The Journey Begins

Well, at least it begins openly. We've spent the better part of the last year and a half waiting to begin the waiting process that is adopting from China.

I suppose we should start at the beginning. Why China? Well, the short answer to that is that China is where our daughter is. The (slightly) longer version is this: We looked into many different adoption programs, both international and domestic and both felt really strongly about China. Unfortunately, amongst it's many requirements, there is an age requirement that both potential parents be 30. We decided adoption was the right choice for us in March 2009, but I was only 28. We felt strongly enough that China was where our daughter would be born that we waited not so patiently and pursued no other programs or options. To say that it sucked would be a bit kind. We tried to keep busy by studying Mandarin, learning more about the culture and people, and generally distracting ourselves from the wait.

Now we have finally reached a milestone. December 2010, the month we can finally begin paperwork. It's amazing to be able to move forward after all this time.

This blog will mostly be for friends and family to help explain the process and keep everyone updated on where we are at. Since that is the case, here is a very condensed version of what the process looks like and what we have to do.

1) Find and get accepted by an agency. Done! Our application was approved on Tuesday!
2) Put together our dossier. This is a whole buttload of paperwork that goes to China for them to approve. It includes a home study*, background checks, fingerprints, police records, references, medical exams, tax and income info, blah, blah, blah. It takes about 6 months to complete and so long as I am 30 when it arrives in China, we are good to go.
*a home study is done by a local agency and consists of 4 interviews with the couple, and in -home inspection and some parenting classes, I think.
3) Wait some more.
4) Get a referral! We are going through the waiting child program, so our agency will match us from a big shared list that China puts out each month. Essentially, you get a phone call and email with picture and medical records as well as a description of the child. You can have the records reviewed by a doctor and talk it over, but you have to decide on whether to accept the referral within 48 hours I think.
5) Stare at the one picture of your child you have for the next 3-5 months while paperwork continues going back and forth and China approves travel. Ah red tape.
6) Go to China. Adoptive parents are typically in China as a group for 2 weeks. We may go for a bit longer, if possible. You get handed your child in the first week and after the initial 24 hours, the adoption is considered finalized. You take oaths to care for the child, get their passport and whatnot and go home.

It's as simple as that! (Obviously, it's not simple or quick. That was sarcasm. Be prepared, there will be plenty more of that).

Anyway, I'll let Kevin fill in any details I missed. In the meantime, leave comments, ask questions, have some punch and pie! We're happy to be here and happy to have others on the journey with us.