The Adoption Process
Where are we in the process and what are the steps to brining Baby Boggess home? This will be a quick recap of where we are and the road we still have left to travel:
We partnered with a consultation company called Evermore Adoption Consultants. Their job is to help us establish connections with various different agencies and birth moms throughout the 50 states. They do not work with the birth mothers, however, they are our eyes and ears as the intended adoptive parents. As Edmond likes to call them they are our “pimps.” Evermore has been sending us cases to learn about how the process works, but we cannot present to any of them until we are home study approved.
In Tennessee we have linked up with Adoption Assistance for our home study and they are a local agency who also works with birth moms. Since they are doing our home study we will also be able to see cases from them that are strictly for their agency. We have our first home study visit next week. We have already completed our finger printing, if you know Edmond this was entertaining, and we are just waiting on the results of that while we do the training.
After we are home study approved we are able to start presenting to birth moms if we feel the situation is right for us. We are able to decide if we present our profile book or if we want to pass on the situation. This is in our control to present and up to the birth mom to select us.
Once there is a match this is where everything becomes real and we have to start paying out money to various entities besides the upfront cost for Evermore and Adoption Assistance we have already paid. Depending on where the birth mom is, laws in that state, and agency policies we will have to put a deposit down anywhere from $10,000-25,000. This is the risky part as some of this is non-refundable should the birth mother decide to parent.
From match to when the baby arrives depending on how open of a relationship the birth mom wants there will be trips to go and visit with her and her family if they are around. This time is all about building a relationship with her and making sure we honor her wishes for the baby.
After the baby is born depending on the state we will have to stay anywhere from 9-21 days after birth to clear ICPC before we can travel back home to Tennessee.
Once we are home then we will start the process here of completing the adoption and making everything legal.
This all is a very brief and shortened portion of what the process is and our steps that we are having to navigate. If you have questions feel free to ask as we went into this very blind as we do not know anyone close to us that has adopted within the past few years. We have friends and family in other states that have, but everyones journey is different and we are here to share ours with you.
