Ever wonder what an adoption dossier looks like? Well there you have it. That's our actual dossier to the left and it's just about ready to be sent off to Florida. We're so close, it's sickening! Our International Home Study has been approved and notarized, which means we are ready to send it BACK to our provincial facilitator who will send it BACK to the Provincial Central Authority who will finally (FINALLY!) send it to Florida. I know we're probably still weeks (months?) away from our dossier being in the USA, since with every desk it lands on there's a delay, but at least I can see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. Actually, we're still at the very beginning of the tunnel. Ugh. Depositing our dossier in-country is just the first part of the process. From our agency's perspective, we're not even on their waiting list yet! Almost 8 months in and we are only just beginning.
As for the provincial Home Study, there have been more delays. We've had 2 of our 3 required meetings in the last six weeks. It's painfully slow. However, our social worker insists she will have our home study complete by August. If I've learned anything from the International Home Study, it's not to get your hopes up. If you think anything in the adoption process is going to take 4 months, add a few months as a contingency and then add 3 more months for your sanity. So if our social worker says 2.5 months, we can guesstimate we'll have it completed by Christmas. If it's ready sooner, then hurrah! I'm not trying to be negative, it's just everything always takes more time then you think it will. It's kinda like building a house... it always takes longer and costs more money than you ever thought it would!
As for the provincial Home Study, there have been more delays. We've had 2 of our 3 required meetings in the last six weeks. It's painfully slow. However, our social worker insists she will have our home study complete by August. If I've learned anything from the International Home Study, it's not to get your hopes up. If you think anything in the adoption process is going to take 4 months, add a few months as a contingency and then add 3 more months for your sanity. So if our social worker says 2.5 months, we can guesstimate we'll have it completed by Christmas. If it's ready sooner, then hurrah! I'm not trying to be negative, it's just everything always takes more time then you think it will. It's kinda like building a house... it always takes longer and costs more money than you ever thought it would!