Here is a brief description of what happens in an Ethiopian Adoption and is the reason "Why" we need an experienced adoption agency like America World.
PROCESS
Ethiopia’s international adoption process is relatively inexpensive and uncomplicated. After filling out an application, receiving approval through America World’s intake process, and signing an Agreement with America World, prospective parents initiate what we call the “paper chase," which takes 4-6 months
(6 months in our case)to complete. During this stage of the adoption, families begin assembling their dossier (set of adoption paperwork). America World assigns each family a personal Family Coordinator (Caitlin) to help them compile their dossier, which includes a home study and approval from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Before America World can submit a family’s dossier to the Ethiopian government’s Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, it must be sent through a careful process of certification and authentication in order for it to be used as a legal framework for adoption. Certification and authentication is a three-step procedure in which dossier documents visit their respective Secretaries of State, the U.S. Department of State, and Ethiopia’s Embassy in Washington, D.C. Family Coordinators will assist families through this process as well. The authentication process concludes the paper chase, and America World delivers the finished dossier to the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (08/19/10).
Once the dossier is in Ethiopia, it is translated, processed and examined by the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs. Our staff works with government officials and orphanages as a match is made between prospective parents and a child. Prospective parents typically wait 3-11 months (we are at 9 months, 3 weeks, and 5 days) before receiving a referral of a child from Ethiopia. (This is where we are in the process...waiting for a referral)
These parents are given a picture, medical test results and a short profile of the child’s life. All children are tested for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and other medical conditions. Prospective parents are given the option to accept or reject the child referral they receive. America World plans travel arrangements for families choosing to accept their referral.
There are two in-country stays required in Ethiopia. Both parents must travel on the first trip, which is typically 5-7 days. Only one parent is required to return for the second trip, which generally lasts 3-5 days. America World’s staff will coordinate travel logistics, including air and ground transportation, lodging, translators, and some meals. Families fly into the capital city, Addis Ababa, where they are assisted by an America World representative. During their second stay, adoptive parents visit the U.S. consulate in Addis Ababa to receive their child’s visa.
America World is pleased to be able to offer families the opportunity to adopt from this beautiful African nation, and we are also eager to partner with others in our commitment to provide humanitarian aid and sustainable development projects for orphans’ welfare in Ethiopia. Your decision to adopt through America World will not only change your life and the life of the child you adopt — but will also affect the life of your friends, family and community.
We believe that our adoption program in Ethiopia offers a great opportunity to build families through God’s plan of adoption (so do we). As the 9th US agency licensed in Ethiopia, our program staff is experienced and ready to help serve your family in your adoption.
If anyone would like to talk with us about our experience we would love to share. It has been a long wait, but nothing worth having is easy :)
“Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”
Isaiah 40:28-31
Hugs,
Angi & Tim
Follow our adoption journey to our daughter- Aerie; whom God brings from Ethiopia, Africa. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20
"Sometimes I would like to ask God, why He allows poverty, famine, and injustice in the world when He could do something about it... but I'm afraid He might ask me the same question." Anonymous
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Current time in Ethiopia
Addis Ababa |
Adoption Time-line
02/02/10- Ethiopia adoption application & fee sent.
02/17/10- Accepted into America Worlds Ethiopia Program!
02/20/10- Paid initial AWAA program fee.
Start paper chase...
03/02/10- Ordered our birth certificates.
03/02/10- Spoke w/and chose GLAD as Home-Study Agency.
03/03/10- Got Angi's employeement & life ins. verification.
03/04/10- Received Tim's birth cert. in mail.
03/04/10- Went to courthouse, got Marriage Cert.
03/05/10- Received Angi's birth cert. in mail.
03/05/10- Scheduled Tim's phys. letter doctor appt.for 3/8
03/08/10- Mailed GLAD application letter & fee.
03/10/10- Ethiopia made big change- 2 trips required now.
03/11/10- Rec'd GLAD/AWAA Post Placement Agreement.
