ADOPTING ARIA: Home Study is OFF to USCIS!!

Monday, March 31, 2008

Home Study is OFF to USCIS!!

Short post:

Copies of Home Study Report arrived at our door at 8AM and by 9AM I was at the Post Office express mailing a copy to USCIS along with the agency and social worker licenses. YEAH! Now I'm waiting for an invite letter to go do fingerprints! Super!

It's getting brighter in the paperchase tunnel!

Cindy

Home Study Checklist - (items in pink are finished!!!)

1. Formal Application
2. Adoptive Parents' Right to Information Form
3. Autobiographies (4-5 pages each)
4. Authorization/Consent for the Disclosure of Confidential Info Form
5. Criminal Background Check Consent Form
6. Drivers License Photocopies
7. Social Security Card Photocopies
8. Fee Agreement Form
9. Payment for Home Study and Post-placement fees
10. Guardianship Statement Form
11. Residential History Form (goes back 10 years!)
12. Statement of Faith Form
13. Medical Examination and Forms for Billy and Cindy
14. Medical Form for Libby
15. Fire Protection Checklist - completed by county/city fire dept.
16. Environmental Health Checklist - completed by county/city health dept.
17. Home Ownership Proof
18. Birth Certificate Copy (for children only) - different for Libby since she doesn't have a US birth cert. yet
19. Marriage License Photocopy
20. Health Insurance Proof of Coverage for adopted child
21. 1040 Tax Form - photocopy
22. AWAA Financial Statement Photocopy
23. Sketch of home floor plan - labeling purposes and measurements of each room
24. Photos of outside of home
25. Employment Verification Letters - photocopies
26. Reading Agreements
27. AW Home Study Agreement - TX
28. Home Study Agency Agreement
29. Home Study Post Placement Agreement
30. Reference Letters (3)
31. All 4 home study visits are done and home study is approved and notarized!

Dossier Checklist (pink = completed)

Each of the following items must be obtained, notarized, state certified, then sent to US State Department, then on to the Ethiopian Embassy. Words in pink= completed.

1. Application letter - written, notarized, State certified, US State Dept, Ethiopian Embassy
2. Billy's Birth Cert. - obtained, no notarization needed, State certified, USSD, ET Embassy
3. Cindy's Birth Cert. - obtained, no notarization needed, State cert, USSD, ET Embassy
4. Marriage Cert - obtained, no notarization needed, State cert, USSD, ET Embassy
5. Billy's and Cindy's Physical Exam Forms: obtained, notarized, state cert , USSD, ET Embassy
6. Proof of Medical/Health Ins: obtained, notarized, State cert, USSD, ET Embassy
7. Proof of Life Insurance: obtained, notarized, State cert, USSD, ET Embassy
8. Financial Statement: obtained, notarized, State cert, USSD, ET Embassy
9. Billy's Employment Verification: obtained, notarized, State cert, USSD, ET Embassy
10. Cindy's Non-employment Verification: written, notarized, State cert, USSD, ET Embassy
11. Home Study Report: obtained, State cert, USSD, ET Embassy
12. 3 Letters of Reference: obtained 3, State cert 2, USSD, ET Embassy
13. Billy's and Cindy's Police Clearance: obtained, notarized, State Cert, USSD, ET Embassy
14. USCIS I-171H: obtain, notarize, State cert, USSD, ET Embassy
15. Power of Attorney: obtained, notarized, State cert, USSD, ET Embassy
16. Agency Recommendation: obtained, notarized, State cert, USSD, ET Embassy
17. Agency Post Placement Agreement: obtained, notarized, state cert, USSD, ET Embassy
18. 2 passport photos of Billy and Cindy: obtain, no notarization or other steps required.
19. 2 sets of color family photos: obtained, no other steps needed
20. Copies of photo pages of each of our passports: obtained, no other steps needed

Adoption Costs So Far...

