It's been awhile since I've given you one, but we are due for an update on our adoption! For awhile there wasn't really too much to tell, since we were just going through some preliminary paperwork, but now I have an answer when people ask me what's going on.
For those of you who don't yet know, we decided to partner with Bethany Christian Services in Virginia Beach for our adoption. There were several reasons we made that choice. We looked at adopting through the state, but for the time being we would prefer a younger child. Both Nathan and I are still pretty young and have no parenting experience, so we didn't think it was a wise decision to adopt a child older than 2 or 3 at the most, at least for now. With state adoption, it becomes a lot harder to adopt a younger child, as their primary goal is re-uniting infants & toddlers with their family. This can cause a several year court battle to officially adopt your child and in the meantime, they can get taken away at anytime. If we look at adopting an older child in the future, we would probably go through Virginia, but for now we decided an agency was the way to go.
We looked at several adoption agencies, and honestly they all looked great. Originally we chose Lifeline Adoption, but discovered that they do not conduct Virginia adoptions. So, since we have several friends who are going to use or have successfully used Bethany, we decided to go that route.
Our first step with Bethany was to attend an information meeting, where we learned about adoption in general and the whole process. From there, we got the preliminary application, which asked basic questions about us and our desire to adopt. After turning that in, we received the formal application, which went more in depth as to our family and our faith.
After that, we thought we were done with most of the paperwork - and we were so wrong! The last thing we received is the home study packet. This allows us to begin the process of the 3 interviews that make up the home study. This has been by far the most paperwork. We've had to answer detailed questions on how we were raised, what our relationships are/were with our parents, and how we plan to discipline our child. We had to make a will, obtain driving records, get fingerprinted, get physicals and screenings for tuberculosis, and sign/notarize a TON of papers to allow Bethany to get the information they need. We had to fill out a detailed financial summary, and answer a lot more questions about how we plan on raising our child.
We have finished as much of this as possible, but we aren't quite done yet since we have to wait on the doctor's office, police station, etc. to get some of our paperwork filled out. I'll be honest - it's a LOT. And it feels a little overwhelming. But this is the stage I think Nathan and I are thriving on. We actually get to DO something, and see progress, and move a little closer to having our child.
After we finish the home study and pay more fees, then begins the interview process. Once we begin down that road, I'll give another update! In the meantime, I can't tell you how much we appreciate the prayers and encouragement from all of our friends and family. It means the world to know that we aren't alone, and that there are so many others cheering us on. THANK YOU for your support!
Interested in having family pictures taken before the holidays? Click here for information on upcoming mini sessions. All proceeds go to support our adoption.