03/11/10- Rec'd Tim's Health/Life Ins. letter.
03/12/10- Jack & Annie rabie shots/Home Study Requirment
03/13/10- Rosie & Sara rabie shots.
03/21/10- Began Hague on-line required training course.
03/22/10- GLAD beginning our background checks.
03/22/10- Our HIV tests and Tim's HEP B blood draw done.
03/23/10- Tim's TB Test scheduled for 3/30/10.
03/25/10- Notary notarized all paperwork we've collected.
03/26/10- Kyla, our social work came for 1st & 2nd home visi
03/26/10- Adoption Tax Credit raised to$13,100.00! Go God!
03/27/10- Kyla finished 3rd Home Study visit.
03/27/10- Finished family photo pages.
03/30/10- Tim rescheduled TB Test until 4/6/10.
03/31/10- Picked up Tim's HEP B test results.
04/02/10- Received Archie's referance letter.
04/06/10- Tim had TB test placed.
04/06/10- Angi got bloodwork records.
04/06/10- Re-did Financial Statement/faxed to AWAA.
04/09/10- Tim's TB test results- negative :)
04/10/10- Completed Hague On-line training course.
04/10/10- Dog vaccines done.
04/20/10- Faxed Florida CPS request to FL today.
05/03/10- Had our physical visits today.
05/26/10- Angi's bloodwork drawn.
05/28/10- Angi's bloodwork result- normal.
05/28/10- Tim's bloodwork drawn & normal result.
06/01/10- Our 14th Annivesary- Renee notarized physicals!
06/07/10- Picked up our physicals & faxed to GLAD/AWAA.
06/07/10- Found out GLAD rec'd FL CPS checks 6/4/10.
06/07/10- Requested Dr. letter for Angi.
06/10/10- Picked up & faxed Dr. letter to AWAA.
06/10/10- Waiting for AWAA to approve Home Study.
06/15/10- AWAA read Home Study & requested corrections.
06/23/10- GLAD corrected and sent H.S. back to AWAA.
06/24/10- AWAA approved our Home Study!
07/01/10- Got money order for final GLAD payment.
07/01/10- Met Klya/GLAD in Vincennes, got final HomeStdy
07/02/10- Mailed I-600A application & fee.
07/09/10- Renee notarized rest of Dossier paperwork.
07/09/10- Sent 2 papers to IN State Dept.for Authentication
07/12/10- Fed-Ex package received at IN State Dept.
07/13/10- We rec'd Authenticated papers in mail!
07/14/10- Rec'd Immigration Fingerprinting appt for 8/9/10
07/23/10- Went early-Immigration/Indy. for fingerprinting.
07/26/10- Called USCIS & left msg for Immigration Officer.
07/29/10- Officer Opfer called, USCIS back-logged 3 weeks.
08/05/10- Rec'd I-171H today!Thanks Officer Opfer-speedy
08/06/10- Renee notarized new MOWA letter & I-171H.
08/06/10- Got Cashier's check to go with Dossier.
Paper chase completed!
08/06/10- Shipped Dossier to AWAA by Fed-Ex.
08/10/10- AWAA received Dossier packet.
08/13/10- AWAA approved Dossier, maybe DTE next Fri?
08/13/10- Rec'd U.S.State letter stating I-600A sent to ET!
08/19/10- AWAA Fed-Ex'd our Dossier to Ethiopia!
08/25/10- Dossier arrived in Ethiopia today!
The WAIT begins...
02/17/10- Accepted into America Worlds Ethiopia Program!
02/20/10- Paid initial AWAA program fee.
Start paper chase...
03/02/10- Ordered our birth certificates.
03/02/10- Spoke w/and chose GLAD as Home-Study Agency.
03/03/10- Got Angi's employeement & life ins. verification.
03/04/10- Received Tim's birth cert. in mail.
03/04/10- Went to courthouse, got Marriage Cert.
03/05/10- Received Angi's birth cert. in mail.
