A contact in Colombia sends out an update every few months in regards to the dates that the ICBF (this is the country org that matches the child to the family) has provided referrals to families. It demonstrates how long the process can be, there are still some families looking for a child from 2008, but their criteria is very specific. Here is the sibling list.
2 Siblings 0 - 4 years --- Apr - 2008
2 Siblings 0 - 5 years --- Feb - 2008
2 Siblings 0 - 6 years --- Sep - 2009
2 Siblings 0 - 7 years --- Apr - 2010*
2 Siblings 0 - 8 years --- Mar - 2011
For our specifications which is asterisked above; this family submitted their dossier in April 2010 and received their referral in November 2011. So total time after their dossier was complete is 18 months. They could have more specifications then we have such as gender preferences.
Here is the information from our placement agency as to what has happened thus far in 2010.
Referrals for October 2011:
1, 16 month old boy from Montería
2 sibling girls from Cali - Ages 14 and 11
Families currently in country to adopt:
1, 15 month old girl from Cali – special case
1, 16 month old boy from Monteria
Completed Adoptions for 2011:
14 families/27 children
Current # of Application Families: 48
Current # of Dossier Families waiting for a referral: 45
Current # of Dossier Families with dossiers sent out to a region, awaiting their referrals: 7
Current # of Families with referrals waiting to travel: 1
Friday, November 25, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Secretary of State
The dossier checklist has been reduced to our home study and our I-800A form (petition to adopt); we cannot submit our I-800A until we have our home study, something I overlooked in starting the paper work process. Yesterday concluded the apostilling as well. I went into Boston for an interview and decided that I would bring of a change of clothes with me to go get the documents apostilled at the Secretary of States office. You can bring up to 4 documents and they will do it while you are standing there. I find the location which is right behind the capitol building. Great walk and it was 60 degrees out in November!
And so the story begins...
I go through security and get upstairs to the 17 floor where the public records people are going to apostille our Medical certificate and psych evaluation. The gentleman (known as Mr. Uptight in the rest of the story) that works there comes to the counter and starts verifying what the notary has written to ensure proper word usage and a completed form. He looks at the Medical Record which if you remember we had to get tested at the MD's office, then our NP had to wait for results, then contact a notary once she had them to complete the rest of the document and notarize her signature; this process took 3 weeks to receive the paper back and I gave them a self-addressed and stamped envelope. Mr. Uptight informs me that the form is filled out incorrectly, he begins to explain to me in a condescending manner no less that his job at this office is to ensure that the notary is doing their job appropriately, using the right terminology and documenting it on the form correctly, and they are told this during their swearing in. This notary did not list what document verified who our NP was and he did not use the correct Notary wording as written on the back of the pamphlet that Mr. Uptight passes across that table to me. I say to him excuse me sir but as I am sure you are aware from these papers that we are in the process of international adoption and there is a lot of paperwork that must be notarized and apostilled; I get what your role is in the process as this is our 35th document that we have needed to take care of. He looks at me with a blank face. He says well I can only do this other form that is filled out correctly (I had placed a $12 check on the counter for my two documents at the start of all this) and how will you be paying for this? I moved the check closer to him and he said well this is filled out for $12 and you owe $6, do you have cash or another check? No sir I do not have either. Well there is an ATM downstairs where you can get the cash out. Ok and he hands me back my forms. I go downstairs and of course the ATM is outside of security and it is not BOA. I take out $10 because as the man told me I can only get one form today because the notary does not follow directions. I go back through security upstairs with my $10 and hand in our psych evaluation. While I am waiting for the receipt from this nice woman (I am now standing in line hoping I do not have to go back to this fool for anything else) Mr. Uptight looks at me and says you know that you can get a certified copy of this document from the notary at the citizens bank downstairs then we can attach the two documents together and apostille them as one. No sir I did not (why would I???). Yes miss the bank is right down the hill and then you can come back and we will apostille it. In my brain...why didn't you tell me this before I went down took out not enough money now to get both and went back through security! I just smiled at him took my one document and left. I huffed it downhill to the bank (if anyone knows where Suffolk is it is on the same hill), the bank man ask me if I am a Citizens customer to which I answer no, and which bank do you bank with miss, BOA, why didn't he send you to BOA. With all due respect sir I do not think the gentleman who works for the SOS cares what banking institution I personally use. Man: Miss well I will need you to write out exactly what they want on the form and then I will notarize it. Great! Once that is done I leave and got to the ATM again take out cash and huff it back up the hill. Thank goodness for bringing my TOMS and not still being in those darn heels. I go back through security and head back up to the 17th floor and there is a line 10 deep. Would they call me to the front since I am now going on my third time...nope! So I wait hoping that I do not get Mr. Uptight and thankfully I get the sweet gram to help me out, she takes care of it and I am out of there. Of course as you know, I made sure to excuse myself to Mr. Uptight as he was helping someone else and say with a big smile, thank you so much for all your help I truly appreciate it! And turn on my TOMS and leave.
