Steps to Adoption

I have had several people ask about the process to adopt. I thought I would give you a little idea of the steps taken to complete a home study. Here is a brief version of our home study time table. It's different for everybody, so don't listen to the horror stories. If God has called you to adopt, He will open the doors. Our home study was relatively smooth and quick!

February 3, 2011 – God opened the door for us to adopt. We began to pray the Lord would clearly direct our path. We felt the Lord was leading us to domestic infant adoption through Bethany Christian Services .

March 7, 2011 - Attended domestic adoption orientation meeting

There were about a dozen couples who were at the meeting. There were couples of various ages, backgrounds, and family situations. It was great to meet other people who had the same heart for adoption. After this meeting we completed the following:

•  Pre-Application Form – This was a basic application form we filled out before we were   “officially” accepted.
• Statement of Personal Faith – Both my husband and I had to write our individual statements of faith.
• Online Formal Application – Once our pre-application form was accepted, we received the online formal application. This was quite lengthy and included quite a bit of information about our residence, finances, employment, education, marriage, and childhood.
• Six Reference Letters – We begged and pleaded with friends and family to give us a good reference! J

March 31, 2011 – First home study visit at Bethany Christian Services

This visit was by far the most difficult. We were very anxious and nervous as this meeting marked the beginning of our home study. It was nearly three hours long and it took quite a bit of physical, mental, and emotional strength. We were asked very serious questions concerning our plans, expectations, and comfort level of adoption. During this meeting we had to either say ”yes” , “ no”, or  “will consider” for a list of physical, emotional, and mental challenges in a child. There were about three pages of items we had to mark. Three pages! We were so overwhelmed that I was quite physically sick after this meeting for about the next week. So many people thought I was pregnant during this time. Little did they know! I believe my labor for my child began at this point. Adopted mothers may not labor physically, but they have a lengthy process that they labor through emotionally.  

April 6, 2011 – Second home study visit at our home
During this visit our social worker walked through our home and inspected things such as fire alarms, fire extinguishers, and carbon monoxide detectors. We had to explain what we would do to make our home “child-friendly”.  Once again, this meeting was about three hours and was mainly a leisurely chat getting to know us.

April 19, 2011 – Third home study visit at our home (individual sessions)
This was the longest home study visit. Our social worker interviewed us together about our marriage and such, and then separately for about 1 ½ hours each about our childhood, background, and experiences. By the end of this interview our social worker pretty much knew everything there was to know about us.

April 26, 2011 – Fourth home study visit

This visit was short, sweet, and wrapped up the final details on our adoption plan. At the end of this visit my mom and Kevin’s mom came over to meet our case worker. This was a great way to include our family and for them to ask any questions.

Writing the Home Study - During this time our social worker had to write our home study. This is a formal, legal document that the judges will review. It typically takes about six weeks for the case worker to complete the study. This includes writing the study, review of the study, corrections, printing, and formal approval to enter the program. By the time it was finished it our home study was 13 pages of fine print!

Profile Page – While our social worker was writing our home study we had to assemble a profile page. This includes pictures and information that introduces a prospective adoptive family to an expectant parent (s) considering adoptive placement. This was another high in my emotional labor of the adoption. I had to write a letter to the birthmother! I will write a post about birthmothers later, but so often I would begin the letter only to drop my pen in tears. You can see a similar copy of the letter on our  online profile page.

Profile Photo Book – This was extremely time consuming. I spent nearly 24 hours on this book…but it’s beautiful if I can say so myself! J After a birthmother reviews our profile page, she may wish to know more about our family. This profile photo book was designed for us to share our story with her through pictures and lots of text. We have two books at the Grand Rapids office and one at the Lansing office.

June 10, 2011 – HOME STUDY FINISHED!

I can honestly say the home study wasn't as bad as I had heard. The process went very smoothly thanks to Elisa, our sweet social worker. I just love that girl! It does take lots of time, commitment, patience, and prayer. I'm praying that someone reading this will feel called to adopt and begin their home study. What a beautiful gift! My heart is full and I have so much I could say right now. I have to be careful not to post too much information at one time. It can be overwhelming to process all at once. Thanks again for all your love and support.