I finished my adoption training binder and journal today so I am one step closer to being ready for my homestudy :) YAY! Here is a list of what I have done and ready to be mailed, what I'm waiting for to come in, and what I still need to do.
DONE AND READY TO BE MAILED: - Police Clearance - Manitoba Child Registry Check - Training Journal WAITING TO COME IN: - Ontario Child Registry Check - Alberta Child Registry Check - Tax Information WHAT I NEED TO DO: - Financial Form (going to be mailed in with last bundle) - Psychological Assessment (Early April) - Medical Check (Early April) NEEDS TO BE PAID BEFORE HOME VISITS: - $1000 for Coordinating Agency Registration Fee (February 23) - Approximately $800 for Psychological Assessment (Early April) - Approximately $60 for Medical Check (Early April) - $4,200 for Homestudy Fee (at least half needs to be paid before home visits) If you feel called to help with some of these expenses please donate at www.gofundme.com/michele-adoption thank you :)
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On Thursday I received my adoption training binder and study guide. I was sooooooo excited! I would have received it sooner but there was a change in fees so I had to pay the difference first. The first day I had it I completed the first two units and the journal entries for them as well. As I thought I definitely prefer this style over the in person classes. Sure the in person classes are faster, a few days and done, whereas this is probably going to take me a bit longer, but I really feel like I'm getting more out of this than I did with in person classes. It makes me think about many different issues and reflect on what I would do in certain situations. It's also nice to have time to just sit, read, and take in the information at my own pace. I have five more units to do and I'm hoping to have them completed by the end of February.
As for the rest of my homestudy paperwork I received my police clearance in the mail the other day. Now I'm just waiting for my Alberta child registry check as well as my Ontario check. Then I just need my tax information (which I should be getting very soon) and my medical check completed. I was hoping to have it done with my dossier medical check but since it is looking like I won't be able to afford to submit my dossier as soon as I would like it make more sense to complete the check while on break in April. That is the same time as I will have having my psychological assessment completed. That way after all those are done I will officially be finished with my homestudy paperwork and will be able to have my visits as soon as I can afford to! YAY! That means that I should be able to in June. When I met with the agency in August they said that I would just have two longer visits instead of four shorter ones to cut down on travel fees and that they should be able to complete them on back to back weekends. That mean I should have the report being written by the end of June and then approval around October! So excited! I obviously wish things could be done faster but there is only so fast I can save money and pay fees and since I know everything will happen eventually I might as well just focus on getting things done as I can. This morning I paid for my adoption training! I'm excited because it's not like the last time where I had to spend a fortune just to get to the training. This time it's self guided. I've also booked my psychological assessment for the very beginning of April. This means that I should be able to have my first homestudy visit sometime in June. I'm super excited that this are continuing to come together and the ball is truly rolling now! If you have any spare change please donate at www.gofundme.com/michele-adoption or check out any of the other fundraisers happening right now :) Thanks!
I had heard a new requirement of having a psychological assessment done was coming but I was secretly hoping it was just for Americans since the requirement started because of a horrible incident in the US. But nope, I got the email last night telling me that I had to have it done. Biggest blow though was that I thought I had it done for my dossier but it turns out I need to have it done for my homestudy. That means $1,000+ extra to my starting fees. UGH! If it was just part of my dossier I could have just delayed submitting it for another month but now it's delaying my homestudy instead. Oh well, it is what it is and I can't change it. I'm trying to remember that these delays are happening for a reason and it will all work out in the end. One step at a time, one day at a time, I just wish this step wasn't so expensive!
Yesterday I applied for my Intervention Check (Child Abuse Registry Check) for Alberta and my agency sent off the paperwork they needed to for my check for Ontario. That means all three of my checks are done or in progress. I only have three more things to get done before I can start my homestudy. I can't believe things are getting done so fast and it will be time to start it so soon!
It's really crazy to think about sometimes but this is the year that I will finally get to know who my daughter is! Right now I'm looking at about nine months until I see her photo for the first time. It's like a pregnancy finally lol. Although I won't be able to hold her in my arms until next year I'm so excited for everything that will be happening in 2018. Right now I'm just finishing up collecting paperwork to start my homestudy. Then it's just a matter of time before I have the funds to start it! Yay! I'm sending in my training fee next week and then I'll get to busy myself with that for a little while. Can't wait and love that every day truly feels one day closer now.
Super excited because my first big agency fee has been PAID!!!! I'm officially done everything I need to in order to be registered with my homestudy agency. They already have my registration paperwork and most of my homestudy paperwork. Next up is training (which is my lowest fee) and then coordinating agency registration. I'm so excited to have taken the first big step in making this adoption happen. If you would like to help out with these expenses please donate at www.gofundme.com/michele-adoption or check out any other fundraisers happening. Thank you so much for your love and support during this journey!
I sent my homestudy agency a bunch of paperwork on Sunday. It was my homestudy registration as well as most of my homestudy documents. There are just a few more things I need and then I'm good to go for my homestudy visits! One piece that I didn't send was my Child Registry Check from Manitoba but I received that in the mail today so it will go out with the next batch of documents in January. So excited to have even more stuff checked off the list. I keep checking the tracking for the paperwork because it says "out for delivery" but I guess it's too early in the day for them to report back yet. Hopefully tomorrow morning I'll see that wonderful "delivered" notification :)
I JUST posted the other day about how I was going to hold off on my coordinating agency registration in favour of getting my homestudy paid first but now it's looking like registering will be more important. Last week India change some of their homestudy requirements. Since my coordinating agency knows all the rules and my homestudy agency doesn't it make sense to register with them to get the list to then forward to my homestudy agency. The last thing I need to to have my homestudy done and then have to change things to fit India's requirements. Of course more requirements mean more money and at this point it will cost between $200 and $1200 more depending on what exactly they need. It's a huge range and no matter what it's a set back. Of course if it costs $1200 that is a HUGE set back that will cause at least a month delay. I just really want things to get started and moving so that I can get my daughter home and not worry about all the political B.S. that comes with adoption :(
I'm changing my plan of action a little bit to hopefully help get things to be a little better financially. In the end everything will cost the same but since once my homestudy is approved it is a tiny bit easier to fundraise and apply for grants it will make more sense for me to complete that asap. Originally I was going to pay for my coordinating agency fee in February but now I have decided that I will pay for the first installment for my homestudy instead. I'm not sure if this will mean my homestudy being approved much sooner but at least it will bump me a month ahead. After my homestudy is completely paid then I can focus on the coordinating agency registration fee at the same time as the dossier submission fee. It's the first HUGE payment but I think it will be a little easier once I know my homestudy is done. After that is the huge, scary referral fee that I still have no idea how I'm going to pay but at this point I'm going to cross that bridge when I get to it. If you feel called to do so please donate the the fundraiser at www.gofundme.com/michele-adoption and share it as often as you can because you just don't know who could help out. Thanks!
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About Me
I am 31, single, and been on my journey to becoming a single mother since 2013. I have struggled with infertility and I am now on the path to international adoption of a little girl with Down syndrome. Come join me on my journey to becoming a mother! Categories
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