This is my “Adoption Box”! When you decide to adopt, you must be organized! I didn’t realize how true this was until I started this process a few months ago. I read on someones blog to get a filing system like this, and let me tell you, it has saved my life several times! I have files from the “To Do:” to “Fund-Raiser/Grants” to “Receipts”. The one that is most important to me right now is the “Dossier Ready” file!! It hold two (2) documents that are completely ready to be included in my dossier. Of course, I only have eleven (11) more documents to go and I can send off my dossier to FTIA and they will forward it on to China! After China receives it, my family and I can be matched with a little girl!!
The process of getting your dossier together is like none I’ve ever experienced. First, you must get original birth and marriage certificates for both parents, Letter/Petition to Adopt, Home Study (which I will blog about tomorrow), Health Exam certificates for both parents, Financial Statement, Employment Letters for both parents, Criminal History check for both parents, and finally your CIS1-797C. When you collect these, then you get them notarized. You then send them off to the Secretary of State that the originated from. You then send them to the Chinese Consulate for Authentication. But here’s the thing regarding that, you have to send them to the correct Chinese Consulate. Since two (2) of our documents are from Arkansas, they go to the Houston Chinese Consulate. Also, regarding the Houston Chinese Consulate, they do not take anything by mail, so you have to courier them there. The rest of our documents will go to the Chicago Chinese Consulate, where they do take things by mail.
The documents that are dossier bound but do not require certification are photographs, Passport photos, photocopy of signature/photo page of passport for both parents, 3 original reference letters, and Parent education workbooks. Meaning both Jeremy and I had to complete 12 hours of required Hague adoption training!
That is just the documents that go into the dossier. The Home Study that is included in the dossier has a whole list of documents that you need to collect for it as well! I will blog about the Home Study tomorrow! It truly needs a whole blog for itself!! Then of course, you have to pay for each document…..from just getting the originals, to the Secretary of State fees, the Chinese Consulate fees, the shipping fees, and lastly the courier fees! It’s all very expensive, but will be very worth it!!
Whew, I’m tired thinking about all of that!!!
Blessings,
Heidi