My tax refund wasn't as much as I originally had hoped but I was still lucky enough to make a partial payment towards my homestudy. I'm currently $500 short from being able to do my home visits so I will be paying that at the end of April. I have the $800 psychological assessment that I am also paying in March so without the tax refund I did get I wouldn't have been able to give the agency anything. I am so grateful that my starting fees are shrinking and I'm getting so close to having all my paperwork done! Here's what is left:
1. Alberta child intervention check (currently talking with worker trying to get it ASAP!) 2. Psychological assessment (first week of April!!!) 3. Medical clearance (next Thursday!) And then I'm DONE all my paperwork! YAY!!!!!
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Sending off some documents today so I have check them off my list, and so I don't lose them lol. Here is what is going out today:
BEING MAILED TODAY: - Police Clearance - Manitoba Child Registry Check - Training Journal - Tax Information - Financial Form WAITING TO COME IN: - Ontario Child Registry Check (was lost in the mail, being resent) - Alberta Child Registry Check (also MIA, STILL waiting to hear back) WHAT I NEED TO DO: - Psychological Assessment (Early April) - Medical Check (Early April) NEEDS TO BE PAID BEFORE HOME VISITS: - Approximately $800 for Psychological Assessment (Early April) - Approximately $60 for Medical Check (Early April) - $3,400 for Homestudy Fee (at least half needs to be paid before home visits, $2000 will be paid by the end of March) Super excited because I'm almost ready to start my homestudy! I just need a few more pieces of paperwork and then I can do my visits. I submitted my taxes online today and it looks like I'm getting a good refund back which means I can pay half the agency fee for my homestudy.
So here is an update of where I am at: DONE AND READY TO BE MAILED: - Police Clearance - Manitoba Child Registry Check - Training Journal - Tax Information WAITING TO COME IN: - Ontario Child Registry Check (was lost in the mail) - Alberta Child Registry Check (also MIA, waiting to hear back) 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: - 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, which will be done as soon as I get my tax refund) 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 :) 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!
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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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