38. Fee owed in ET: $400

37. Visas on arrival to ET: total - $60.00

36. Haven't even come close to listing all the over night shipments, baby items, packing items, international travel items, etc purchased along the way.

35. In-Country travel package for stay in ET: estimated to be $1400 for 3.

34. Air travel to ET (for 3 going and 3 plus one lap seat returning) PLUS 2 nights in Dubai and one desert excursion - $6100.00

33. Upon receiving referral - paid between 3-4,000 dollars (I think) for last agency fee and international fee and post placement. (I need to go check receipt)

32. IS PROBABLY LEAVING SOMETHING OUT BECAUSE IT'S BEEN TOO LONG SINCE SHE'S UPDATED THIS LIST!

31. Travel toys (special books!) for Libby's trip to ET - $40.00

30. Hague Training - couples fee - $175.00

29. Social Worker's Flight for home visit: $169.00

28. Environmental Health Inspection Fee (on new house): $46.35

27. Home Study Addendum Fee: $400.00
26. Caseworker Travel Expenses: $65.00
25. TX State Certification fees = $100.00
24. Two overnight shippings (1 out, 1 return) (2/22) = $40.28
23. Two overnight shippings (1 out, 1 return) plus a fax (2/19) = $64.80
22.. Four overnight shippings of docs (2 out, 2 return) and fax (1/16) = $122.00
21. VA State Cert. Fee (1 doc) = $10.00
20. KY State Cert. Fee (1 doc) = $5.00
19. SC State Cert. Fee (2 docs) = $4.00
18. CPA - employment verf. letter +fedex = $45.00
17. Homestudy house photos: $6.98
16. First Aid Kit (required for Env. Health Insp): $19.98
15. Fax to Duni of docs gathered so far: $8.91
14. Marriage Certficate (SC) (1/4/08): $29.95
13. Environmental Health Inspection Fee: $46.35
12. Shipment of HS and PP fees (priority mail): $4.00
11. Post Placement Fees to AWA-TX (1/31/08): $1,125.00
10. Home Study Fees to AWA-Texas (1/31/08): $2000.00
9. Criminal background clearances (1/30/08): $30.00
8. Photo pages/printing of pics: $15.00
7. Express Shipment of docs/fees to USCIS: $16.25
6. USCIS - filing fee and fingerprint fees: $670 + $160 = $830
5. Shipment of AWAA agreements: $27.66
4. AWAA initial program fee (1/18/08): $1,000.00 (since this is our 2nd. adoption with AWAA this first payment was $500.00 less than normal and our third program fee will also be $500 off).
3. Cindy's birth cert. (SC) (1/08): $29.95
2. Billy's birth certificate (KY) (1/08) : $20.50
1. AWAA application fee (12/29/07): $250.00

Adoption Time-Line

May 19, 2009 - hoping to receive call in the morning saying we can leave tomorrow afternoon for ET. Waiting on daughter's birth certificate in ET to be completed!!!! Praying all night!

May 13, 2009 - PASSED COURT! Tseganesh became Aria Lu Grace Foote with a new hope and inheritance in more ways than one!

April 14, 2009 - REFERRAL for 3 month, 5.6 pound baby girl!

March 2009 - turned in completed home study addendum

Feb 2009 - started home study addendum process for new address

Nov.9 - 15 - experienced lots of stress and anxiety this week and remembered that the last time I felt like this was in Nov and Dec of 2005. Libby was born that Nov. 23, 2005 (which I was not aware of at the time) and now I wonder if Aria-Lu will be born this week/month....hmmmm....praying!

November 13 - 5 months officially waiting!!!

October - submitted papers for home study addendum (address change for new house - new environmental health inspection, new fire inspection, new photos and copy of HUD showing ownership of new home - all required - plus future home visit by social worker).

October 13 - 4 months officially waiting

September 13 - 3 months officially waiting

August 13 - 2 months officially waiting

July 13 - 1 month officially waiting

June 13 - all docs completed. Dossier is shipped to ET -This is our official DTE date!

