3-12-10 II

After praying together and verifying in our spirits that God, indeed, had called us to adopt Gete, we began exploring our adoption options.


We spoke with our dear friends and Look Development Co-founders, Matt and Amanda DeSarro, who have adopted from Ethiopia 3 years ago, and are also currently awaiting a court date for their 2 new children coming from Ethiopia.  We knew they would have great insight and details we needed to know.  They have used Better Future Adoption Services (BFAS) for all three Ethiopian adoptions, so we decided to use them, as well.  BFAS is based in Minneapolis, MN.


We had contacted them after returning from Ethiopia (June, 2009) to inquire as to the process, costs, etc., and so we had all of the information we needed when we decided in January to follow the LORD's leading.


We also had contacted Catholic Social Services of Montana (CSSM) to help us with another Home Study.  We used them 16 years ago when we were preparing for Justin's adoption.  The Social Worker who did all of our follow up visits in 1994 & 1995 is still working there and, we hope, will be the one to complete an updated Home Study for us!


The first step was to get all of our important documents in order:

1. Birth certificates (both spouses)
2. Marriage certificate
3. Passports
4. 1040 Tax Forms 
5. Bank Statements/Creditor information

We didn't have a certified copies of our marriage or birth certificates, so we used VitalCheck.com to order them online.  We received our birth certificates very quickly, however, we are still waiting on our marriage certificate.

We also updated our passports and those of our children so we will be ready to travel anytime we need to.

The second step was to fill out an agency agreement and disclosure statement for BFAS.  Our first check went to them for $350.  This is their application fee and seems pretty standard among agencies.

We then were scheduled for a telephone interview with BFAS staff.  This interview took about an hour and was comprised of answering various questions about how our family would handle an adoption to how we discipline our children to how we planned to foster cultural identity in our daughter, Erin Gete.  We had a delightful conversation and were told that they had no concerns about us and were now a BFAS family.

In the mean time, we had begun to fill out both CSSM and BFAS forms. And, believe me!  There are a ton of them!!  For CSSM, we provided all of the pertinent personal and financial information they requested, signed waivers and agreements and began writing our guided autobiographies.  Here is a list of information, etc., that CSSM requires BEFORE the Home Study takes place:

1. Inquiry application
2. Formal application
3. First two pages of our most recent Federal tax form
4. Copy of Marriage Lic.
5. Birth Certificates for both spouses
6. $250 application fee
7. Signed Fee contract
8. Notarized release of information form for each person in house over 18
9. Medical Histories/Exams for both spouses
10. CSSM Personal History Sheet for each spouse
11. Personal History Sheet for each child living in home
12. Authorization for submission of Home Study to Placing Agency (BFAS)
13. Signed safety measure check
14. Written autobiography
15. Adoptive Parent Education form
16. Home Study fee ($1,350 - this varies by agency)
17. Agency lic. from placing agency (BFAS)
18. $25 checks to Montana Dept. of Justice for background checks (each spouse)
19. $35 checks to California Dept of Justice for background checks (each spouse) {you need background checks for every state you've lived in since you were 18}

So far, we've completed everything except for our autobiographies and marriage lic.  FYI, many of these documents needed to be notarized.

We are knee-deep in the BFAS requirements . . . that will need to be a blog of its own!!