Ugh! Our babes will all be worth this in the end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And so the story begins...
I go through security and get upstairs to the 17 floor where the public records people are going to apostille our Medical certificate and psych evaluation. The gentleman (known as Mr. Uptight in the rest of the story) that works there comes to the counter and starts verifying what the notary has written to ensure proper word usage and a completed form. He looks at the Medical Record which if you remember we had to get tested at the MD's office, then our NP had to wait for results, then contact a notary once she had them to complete the rest of the document and notarize her signature; this process took 3 weeks to receive the paper back and I gave them a self-addressed and stamped envelope. Mr. Uptight informs me that the form is filled out incorrectly, he begins to explain to me in a condescending manner no less that his job at this office is to ensure that the notary is doing their job appropriately, using the right terminology and documenting it on the form correctly, and they are told this during their swearing in. This notary did not list what document verified who our NP was and he did not use the correct Notary wording as written on the back of the pamphlet that Mr. Uptight passes across that table to me. I say to him excuse me sir but as I am sure you are aware from these papers that we are in the process of international adoption and there is a lot of paperwork that must be notarized and apostilled; I get what your role is in the process as this is our 35th document that we have needed to take care of. He looks at me with a blank face. He says well I can only do this other form that is filled out correctly (I had placed a $12 check on the counter for my two documents at the start of all this) and how will you be paying for this? I moved the check closer to him and he said well this is filled out for $12 and you owe $6, do you have cash or another check? No sir I do not have either. Well there is an ATM downstairs where you can get the cash out. Ok and he hands me back my forms. I go downstairs and of course the ATM is outside of security and it is not BOA. I take out $10 because as the man told me I can only get one form today because the notary does not follow directions. I go back through security upstairs with my $10 and hand in our psych evaluation. While I am waiting for the receipt from this nice woman (I am now standing in line hoping I do not have to go back to this fool for anything else) Mr. Uptight looks at me and says you know that you can get a certified copy of this document from the notary at the citizens bank downstairs then we can attach the two documents together and apostille them as one. No sir I did not (why would I???). Yes miss the bank is right down the hill and then you can come back and we will apostille it. In my brain...why didn't you tell me this before I went down took out not enough money now to get both and went back through security! I just smiled at him took my one document and left. I huffed it downhill to the bank (if anyone knows where Suffolk is it is on the same hill), the bank man ask me if I am a Citizens customer to which I answer no, and which bank do you bank with miss, BOA, why didn't he send you to BOA. With all due respect sir I do not think the gentleman who works for the SOS cares what banking institution I personally use. Man: Miss well I will need you to write out exactly what they want on the form and then I will notarize it. Great! Once that is done I leave and got to the ATM again take out cash and huff it back up the hill. Thank goodness for bringing my TOMS and not still being in those darn heels. I go back through security and head back up to the 17th floor and there is a line 10 deep. Would they call me to the front since I am now going on my third time...nope! So I wait hoping that I do not get Mr. Uptight and thankfully I get the sweet gram to help me out, she takes care of it and I am out of there. Of course as you know, I made sure to excuse myself to Mr. Uptight as he was helping someone else and say with a big smile, thank you so much for all your help I truly appreciate it! And turn on my TOMS and leave.
Ugh! Our babes will all be worth this in the end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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