WHERE ARE WE???

I don't mean where are we physically, geographically speaking but where are we in the adoption process? That's what many people want to know. Unless you have adopted before you may not realize that it truly is a "process" (kind of like pregnancy but with out the weight gain & much more paper work). I've also learned that there's a big difference in how much paper work & different things you have to do whether you adopt domestically or internationally. Below is a list of steps that we must go through to bring the girls home.
1. Home study
2. Submit I-600a to DHS. Wait for finger print appointment.
3. Get the following documents ready to send to the IN Secretary of State to be authenticated: Home Study, IBESR Letter, POA letters, Mental Health Letter. Once obtained sent to Secretary of State & they will return them to you.
4. Get the following documents in addition to the ones listed above that will need to be translated into French: Birth certificates, marriage certificate, police reports, bank letter, employment letter(s), medical letters, 3 reference letters. Once they are obtained & you have your documents back from the Secretary of State you will need to mail them to the translator.
5. Get the rest of the documents needed for your dossier (they will be listed on your check list)
6. After you have received your translations you will need to send the following to the Haitian Consulate in Chicago to be legalized: Home study, IBESR letter, POA letters, Mental Health Letter
7. Once you have received them back from Chicago & you have your other documents ready, & you have received an approved 1-171h, you can send your dossier to Haiti.
At this point you can submit your I-600 whenever you're in Haiti.
After the I-600 is submitted, the following happens on the Haitian side:
Adoption steps once Dossier arrives in Haiti
Minister of Foreign Affairs (1st legal)
· Documents notarized and authenticated are now legalized.
DHS· Submit Orphan First Petition and birth parents interview happens, DNA testing is done if requested by DHS officer.
Justice of the Peace
· Judge issues a formal request for IBESR to exam potential adoptive family as permanent family for child.
IBESR
· Family and child’s dossier are examined. 4 signatures required to exit.
Civil Judge
· Issues official adoption decree.
Parquet· Social Representative (similar to a prosecutor in a US court), insures that the above departments have done everything legally.
Civil State Officer· New birth certificate is issued.
Archive
· Verifies all signature’s, certificate is issued. (Similar to being notarized)
Minister of Justice
· Above verifications are now legalized (similar to notary being authenticated).
Passports
· Minister of Interior
Insures all of the above documents have not been falsified.
· Political Affairs
Gives final authorization to issue the passport.
· Passport is issued
DHS·
Take adoption decree to finalize orphan first petition.
Embassy
Visa is issued.
****You get the call to come get your child(ren)!!!

We are currently waiting for our documents to come back from the Haitian Consulate in Chicago as well as waiting for an approved I-171h & finger printing. Please pray that the rest of the steps will go quickly & without any complications. Thanks!