Adoption Update: Paperwork & Meetings Galore!

Finally making huge headway into finalizing Little Guy's Adoption!

Meeting with my Agency

Had a home visit with my licensing worker (LW) this week. She will be completing my Adoption Home Study & submitting the request for me to be Certified to Adopt, ONCE she receives the request from CPS (which hasn't happened yet). My LW said she's already mostly done with things, just can't complete it all until this referral comes through.

I have a lot of paperwork that needs to be completed. My LW thinks that I can probably get an adoption date in September -- SEPTEMBER! I'm very hopeful. I think I've already come to the acceptance that it may be as late as November. National Adoption Day would be fun, but the timing is a little inconvenient. So, now I'm hoping that things move along steadily for a September Adoption :)

Paperwork to complete:

1. Application for Certification to Adopt 
2. Adoptive Families Central Registry Records Clearance 
3. Health Information and Medical Examination of Child 
4. Criminal History Self Disclosure Affidavit 
5. Family Information for Input into the Central Adoption Registry 

1st Meeting with Adoptions Case Manager at CPS 

I had my first meeting with the Adoptions Case Manager (CM). YAY! Although, I have to admit - I wasn't that impressed with our CM. I don't know what it was, but it was just a strange meeting. I have a whole packet of paperwork to complete. She basically handed it over and doesn't seem like she's going to help me with it much! She's not optimistic about a September adoption date, she's thinking more like October/November. Boo. She still hasn't completed the referral to my agency to request my Adoption Home Study. She says she's going to do, but she said that after our conversation on Wednesday - so who knows how long it'll take her. That's going to be the major delay.

Paperwork to complete:

1. Adoption Subsidy Checklist 
2. Adoptive Family Subsidy Application 
3. Adoption Subsidy Rate Evaluation 
4. Adoptive Placement Agreement 
5. Child Certification Documentation Attachment (to be completed by each specialists/doctor)

I also received a list of lawyers that I could use for the adoption. I've already chosen my lawyer. 

Next Steps:

1. Complete Agency paperwork, get notarized, and mail back. 
2. Complete CPS paperwork, provide at next meeting in July. 
3. Go to each medical professional to complete subsidy paperwork (need to schedule appointments) 
4. Keep following up to make sure CM has submitted request to my LW. 

Very excited to be moving along. I really am hoping for a September adoption date. There's a lot running in my mind about the adoption: the name change, the adoption Life Book, the adoption date, if I want to take adoption leave from work, and planning an adoption party! 

Things I still need to do: set-up a PO Box and email for communication with the birth parents. This is on my To-Do list for next week. I'm really starting to think about what that looks like... communication and contact with the birth family. Also, what types of questions do I want to ask them? I have to really start thinking about these things. I really want to ask them to send me pictures of them with Little Guy. Maybe there's some maternity pictures? That would be nice. Will have to sit down and really think this part through. 

Taking one step at a time, but we're moving forward!