Our Adoption Timeline

Our timeline from start to finish-

• College, 2001- Decided one day I would adopt a child, hopefully from Russia.

• 2012- Started thinking more seriously about pursuing an adoption.

• Sept 2013- Began heavy research on country and agency options, as well as financing options. Contacted agencies to get information and decided to pursue adoption in an Eastern European nation.

• Oct 03, 2013- Submitted application and application fee to chosen agency!

• Oct 04, 2013- Received call from agency that application looks good and I should receive contract soon. :-)

• Oct 08, 2013- Received email with agency contract!

• Oct 16, 2013- Mailed the signed agency contract and first payment. 

• Oct 23, 2013- Received agency package with envelopes for two mailers. First mailer will be pretty quick to gather.

• Oct 28, 2013- Spoke to my assigned Social Worker. Since I live in a state my agency is licensed in, I use the SW they assign me. She immediately emailed me a list of documents to start filling out and gathering. Yikes.

• Nov 12, 2013- 1st mailer was sent to the agency.

• Nov 14, 2013- Fingerprints done at local PD to mail with FBI background check.

• Nov 22, 2013- Home Study meeting. My social worker is awesome. So nice and caring. I had most of my documents gathered but had some issues getting my medical forms completed. It will take a few more weeks to finish that. In the meantime, pretty much everything else is on hold til that's completed.

• Dec 9, 2013- Mailed request for federal FBI background check. They say it takes approx 5 weeks for return.

• Jan 18, 2014- Received my final copy of my Home Study! I am approved to adopt a child from B. AHHHH!!!!!

• Jan 21, 2014- Mailed my paperwork to USCIS for immigration approval. They say the wait time is approx. 40 days for approval (but I will be assigned a day for fingerprints).

• Feb 3, 2014- Received FBI background check results. (It took about 8 weeks instead of the 5 weeks they estimated.)

• Feb 6, 2014- Received a letter from USCIS with my appointment for biometrics. They're moving fast!

• Feb 25, 2014- Went down and had fingerprints done today for USCIS. They claim I should have my approval paperwork within 2 weeks.

• March 7, 2014- Received I-800A Approval Notice!!!!! (Dated from Feb 28. Well that was fast!)

• March 11, 2014- Mailed completed Dossier to agency. Had to re-do one form before sending it. The financial statement was done in 2013 for the Home Study. The agency said it would be best to send one for the current year.

• March 13, 2014- Agency received Dossier.

• March 14, 2014- Agency sent documents out for Apostille.

• April 30, 2014- Dossier received in B!!

• July 11, 2014- Registered in B! Not notified until July 21, 2014.

• October 2014- After much deliberation, I've decided to change agencies. It's a little bit time consuming and a lot stressful, but it's the right choice for me. (Contract signed Oct 24)

• November 2014- Time to start the process for the home study update already.

• March 8, 2015- Home Study Update completed. Needs to be sent to FL for apostille.

• March 19, 2015 USCIS Lockbox notification of I800A.

• June 19, 2015- Update logged in B.