Timeline
February 25, 2011 - Application to America World Adoption Association (AWAA) Received
February 28, 2011 - Call from AWAA, accepted into the Ethiopia program!
March 1, 2011 - Mailed agreement to AWAA
March 3, 2011 - Agreement received and assigned family coordinator
March 4, 2011 - Paper chase begins and we schedule our first home study
March 7, 2011 - Receive official confirmation about the drastic changes happening with Ethiopian adoptions
March 26, 2011 - Home study meeting 1
March - April - The timeline might show gaps here, but believe me, there's been PLENTY going on.
April 22, 2011 - Home study meetings 2 & 3
April 23, 2011 - Home study meeting 4
May - Patiently waiting for our home study
June 13, 2011 - Power of Attorney and Dossier Cover Sheet sent to AR Secretary of State for Certification
June 18, 2011 - Receive state certified documents
July 1, 2011 - Home study rough draft received
July 13, 2011 - Receive our 4 final notarized home studies
July 14, 2011 - Mailed I-600A application to USCIS
July 18, 2011 - I-600A application received
August 8, 2011 - USCIS fingerprints in Ft. Smith
August 19, 2011 - Receive I-171H
August 22, 2011 - Mailed dossier to AWAA
September 2, 2011 - DTE (dossier to Ethiopia) (#72 on unofficial wait list)
October 2, 2011 - 1 month closer
January 23, 2012 - Approved for Concurrent Family Building
March 2, 2012 - 6 months closer
September 2, 2012 - ONE YEAR CLOSER!
September 5, 2012 - USCIS re-fingerprinting
November 19, 2012 - Home study update
January 9, 2013 - Receive notarized home study update
January 10, 2013 - Mailed I-600A renewal application to USCIS
January 24, 2013 - Receive updated I-171H
March 2, 21013 - 18 months closer (#33 on unofficial wait list)
June 2, 2013 - 21 months closer (#29 on unofficial wait list)
September 2, 2013 - TWO YEARS CLOSER!
May 19, 2014 - Home study update
July 2, 2014 - 34 months closer (#21 on unofficial wait list)
August 29, 2014 - USCIS re-fingerprinting...round 3! (#20 on unofficial wait list)
September 2, 2014 - THREE YEARS CLOSER!
December 2, 2014 - 39 months closer, officially increase our age range to 0-3 (#19 infant wait list, #10 toddler wait list)
March 9, 2015 - Receive word it's time to update paperwork to be ready for referral
March 31, 2015 - (almost) 42 months closer (#9 infant wait list...subtract families on hold #2!!!!)
September 2, 2015 - FOUR YEARS CLOSER! (...changes to families on hold so #3 infant wait list, #1 toddler wait list!)
October 14, 2015 - Send off request for ANOTHER fingerprint appointment
November 23, 2015 - USCIS re-fingerprinting
December 23, 2015 - #2 infant list and #1 toddler wait list
January 19, 2016 - Home study update (no movement so still at the same spot on the list)
March 28, 2016 - Mailed I-600A renewal application to USCIS
May 13, 2016 - Receive updated I-171H (#1 on infant and toddler wait list)
May 20, 2016 - The CALL!!!! Referral Day
June 20, 2016 - Sign contract of adoption and complete I-600 form
August 30, 2016 - Submitted to PAIR
September 2, 2016 - FIVE YEARS CLOSER since DTE!
September 10, 2016 - Received I-797C
September 21, 2016 - I-604 Investigation begins
October 3, 2016 - Embassy Interview Requested
October 19, 2016 - Embassy Interview
November 1, 2016 - I-604 Investigation Complete
November 4, 2016 - PAIR Letter Received
December 20, 2016 - Positive MOWCYA Letter Received
December 23, 2016 - SUPRISE! Find out we have a court date!
December 25, 2016 - Leave for Ethiopia, Merry Christmas!
December 29, 2016 - Pass Court, Lota is officially a Gardner
Process
After filling out an application, receiving approval through the agency’s intake process, and signing an agreement with the agency, prospective parents initiate what is called the “paper chase," which takes 4-6 months to complete. During this stage of the adoption, families begin assembling their dossier (set of adoption paperwork). The agency assigns each family a personal Family Coordinator to help them compile their dossier, which includes a home study and approval from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Before the agency can submit a family’s dossier to the Ethiopian government’s Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs (MOWCYA), it must be sent through a careful process of certification and authentication in order for it to be used as a legal framework for adoption. Certification and authentication is a three-step procedure in which dossier documents visit their respective Secretaries of State, the U.S. Department of State, and Ethiopia’s Embassy in Washington, D.C. Family Coordinators will assist families through this process as well. The authentication process concludes the paper chase, and the agency delivers the finished dossier to the Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs. Once the dossier is in Ethiopia, it is translated, processed and examined by the Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs. The agency's staff works with government officials and orphanages as a match is made between prospective parents and a child. Prospective parents typically wait 48-60 months (when we began it was 7-11 months) before receiving a referral of a child from Ethiopia (this time frame continues to increase). The parents are given a picture, medical test results and a short profile of the child’s life. All children are tested for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and other medical conditions. Prospective parents are given the option to accept or reject the child referral they receive. The agency plans travel arrangements for families choosing to accept their referral. There are two in-country stays required in Ethiopia. Both parents must travel on the first trip, which is typically 5-7 days. Only one parent is required to return for the second trip, which generally lasts 3-5 days. The agency’s staff will coordinate travel logistics, including air and ground transportation, lodging, translators, and some meals. Families fly into the capital city, Addis Ababa. During their second stay, adoptive parents visit the U.S. consulate in Addis Ababa to receive their child’s visa.
Resource awaa.org
Feature photo courtesy of Sam Knutsen lookforhim.etsy.com