Home Study - First Visit

Our social worker, Laura, visited our home on Friday. We spent about an hour going over our health questionaire (you know the one about what type of child we would take - one with diabetes, crossed-eyes, club feet, etc.). She helped us make better decisions about all of the health issues on the questionaire. She also got a chance to meet B. and see our home.

I was so nervous before the visit and had spent at least three days cleaning the house. I had really become OCD about cleaning. The things she really check for in our house was smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, that the house was child-proof (whatever that means) and that our fire-arms were stored correctly. I am sure she also noticed that it was clean and organized too, but the safety issues were top priority.

We told Laura that we really wanted a sibling group of two children between 0-4 years of age (either gender). I have a feeling we will get at least one boy, since toddler boys are slightly harder to place compare to infant and toddler girls). Laura told us that we will mostly be traveling in 16-18months, or anywhere between April and June of 2010.

I will be recieving the next installment of paperwork via email tomorrow (Monday, Dec. 29th). For this installment of paperwork, I will need to collect the legal documents that CHS will send over to the Ethiopian government (it is called the Dossier). Almost everything in our Dossier needs to be notorized including marriage certificates, birth certificates, physical exam forms, employment varification, power of attorney, criminal background checks, financial reports, proof of life insurance, proof of medical insurance, and it goes on and on. Laura says that I need to get this done ASAP - like within the next three weeks if possible. Too bad I have this thing called a JOB!!!!!!!!!!! We are also required to send all sorts of photos of our house and yard and family life.

We also have another meeting with Laura in St. Paul this Friday (January, 2nd at 9:00am). We will be reviewing our personal information that we disclosed in our "self-studies." Laura says she will especially be focusing on Scott's background since he was in fostercare, etc. She said that she just wanted to make sure that Scott has "dealt" with everything in his past. Laura believes that Scott's background could serve to be an asset, since he might be able to better identify with some of the emotions of our adopted children.

I will keep you all posted. God Bless.

S, K, and B