiences). The bad things she said about AA seems to be related to logistics of the Ethiopian visit (the guest house...the guide...). But nothing unethical surfaced...or egregious activity that would black-list them in their minds.

Dove stated a slightly longer wait time...but overall was in our top 3. They were a bit sluggish getting information to us...and by the time we received it, we'd already made a decision - and sent our I600A. And, as stated above, there were some concerns expressed over the efficiency of the agency with regard to the United States paperwork portion of the process (eventhough the Ethiopian travel aspect was awesome).

Even still, we went back and forth (between our top 3-4), but the accessibility we felt with Radu at Adoption Avenues, and the physician thing, the West Coast thing, his ability to expedite the process on the front end, and the references we spoke with...

....helped push us towards Adoption Avenues.




Update: I've recently heard some "less than stellar" (understatement, bigtime) things about Dove...which makes me happy we didn't choose them.

Many of the references we spoke with regarding Adoption Avenues are home with their children...and their children are healthy and well-adjusted. Although maybe not perfect, I do hope that our agency likewise allows us to graduate to 'international adoptive parent' of a healthy, well-adjusted, Ethiopian baby girl.

Note: I would have joined the yahoo group adoption agency research (earlier) so I would have access to more information regarding choosing an agency.

Also, it would have been way less stressful to know that I didn't have to choose a Placement Agency at the time I sent the I600A form. I would have taken a bit more time, I think, to choose an agency (or maybe I wouldn't have, I don't know).

Finally, the book I recommended would have been awesome to have at this stage in the game.

Joined Internet Group Sites 1/14

I decided to join a couple/few internet groups....
...to help with decision making (i.e. choosing an agency)

Also, it'd would be nice to hear other stories, get tips and gather pearls. In just a couple of days I've learned so much. Information overload is anxiety provoking, and with so much information (and so many members), I had to condense it to daily "digests".

I've found a few excellent blogs. I'll post them on mine.



Note: I would have joined these adoption groups much sooner had I known they'd be so useful.

The Social Worker calls us - 1/13

On day 3, Sunday January 13th, our social worker called us. We had to complete our autobiographies prior to our first meeting with her. Our autobiographies were completed and sent to her on late monday night. Our first meeting with her was scheduled for Jan 23rd (a week and days later).

Homestudy Agency - Retainer Received 1/10

The retainer/contract was received by them on January 10th and an email was sent to us and they said a social worker should be in contact with us within 3 days.

Homestudy Agency - Application Accepted 1/7

Jan, 7th - Got a letter from Homestudy Agency...
....they accepted our application (and the fee).

Now we get to mail a retainer (larger fee) with a signed contract. We also had to open a fedex account.

Choosing Homestudy Agency - Application sent 1/3

I've always wanted to have both biological children, and adopt. I sorta feel 4 kids are too many (growing up as 1 of 4 kids). Time and resources are divided too many ways. I always thought 3 was a nice number...not too many, but still a nice sized family. A family with a presence. I've had 2 bio children, and they are wonderfully perfect. I was blessed with a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery x2. So, the third child...is to be adopted.

Although I've been thinking about adoption for years and years....I knew I wanted biological children first. I was well aware of the advantages reproducing at maximal fertility - as designed by Nature. I knew that being pregnant at 40 is not only a bit more risky (for both mom and fetus), but would be less pleasant physically.

Now, that I'm all done with growing parasites in my body that, takes over and zaps all your energy, and just generally wreck havoc being pregnant, I can focus on other things. Adoption being one of 'em.

Ian is 2...and now my "baby" is a little boy. When Haley was this age, I decided to "go for it one more time" and get pregnant with Ian. I'll bet it by design that pregnancy and births are typically 2-3 years apart in families. If so, it's no wonder why I feel ready for another baby.

