The ABC's of Adoption.

Well it is really hard to summarize all that we covered in this class. The lady who teaches this classes was adopted, she has adopted, and her father is an adoption attorney. So she has a really interesting perspective on the subject. We learned a lot more about what we have gotten ourselves into, there is a lot that we will be required to do, there is a lot to the process and it will take time. The first piece of paper work and only piece that we get at this point is a bishop recommendation for our bishop fills out and sends in. We can't do anything else (paperwork wise) until they have received this form. Then we need to have $1,000, this gets us started on the home study part, we get the rest of the paper work and we start into the interviews (with social workers) after we get the paperwork done we make our online profiles for birth mothers to look at to decide who they may want to place their baby with. Then we wait to be chosen, but we don't pay anymore money until placement. So that is the process in a nutshell, we will need to find 4 people (non- family) to write recommendations for us (we'll probably get more than that, can't hurt can it?)

The other things that we learned in our first class had more to do with what happens after a birthmother has chosen you, and also after placement things like: Families Supporting Adoption (FSA), Letters to birthmother from adoptive father and mother (written separately), Preference sheet in adoption paperwork ( what we will or won't accept, including possible diseases, drug abuse etc..), Face to face or meeting the birthmother (before actual placement), our online profiles, placement, ICPC- Interstate Compact for the placement of Children (meaning that if we adopt out of the state of Idaho we had to stay in the state that we adopted out of until paperwork goes through), Setting boundaries ( with birthmother, including communication agreements), Adoption tax credit (can get up to $11,390 per eligible child), Finalization (6 mo. after placement, adoption made official and get SSN for child, baby cannot be blessed in church or sealed to family before this happens).

This is what we will be doing and we don't know how we will get past the bishop's recommendation without help, after our paperwork is done we can probably find financing for the rest of the adoption. I hope that this helps you all understand the adoption process a little better (it did for us) we also hope that you will keep checking back and please feel free to leave comments, we will respond, we are really pretty open for any questions that you may have.

P.S. This blog may be more up-to-date than our parents.. lol. Just a little. :)