Dossier #2/Adoption #2

Dossier:  A file containing detailed records on a particular person or subject.

This is a word I reference on a daily basis, and a word that I had never used before August 2011.  It is now one, I mean two of my post protected possessions!  I have two separate boxes, one for adoption #1 and one for adoption #2.

Here is M's and it is packed!  My sister said to me a few weeks ago something like, "All of that is for your adoption?  Adoption is not for the faint of heart, is it!?"  And now box #2 is quickly filling.  I will have these boxes ready for each child when they are old enough and can understand.  They can look through and see the journey, which will include their biological family's history, all of their monthly pictures and updates from GLA, as well as my letters to them that I am writing along the way.  They likely will not be interested in all of the contents of my dossier and all of the adoption agency and orphanage paperwork, but it will be there :-)

So I began the paperwork for adoption #2 one month and 4 days ago...and in that time, I have complied ALL necessary documents for dossier #2.  My home study and police clearance are done and I am waiting for them to be mailed to me.  At that point, my dossier and I go to the St. Paul Capitol building and the Secretary of State AUTHENTICATES the documents....meaning, looks up each Notary Public that signed and stamped and once each document passes he puts a cover on the document that will look like this:

That is a photo copy as the original is in Haiti.  After I do this, then it gets translated into French.

Yeah, that is a paragraph about me written by a dear friend and colleague :-)  After the dossier is translated into French, then it is sent to the Haitian Consulate in Chicago to be legalized.  After reading/reviewing my dossier, a stamp is placed on the cover with the Secretary of Stated signature and seal.

Once this step is completed then the entire dossier is copied many times over and sent to God's Littlest Angels in Haiti to begin the oh so LONG process!  

Here is what is required in the dossier:

1.  Home Study

2.  Adoption Agency License

3.  IBESR letter of intent to adopt

4.  3 letters of reference

5.  Police clearance

6.  Employer letter

7.  Power of Attorney

8.  Bank letter

9.  Psychologist letter

10.  Doctor letter

11.  Physical lab results

12.  Copy of passport and driver's license

13.  Copy of social security card

14.  Tax returns for the past 3 years

15.  Past 3 bank statements

16.  8 passport photos

17.  Birth certificate

18.  Photos of ME

19.  Photos of my home

(if married, you need to include all of the above items for spouse as well as Marriage Certificate & Divorce Decree if divorced!)

So, YES, since returning home from Haiti, on top of teaching every day, taking on extra hours at school (I teach 3 after school classes now and have been told, "Miss Kraft, you should be a gym teacher, not a regular teacher!) I have had this to occupy my time.  I think I shall need another project to keep me busy once this is sent off to Haiti!  It has been good upon leaving M to have something to work on!!!!

If you have made it this far in the post, please pray!  Pray over this adoption #2 and continue to pray over M and adoption process #1.  On Tuesday, M and his living bio parent have an appointment at the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince.  Pray that GLA can locate his bio parent for this appointment and pray for M and his bio parent as they go through this interview together.

Thank you for PRAYING!!!!!  Happy Saturday!