So last summer I purchased an Adoption book. And last fall I purchased an International Adoption Book. In October I spoke with our hospital/ER social worker about agencies and the process. He directed me to another social worker whom I contacted a few weeks later. I contacted other people who may have some valuable information on adoptions. I did preliminary reading.

Then after Christmas, I was ready to proceed. I started investigating the requirement of various countries, reading adoption news, and researching agencies. I spoke with a few...but wasn't quite ready. I had a few (well, more than a few) "what if" scenarios that paralysed me. I expressed some of my 'worries' with a friend of mine...who assured me that I was being crazy, and my what-if scenarios are highly unlikely.

I read as much as I could online about homestudy agencies, adoptions agencies, the process, etc. I learned that I had to have an agency that was licensed by the State to do homestudies in my city/county. That limited the number to choose from. I decided I wanted an agency that was close to our home...and really hate going over to San Francisco (except for occasional outings), so a couple of agencies were eliminated based on that alone. I didn't want to travel over the bridge for my meetings, educations courses, classes, etc.

Then, I needed an agency that is knowledgeable about international adoption in general (and Ethiopia in particular would be nice). One that was reasonably priced, with a good reputation. We found one...in Walnut Creek.

Now - some decisions have been made: international over domestic. Ethiopia over Latin America. Walnut Creek agency for homestudy. Leaning towards Americans for African Adoptions as the placement agency. That's pretty much all the information you need to get started.


"Mail the damn thing already" my friend instructed when I shared with her my reluctance to send the homestudy adoption agency the application (plus fee).

I finally mailed it on January 3rd.

US Department of State Intercountry Adoption

This is important information regarding intercountry ethiopian adoption:

United States Department of State Intercountry Adoption - Ethiopia

International - Which Country?

It's a new year, and the time seems right to begin our long-awaited journey of international adoption.

The very first question is -
From which country do we adopt?

Initially we had no preferences...the world was wide open. We were just interested in helping a little soul out there achieve their purpose. We would be honored to participate in the Divine Plan in this way.

Our preferences -
Short wait time
Child of color (since most people seem to prefer white babies)
Child from a Country in need
A country that we connect with
An ethnic group that's represented in our part of America
We prefer to have the option *not* to travel
We prefer to *not* spend tons of money


Exclusion Criteria -
Those countries we aren't to qualified to adopt from
Countries that require more than one trip
Countries that require extended trips
Unstable programs
Overly expensive programs/countries
Super long wait times
Those countries lacking American Agency representation
Controversial or shady operations
Severe political unrest such that business cannot be conducted

After a bit of research and information gathering, we were able to eliminate some countries immediately. Some because they didn't fit us...and some because we don't fit their requirements. Our serious final considerations included the following:

China - It seems everyone is interested in adopting a Chinese girl - which is great. But when I look at my own kids, and think about how difficult it is to place 'kids that look like mine'...I'm very much drawn to adopt a child who may be otherwise 'difficult to place'. With China being so popular, I don't feel that the children are hurting for good homes. Additionally, as a country, I'm not very impressed with China these days.

On a practical level, the wait times for a healthy Chinese infant/toddler is about 3 years. That's just too long.

India - I would love to adopt an Indian baby. I love the culture, the country is progressing in the right direction, and the Indian population here is quite large. The kids are generally healthy, and the country is an English speaking country and is used to dealing with Americans. We've even considered traveling to India, and possibly making a home there. The Indians here are a welcoming group with rich culture that's actually becoming mainstream American. We feel that and Indian child would "fit" into our family, and not feel like 'the only one of his/her kind.' (more on this later)

Practically, however, India doesn't let non-Indians adopt their children. There are some special circumstances, exceptions, etc...but in general, only Indians can adopt Indian children. We're not Indian...so that's a no go.

Guatemala - Latin America was very attractive, nearby, and a very familiar culture to us in California. The wait times are very short, and the babies are well cared for.