June 5 - Log in Date - Dossier arrived in VA office.

June 4 - Finished State Certifications in Austin and Mailed Dossier to AWAA!!!!

June 3 - after much frustration regarding fingerprints and re-fingerprints - 171-H arrived today!

April 15 - Got fingerprints done today!!

April 12 - USCIS letter stating fingerprints appointment date/times arrived today. Appointment is set for April 23 - but I'm hoping we can get in before that.... we'll see...

March 31 - home study reports arrived at our house at 8am - by 9am one copy was in the mail to USCIS!

By March5 - finished all 4 home study visits. Received TX certified docs back.One had a minor error. Contacted CPA to re-notarize Billy's employment verification letter. Have already received corrected doc back. Waiting to State Certify it until I have last reference letter, homestudy and 171-H.

Feb. 22 - UPS mailed most of our docs to Austin for State Cert. today.

Feb. 21 - received SC State certified docs this morning (by UPS, of course!!) Only TX State certs left to go!!!!! (but I still have more docs to obtain before TX cert)

Feb. 19 - Billy's birth certificate arrived with the glorious gold seal. It's State Certified! The VA doc has also returned State Certified! AND our notarized proof of life insurance arrived today as well!!! Also - I mailed off my birth cert and our marriage cert to SC for State certification. Only TX State certifications left to do once all docs are collected!! Woohoo!!

Feb. 16 - sent Billy's birth cert. off for KY State Certification. Sent a doc. to VA for State Certification. Notarized ammended Application to Ethiopia. Faxed ammended doc and 2 references letters to Duni. Marriage License arrived!!!

By Feb. 15 - 2 notarized references received for dossier, today Sarah (social worker) called and set first home study visit for Feb. 28th. at 2pm, faxed docs were approved, gathering info for state certifications - will ship KY doc for state cert. tomorrow. Aria's room mostly finished (except pics/mirror/some decor). Requested letter from life insurance co. for notarized letter (proof of life ins. requirement for dossier paperwork).

Feb. 11 - pick up notarized medical forms, fire inspection at 11AM, UPS completed home study packet to AWA-TX! Faxed more docs to Duni (family coordinator) for approval.

Feb. 8 - Employment Verfication Letter from CPA received via FedEx!!! That was SUPER FAST!

By Feb. 7 - Financial statement completed. Guardianship statement completed, reference questionnaires and reference letter info sent out to our 3 references, photos taken of outside/inside home, proof of health insurance completed! Sent e-mail to CPA requesting Billy's employment verification letter. Made copy of 2006 1040 tax form, home ownership proof copied, statement of faith signed, formal application (for homestudy) completed, other homestudy docs signed. Environmental Health Inspection passed!

Feb. 5 - Doctor appointments went well. Environmental Health Dept. called (SO FAST!) and set appointment for Thursday the 7th. Hello!

Feb. 4 - Dossier packet arrived, fees for Environmental Health Inspection were paid, ordered new marriage certificate, residential history was completed. Reading agreement completed. Home sketch/measurements completed, copies made of birth, marriage certificates along with drivers licenses and social security cards - for homestudy.

By Jan. 31 - Home study packet arrived! Autobiographies were re-written.

By Jan. 25 - initial program fee was paid, I-600A was sent, family photos were completed, autobiographies were written, we received word that our homestudy packet was in the mail to us. Also we went to Police station and received criminal background clearances (notarized and all!)

By Jan. 15, 2008 - Birth certificates were ordered and received, passports needed no updating, and doctor appointments were made for physicals.

Dec. 30, 2007 - Applied on-line for AWAA's Ethiopia program

Dec. 28, 2007 - Decided to adopt from Ethiopia. Began gathering info for AWAA application.

Monday, March 31, 2008

Home Study is OFF to USCIS!!

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