A Crack at the Almighty Process

There is so much I know I will leave something out but here goes.

Even though we have to satisfy the local adoption agency, another local agency (I"ll explain later), the US government, Colorado State government and the Ukrainian government, what we need to bear in mind is that when it comes down to it, we must make Ukraine happy. The seemingly senseless gathering of reams of paper is ultimately for the reading pleasure of the Ukrainian SDA (State Department of Adoption). So the king of all our paperwork is THE ALMIGHTY DOSSIER, hereafter to be referred to as TAD. This may explain the following craziness a little. They live far away and have some pretty strange ideas about us Americans.

TAD wants:
A certified copy of the deed to your house
A notarized copy of your passports
2 certified copies of your marriage certificates (?!)
A notarized copy of certificate of health from your doc with a copy of her doc license
A letter (notarized, of course) from Rolan's employer stating that he is truly working there for
cashable greenback and will continue to do so.
Copies of your homestudy done by an agency
A certified photo of your homestudy worker's license
Some sort of Adoption release form that I haven't seen yet
I think there is also a power of attorney form for the translator

This is all gathered by Ro and I. Be sure to use notaries whose terms don't expire within the next couple of years 'cause it may take that long to actually get the kids. Oh, and

GET TWO COPIES OF ALL OF THIS, because someone could drop one in the ocean or something. I guess it doesn't happen very often. But we were also told that since we are looking for siblings, they may be in different regions and you need to be able to send another TAD to another region (you bring it with you when you go).

The Local adoption agency wants:
Background inquiries (permission to talk to all your past therapists)
Fingerprints done by a gov person (local sheriff will do) for the purpose of sending it in for a
crime check to FBI and CBI. Really, all they had to do was ask my mother!
A copy of last year's1040
A different medical paper filled out by my doc
A brief autobiography from Rolan and I
Proof that our medical ins would cover the children sent in by the ins company
And 5 or 6 papers that waiving any liability on their part, agreeing we could get some sick
kids, etc.
An agreement that we would receive or have received 24 hours of education on children and
their adoptive needs.
A copy of Boulder County SS homestudy from our old days as fost/adopt folk
Letters of reference from three people we know and have fooled into thinking we will be good at
this.

The Immigration Service (US CIS) wants:
A copy of our passports
A copy of our completed homestudy from the local agency
Copy of our Marriage certificate (again)
Their form filled out
Another wad of money
A set of fingerprints that you have to do and pay for right there. And NO they won't use
someone elses!

Are you still with me? Bless you my child.

As of today, the local agency is almost done gathering all their papers. They have a long homestudy and Ukraine only wants 8 pages of that so we have to find a way to shorten it. Our Ukraine agency will help us with that. Then local agency will send the whole blessed packet to another local agency to make sure Colorado Department of Human Services will accept it. I guess it's an integrity thing. That only takes a couple of days. Then we take the approved packet to the CIS and they get out their big stamps and put their mark on it but it takes about 8 weeks.

So then . . we take all that stuff and the papers we completed for TAD to the Colorado State Offices of the Boss of all the Notaries and they check to make sure all the notaries we used are really certified notaries! Honest! I'm not kidding! I think this is called "Apostilles." I heard someone say "Apostles" but I don't think there is anything the least bit biblical about it and not only that but it is a French word.
We fax copies of all to our Ukraine agency person so she can check to make sure that ze papers are in order.....

THEN..... we get to send one copy of TAD to Ukraine. . .
where it gets translated by someone the agency hired and they take it to the SDA in Kiev and it gets an appointment to be reviewed. Four to 9 months later they say "yes" or "no" and give us an appointment date to come over and look at kids. TA DA!

I'll save the Ukraine end of things till we get closer to that. I fear, Gentle Reader that you will either never read this blog again or you have fallen asleep.

Out to move more plants. Its a great day.

eileen