Practically, many agencies have closed their Guatemalan programs. There was some controversy over the "integrity" of the adoption process. We're not interested in unstable programs that are fraught with controversy. We simply love the idea of helping a child who exists in the world by supplying them with a forever family in which to thrive. We have no interest in stealing children, or otherwise participating in shady adoption practices.

Colombia - on the short list for the same reasons as other Latin American countries. But, travel is required, which is a drawback.

Ecuador - infertility is required by some agencies. Travel required, two trips typical.

Haiti - seemed like a very viable option. Plus side - children of color (that are more difficult to place); will likely more readily fit into our family. Great need, and familiarity.

Practically, the program is new with lots of setbacks and kinks. Additionally, the time period from referral to arrival home is over a year. That's too long.

Zambia - on the plus side, very simple process. You actually go a 'choose' your child from the orphanage (with associated pluses and minuses). There are lots of kids there who *really* need homes.

Drawback is the program is very unstable...and there are/were no American agencies who'll represent you over there.

Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana (and other West African Countries) - the programs are few, unpredictable, and unstable. Adoption has enough innate unpredictability.

South Africa - has closed adoptions to Americans.

Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan - all require extended stays in the countries, or multiple visits. We cannot interrupt our lives traveling and such with our two children, our jobs, and our lives here. Also, the expense is outrageous. The price people pay for a white baby.

Bulgaria, Georgia, and other Eastern European countries - all require travel, some with extended stays and multiple trips.

Cambodia - requires you to live there for a period of time. We had no plans to move.

USA - we of course thought about the here. I'll explore this in another post on 'domestic vs. international.'

So, a handful of countries remained:

Taiwan, South Korea - close runner-ups. But, given the choice, we don't want to travel. Eliminating Taiwan. South Korea was a finalist.

but - I have a "friend" (someone I know) who was adopted from Korea by a Caucasian family. Major issues with this for her. Being the only Asian in her world, she felt isolated. Even when she interacted with other Koreans in America, it was apparent that she was not "Korean." I understand how it feels being "the only one." It's no fun. Since we're not Korean, cannot pass for Korean, and really don't know many Koreans....that 'isolation issue' was a concern for me. Afterall, this adoption isn't just about us. And it seems to us that many Asian cultures are very exclusive, tight knit, and value lighter skin and caucasian races. Where we live, it's quite uncommon for African (Americans) to really intimately interact with Asian groups. Being that our family is African, German, Irish, etc...we thought we'd further isolate an Asian child in America by sheer prejudice of our society. Major consideration...and seems too contrived and complicated.

Whereas...

Ethiopia - (Ultimately our choice). Ethiopia has a very stable adoption program. It's quick, simple, and short. It's not overly expensive, and there are multiple American agencies who work in the country. It doesn't require any traveling, at all (which was huge for us). Even if travel is desired, only one 1week trip is taken. The children are not as "desired" by the rest of the world (being brown-skinned and all)...and the conditions in the country helps one feel good knowing that, by adopting this child you are actually participating in helping him/her realize their greatest achievements. The culture is rich, the history impressive. There is a large East African population in California. The children are beautiful, and will fit into our family perfectly. And connecting with Africa in this way...seems like destiny. Africa - where life began!!

Additionally, an Ethiopian child will not likely feel 'like the only one' or out of place in our family. Our Ethiopian child will be African-American...like the rest of us African Americans. Same issues, same external perceptions. It will not be obvious that the child is adopted (although that's not a big issue for us, but considering the child it's something to at least consider)...a sense of family/belonging, is good for the Soul. An Ethiopian child will likely not feel like 'the only one.' Nor will their attempts to reconnect with Ethiopian culture in California be difficult.

So, we decided on Ethiopia. Ethiopian kids need our help. They aren't as "desired" by the masses, making them a top choice for me. The program is stable, relatively inexpensive, quick, and no travel is required. We fit the requirements as a family, and we think that an Ethiopian child will really thrive in our family. We are very interested in expanding our worldly perspective, and Africa is the perfect place to start!!