Home Study

We received the completed home study from our caseworker this week. A big milestone in our journey and we are one step closer to the reality of having child in our family. Many of you reading this might not know the process so it might be important to give some background.

A home study for adoption is really the gateway to the adoption process. Essentially this is a report that is completed for you from your caseworker that is assigned to you by the agency your working with or possibly by the state. So many rumors circulate around about this, saying everything from the social worker comes in and critiques your house to having your pets check for rabies etc. In reality this report comes from a series of questions that you are asked and also three references that are compiled from people that you select. As you know by now Magan and I aren’t completely shy about the process and we welcomed the chance to talk through things.

After the home study was complete we looked back on the process thinking that every couple should ask themselves these questions. Questions like what was the most important part of your childhood? What did you learn from your parents? How do you plan to discipline your child? What do you see in your spouse that you like? It really got us to communicate and open up and start to think about things in a whole new light.

So okay to the important part that we are getting questions about. Timelines, baby room, car seats, and BPA free baby bottles! The process of international adoption for out program follows the below timeline.

1 – Apply (done)

2 – Home Study (done)

3 – Dossier (about 80% complete)

4 – Send Dossier & Home Study to Ethiopia!

5 – Wait for assignment (4-6 months)

6 – After we know who BabyByrd is we wait 3months to fly

We are hoping and praying that we will be able to travel to Ethiopia by early summer 2009. Please keep us in your prayers that we can travel prior to the government-taking holiday in August and September. If we cannot travel before this time we may need to wait an addition two months to meet our little one and return to the states. Also more important than cribs, and car seats pray for the birth parents that as they are faced with the reality of giving up their child that they may have peace in their hearts knowing that God has a plan for their little one.