03/05/10- Scheduled Tim's phys. letter doctor appt.for 3/8
03/08/10- Mailed GLAD application letter & fee.
03/10/10- Ethiopia made big change- 2 trips required now.
03/11/10- Rec'd GLAD/AWAA Post Placement Agreement.
03/11/10- Rec'd Tim's Health/Life Ins. letter.
03/12/10- Jack & Annie rabie shots/Home Study Requirment
03/13/10- Rosie & Sara rabie shots.
03/21/10- Began Hague on-line required training course.
03/22/10- GLAD beginning our background checks.
03/22/10- Our HIV tests and Tim's HEP B blood draw done.
03/23/10- Tim's TB Test scheduled for 3/30/10.
03/25/10- Notary notarized all paperwork we've collected.
03/26/10- Kyla, our social work came for 1st & 2nd home visi
03/26/10- Adoption Tax Credit raised to$13,100.00! Go God!
03/27/10- Kyla finished 3rd Home Study visit.
03/27/10- Finished family photo pages.
03/30/10- Tim rescheduled TB Test until 4/6/10.
03/31/10- Picked up Tim's HEP B test results.
04/02/10- Received Archie's referance letter.
04/06/10- Tim had TB test placed.
04/06/10- Angi got bloodwork records.
04/06/10- Re-did Financial Statement/faxed to AWAA.
04/09/10- Tim's TB test results- negative :)
04/10/10- Completed Hague On-line training course.
04/10/10- Dog vaccines done.
04/20/10- Faxed Florida CPS request to FL today.
05/03/10- Had our physical visits today.
05/26/10- Angi's bloodwork drawn.
05/28/10- Angi's bloodwork result- normal.
05/28/10- Tim's bloodwork drawn & normal result.
06/01/10- Our 14th Annivesary- Renee notarized physicals!
06/07/10- Picked up our physicals & faxed to GLAD/AWAA.
06/07/10- Found out GLAD rec'd FL CPS checks 6/4/10.
06/07/10- Requested Dr. letter for Angi.
06/10/10- Picked up & faxed Dr. letter to AWAA.
06/10/10- Waiting for AWAA to approve Home Study.
06/15/10- AWAA read Home Study & requested corrections.
06/23/10- GLAD corrected and sent H.S. back to AWAA.
06/24/10- AWAA approved our Home Study!
07/01/10- Got money order for final GLAD payment.
07/01/10- Met Klya/GLAD in Vincennes, got final HomeStdy
07/02/10- Mailed I-600A application & fee.
07/09/10- Renee notarized rest of Dossier paperwork.
07/09/10- Sent 2 papers to IN State Dept.for Authentication
07/12/10- Fed-Ex package received at IN State Dept.
07/13/10- We rec'd Authenticated papers in mail!
07/14/10- Rec'd Immigration Fingerprinting appt for 8/9/10
07/23/10- Went early-Immigration/Indy. for fingerprinting.
07/26/10- Called USCIS & left msg for Immigration Officer.
07/29/10- Officer Opfer called, USCIS back-logged 3 weeks.
08/05/10- Rec'd I-171H today!Thanks Officer Opfer-speedy
08/06/10- Renee notarized new MOWA letter & I-171H.
08/06/10- Got Cashier's check to go with Dossier.
Paper chase completed!
08/06/10- Shipped Dossier to AWAA by Fed-Ex.
08/10/10- AWAA received Dossier packet.
08/13/10- AWAA approved Dossier, maybe DTE next Fri?
08/13/10- Rec'd U.S.State letter stating I-600A sent to ET!
08/19/10- AWAA Fed-Ex'd our Dossier to Ethiopia!
08/25/10- Dossier arrived in Ethiopia today!
The WAIT begins...
Love that verse!!
ReplyDeletePraying your wait is not much longer, friend!! I'm following your bloggy blog now. Come follow me, too. :D
Lindsey
almcrock.blogspot.com