It's been quite some time since we updated our adoption blog! You may notice the site has had a bit of a makeover. Almost every page has been updated so feel free to peruse. There may be some photos added ;) So why has it been so long since we last posted? As we said in a previous post, our adoption agency asked that we wait until Ben was a year old before we restarted the adoption process. First thought: has it been a year already?!? Second thought: no, really. Has it been a YEAR? Seriously though, it has been a tremendous year. We were blessed with a son who taught us what it is like to love beyond ourselves. And to live on little sleep. However, when it comes to the adoption, it's been 2 years since we committed to adopting a child and found out we were pregnant (Dec 2015). So here we are, a year after our surprise son was born, ready and anxious to begin the adoption process again. The Million Dollar QuestionSo the question that's most likely on everyone's mind is "How long until you bring a child home?" There are many, many factors that affect the timing of when we are able to adopt. The most important factor is that we need to be chosen by an expectant family and when that will happen is not in our hands. The truth is, it will happen whenever it is God's plan for it to happen. Ben is living proof of that :) Where do we (re)start?We don't know how long the process will take to adopt our child, but we CAN give an update on the process and where we are now. WHAT WE HAD TO DO: Leading up to Ben's birthday, we worked on a few things to get the ball rolling. We needed state police, FBI, and child abuse clearances (all expire every year) and CPR training (expires every 2 years). All three of us, including Ben, needed physicals (they expire every year). Once Ben was a year old, we got in touch with the adoption agency to update the home study. The home study is an official document required for every adoption. It's completed by a social worker who gathers information from us via paperwork and interviews. Our first time through this process, we had to fill out mounds of paperwork (78 pages) and have three separate interviews (~2 hours each). This time, we only had to fix a dozen sheets that needed updating (finances, family info, etc) and have two interviews instead of three. People often ask why our agency has to redo the home study. There are two reasons for this. First, we HAD to redo it because we had a major life change (re: we had a child) and the document was no longer accurate. Second, PA law states that a home study "containing a favorable recommendation must have been completed within 3 years and been supplemented within 1 year prior to placement." Hence, it needs to be updated yearly if we haven't adopted. But the biggest task on our redo list: updating and reprinting our adoption profile book. More on that in a bit :) For more info regarding PA home studies, visit this website: http://www.americanadoptions.com/pennsylvania-adoption/pennsylvania-adoption-home-study WHAT WE DID NOT DO: We have to pay a fee whenever the home study is updated, but we don't owe any additional money beyond that. Our projected expenses are the same as they were in 2015 and all the money we have paid and/or raised still goes towards our adoption. At this point, other than the cost for updating our home study, the next time we owe money is when we are chosen by an expectant family! Current Status: WaitingWith our home study updated, we are now available for expectant families! Families can be shown our profile, should we decide it is an opportunity we feel led to pursue. Please pray that God provides wisdom and discernment for both us and expectant families. Judging a book by its cover (or a family by a book)Our adoption profile book was a big part of our redo list because it is the first thing expectant families see about us. At the end of the post, you will see our completed book. (We had one finished in 2015, but since life looks different for us now, it needed to be revamped!) An adoption profile book is a book or packet given to families considering adoption for their children. Once the expectant families look through possible adoptive families, they choose who they would like to get to know better in person before ultimately deciding who to place their child with. A bit of info about our adoption profile book:
So why post the adoption profile book here?
1. If I (Rachel) were reading a blog all about adoption, I'd be curious what one of these profile books look like and would be interested in seeing a finished product. 2. If you know of a family considering adoption and you think we might be a good match, you can show them our profile! We are using Bethany Christian Services as our agency, but are allowed to find families on our own. We appreciate your prayers as we "unpause" and begin the adoption journey again! Blessings, J&R PS All 8 pages are below or the entire book can also be viewed or downloaded here
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June 2021
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