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Tomorrow, August 25, is Jack’s Adoption Day. It’s the day that we stood in front of a judge in Missouri and were officially made a “forever family”. I’m going to write more details about that tomorrow, on the US Infant Adoption blog. Today, I’m answering a very frequently asked question:
How long did it take you to adopt?
I now present our adoption timeline.
July 2002: Husband and I are married. We agree not to even think about kids for a year, to get used to being married.
January 2003: A minor accident turns into permanent nerve damage. Plans change.
July 2003: Although we can’t really adopt until my condition is under control, the day after our anniversary, I start reading up on adoption. The first book: Is Adoption for You? by Christine Adamec.
September 2003: After reading The Russian Adoption Handbook, we realize that the travel to Russia isn’t prudent, given my medical needs. I start investigating other countries.
August 2004: We move across the country. No more is read or said about adoption for the rest of the year.
January 2005: We decide to focus on domestic infant adoption. We begin contacting and talking with agencies.
April 22, 2005: We choose a facilitator to work with.
May 25, 2005: We choose a home study agency.
June 7, 2005: We officially submit our application to the facilitator, and two days later, we are officially “waiting”.
June 18, 2005: First home study visit.
July 2005: After my sister’s wedding, we spend several days this month preparing our home study packet and adoption profile scrapbook. We get fingerprinted and have our physicals.
August 2005: We submit our “Dear Birthmother” letter and profile to our facilitator, and are online by August 23. We take our CPR training.
September 9, 2005: We are offered a potential match, but turn it down. (We hadn’t completed our home study, and the baby was drug exposed.) This does spur me into cleaning out the room that will become the nursery.
September 22, 2005: All of our home study paperwork is submitted.
September 26, 2005: I turn 30.
September 29, 2005: We’re offered another match, but the expectant mother goes into labor early. Because we haven’t had our last home study visit yet, we can’t accept.
October 17, 2005: We have our final home study visit.
October 18, 2005: We have our match meeting with S.
October 19, 2005: We’re matched!
December 17, 2005: My mom has a baby shower for me. (I’m a big believer in baby showers.)
January 10, 2006: We arrive in Missouri to spend some time with S before she’s induced.
January 16, 2006: S is induced.
January 17, 2006: Jack is born!
January 20, 2005: Husband and I go to court, where the transfer of temporary custody with the object of permanent custody takes place. At 9:30 am, we essentially become Jack’s parents. We take Jack to the hotel from the hospital.
January 28, 2006: We take Jack home!
June 20, 2006: We have our last of three post-placement visits with our social worker.
August 25, 2006: We appear at the Hearing for the Petition of Termination of Parental Rights, Transfer of Custody, and Adoption.
It is therefore ordered, adjudged, and decreed by the court that from the date of this Judgment and Decree of Adoption… Jackson shall, to and for all legal intents and purposes become and be the child of the petitioners.
So, depending on how you look at it, the entire process took us 3 years. The time we signed with our facilitator to actually having Jack was 7 months, then another 7 before the adoption was final.
Photo Credit: Robyn C. 2006. All rights reserved.
I would love to know what facilitator you used. That was very quick placement.
Adoption.com guidelines prohibit me from telling you whom I used. Also, although the timeline was fast, I wouldn’t recommend the establishment we chose. Sorry!