Timeline

While I posted a mini-timeline on the right of this blog, I really wanted to do something more detailed to memorialize the steps I’ve taken towards adopting my child. So here it goes:

July/October 2007 – contacted agencies, received applications, attended seminars, attended FRUA picnic, debated whether to adopt from Russia or Kazakhstan.

September, 17, 2007 – conducted phone interview with LMI (placement agency)

September 25, 2007 – conducted phone interview with CAI (home study agency)

October 18, 2007 – set up account with FedEx

October 19, 2007 – hand delivered application and fee and contract to CAI

October 26, 2007 – overnighted application and fee to LMI

October 29, 2007 – met with representative of CAI to go over process and paid home study fee

November 1, 2007 – got employment letter for the home study & emailed directions for reference letters

November 2, 2007 – got driving record

November 5, 2007 – emailed request for home fire safety inspection

November 5, 2007 – mailed request for home sanitation inspection

November 5, 2007 – call with LMI coordinator to go over process

November 6, 2007 – application accepted by LMI

November 7, 2007 – got fingerprinted at CJIS for criminal history (both FBI and State of MD)

November 7, 2007 – got copies of birth certificate

November 9, 2007 – had physical/medical form completed

November 15, 2007 – contract with LMI is fully executed

November 16, 2007 – signed addendum to application with CAI

November 20, 2007 – had home sanitation inspection

December 3, 2007 – first meeting with social worker for home study

December 5, 2007 – second meeting with social worker for home study

December 13, 2007 – guardianship form completed by sister & brother-in-law

December 17, 2007 – had home fire safety inspection

December 19, 2007 – sent I-600A to USCIS

December 25, 2007 – completed adoption education courses with Adoption Education LLC

January 2, 2008 – fingerprinted by USCIS

January 20, 2008 – fingerprinted for FBI clearance

January 14, 2008 – home study completed

January 15, 2008 – employment verification completed and apostilled in Massachusetts

January 16, 2008 – USCIS approval (I-797C) issued

January 22, 2008 – medical form redone and notarized

January 24, 2008 – had some of the dossier documents certified by the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Montgomery County

February 6, 2008 – 1st batch of dossier documents notarized at the bank

February 7, 2008 – had some of the dossier documents certified by the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Howard County

February 8, 2008 – received FBI clearance

February 8, 2008 – next batch of dossier documents notarized at the bank

February 11, 2008 – second batch of dossier documents rejected by the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Baltimore County due to notary issue (notary’s name on the stamp and seal did not match what they had in their records)

February 14, 2008 – redo notaries on prior batch of documents and next batch of dossier documents notarized, certified by the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Anne Arundel County, had all Maryland documents apostilled at the Secretary of State’s office

February 22, 2008 – completed dossier overnighted to LMI

March 4, 2008 – dossier approved by LMI

March 10, 2008 - first set of vaccinations (ouch - did I mention how much I hate needles!)

March 12, 2008 – dossier in translation

April 4, 2008 – dossier to NY Consulate

April 10, 2008 - second set of vaccinations

May 12, 2008 – dossier in Kaz at MFA

I might have missed a few things but that’s probably a pretty complete list. All things considered getting my home study done and my dossier together were relatively problem free (can you hear me knocking on wood right now? As my mom would tell you I wouldn’t want to curse myself). I was shocked by how fast I got the USCIS approval. My home study was overnighted to them on a Monday, USCIS received it Tuesday and issued my I-797C the next day. I was out of town for work and found it in my mailbox Thursday night when I got back. My home study agency had told me that the Baltimore office was pretty good about processing everything and that normally it takes about 3 weeks. I guess I must have had extremely good timing or extremely good luck (I think in other parts of the country people wait months for this form).