SBI Approval!

Whew! We received news this evening that our SBI Fingerprint Background checks were reviewed and we have no criminal history! Ok, so we pretty much knew that, but it is nice to have one more step done!

We also spoke with our media consultant through ANLC last week to discuss photos and information for our online web profile. We spent some time this past weekend getting photos together and while Peter is gone this week for continuing education I am enjoying some quiet time and writing out information for our profile. Our web profile should be live and open to birthmothers by Thanksgiving! We will certainly be thankful for that :)

Love to all,
B, Bella & Oakley

Our process thus far...

So what is the adoption process today?
LONG! and wild! and fun! and long!

We first had to decide how we wanted to go about this. Did we want an infant, older child, domestic or international? We decided on a domestic infant adoption which means we would be matched with a birthmother from anywhere within the United States. After referrals from friends and some intense researching we selected the Adoption Network Law Center to facilitate our adoption process. They work all over the country matching birthparents with adoptive parents. We loved the idea of having the birthparents select us. Next, it was time to begin the process with ANLC. We filled out an application detailing every aspect of our life from our jobs to dogs to family life. We were set up with a counselor and received news that we had been approved! Next step was the Home Study... We had another very large application to fill out. It included the following:
- Police fingerprint scans
- SBI background check
- FBI background check
- Child Abuse registry background check
- Financial history report
- county background check
- medical reports and physical exams, blood work, TB tests, psych evaluations
- written autobiographies
- questionnaire detailing our goals and desires in adoption
- three letters of reference
Lots of work! But very worth it! We have had our first meeting with the homestudy agent and are anxiously awaiting our second. After that meeting our "homestudy report" will be written up and sent to our adoption agency stating that we have been referred for adoption. And after all of that craziness... we will make a profile for birthmothers to view. Our profile will consist of pictures, information about our home, family & life, and a Dear Birthmother letter. The birthparents will have an opportunity to review these items and decide if they want to "meet" us. We will set up a meeting via skype and ask/answer all sorts of questions. From there we will be notified if the birth parents select us. If they do, then we have the opportunity to decide to accept the opportunity. If we accept then we are matched! If not, then we wait for the next opportunity.
Once we are matched we wait for the baby to come! This could be any amount of time as it depends on where the birthmother is in her pregnancy. As soon as the baby arrives or is on the way, we will be notified and go to meet the baby and bring him/her home!

Sounds wild right?! It is! We have had such a wonderfully fun time answering these questions and taking the time to talk through some huge issues. We are truly grateful for how this opportunity has blessed us thus far and we are anticipating the opportunities to learn more about each other that lay ahead!!

much love to all!
B,P, Oakley & Bella