We have to have an amendment for our home study done since we increased our age range. It should have been an easy thing to request until I found out that my home study agency closed on 12/31!! Uh, yep! No one thought it was important to tell me! Thank goodness, the social worker that did my original study had gone to work for another home study agency. Of course, that means a lot of changes! Could you imagine, being in Russia the day before court, and you find out that the judge wants a newly notarized copy of your home study license and you call to get one and find out they are no longer there?!?! Now, not only can you not get a copy of the license but your entire home study and recommendation letters are a farce!! I am SO thankful that we found this out now and not in a situation like that one with the potential to loose our child!
All of my original home study documents need to be replaced (with the exception of the actual home study itself - thus the update). Amongst the docs to be redone are the HS license, the letter from Dept of Human Resources, the recommendation letters and my questionnaire for Iz. Thankfully, my social worker is speedy gonzales and she was able to do a home study update (different from an amendment in that it explains the change in agency, that she has been my social worker since the beginning and that we are changing our age range) and get copies of the license and re-write the recommendation letters! They are being fedexed to me tomorrow.
All that's left to update are our questionnaires for Iz, get everything notarized and apostilled and sent on to CHI. I've also emailed my coordinator to find out if now is a good time to update our medicals (they are only good for 6 mths, I believe) and if we should update our police clearance. Trying to get ahead of the game, but I'm not sure that is possible in the world of international adoption! :-)
We are STILL trying to get info on the families that have already traveled. Hopefully we'll hear something soon. It would be great to be able to get in touch with them and find out more details about Iz, the orphanage, the rep from Moscow, etc...
Well, tomorrow marks the end of the Russian holiday (yesterday was Russian Christmas!). I don't expect things will start back up again until Monday. Hopefully, the next few weeks will bring GOOD NEWS for so many of us! Court dates, referrals and family reunions!
19 comments:
holy cow, you are right. better to have found out now. you are lucky your sw was on top of it.
I'm so glad your social worker was able to be so quick about things. They are always so willing to help. At least changing regions brought this issue to the forefront instead of waiting until right before court!! Glad it is all working out.
Still hoping we get to travel together...
Thank goodness you had to have the update now! Wow, that would have been a total nightmare.
YES! to the Russian holidays being over with - Now, back to work people! hehee
Geez! I'm so glad that you found out now! So that you can get it taken care of! I really hope that everything goes smoothly with the rest of your paper work so that you can your REFFERAL and hopefully travel w/ Rachel and Troy! You guys are in my prayers!
I am so glad that you found this out now. I would have been so worried not knowing who to call or what to do. I'm so glad it has all worked out for you and that you should hopefully be traveling very soon! I would love for us to meet up in Russia, but I'm sure we will have to wait until Spring to reunite in the States with our little ones!
Good luck and keep that phone handy!!
That is drama - I hope you got a big apology along with the updated HS. Glad you found out now!
WOW WOW WOW...Isn't it amazing the things we have to go through in this whole process? Especially glad you were able to find your social worker. I am sure that makes it much easier.
Can't wait to hear some news. Want to do lunch sometime next week? It will have to be in the office though since I am going to 1/2 hr lunches so I can still leave at 4 to pick up Mateo!
I'm so glad you found that out before getting your referral and having all of the stress of getting other documents! What a mess! It sounds like you averted a potential crisis! You are on top of things, and that will be very helpful once you get the call! Good job!! :)
I'm so glad you found this out now and not later. I heard of someone else's home study agency closing when we were doing Owen's adoption...can't remember whose it was! I hope this step goes by very quickly so you can get your referral SOOOON!!! Can't wait!
It is so nice to see that what we initially consider a disappointment (updating homestudy)can actually be a blessing in disguise. You are right about wanting everthing current. When we adopted, we were asked to get three more docs, the day before we were scheduled to leave. One of them was the homestudy license. ;)
Can you imgaine if you didn't switch and you needed stuff done for court- I am so glad this is ironing out
Wow Becky! I'm glad you found out when you did! My goodness! Good job in staying on top of everything!
Oh the pains of paperwork. I can't imagine facing all that and taxes too! YUK! Hang in there. HE HE HE POOH! I really think lamaze breathing helps with adoption stress too!
Yikes! I can't imagine the stress I'd feel if that happened to me. I'm sooo glad that you found out now though and were able to take care of everything before going to court and then finding out... Great job staying on top of things. You are my inspiration, that I too can handle anything that gets thrown in my way. Thanks for sharing!
You are on top of things!
Here's for a drama-free rest of the wait - wishing you all the best!
Jennifer N.
So glad you had to change the home study due to the age range. Good catch. Hope you get your referral soon.
Becky,
I can not believe that they closed and did not have to notify you. You are so lucky that you are not in between trips and needed an update.
Joy
What is the problem with home study agencies recently?!?! It seems like so many of us have had problems with them lately. Glad you found this out before you traveled. I can't imagine the problems that would have created! I'm so happy to hear that it should be relatively easy to update everything.
What a surprise about your homestudy agency. You would think an agency that is so people oriented would have the courtesy to give you the heads up they were shutting their doors.
Better now than the week before you travel or when you are there!
Hang in there, it will all be done soon!
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