Home Study Paperwork

When we first met Dr. Heller, one of our big questions was how the home study works and what it entails. She summarized the process then told us a story. She told us that at this time of year, between Halloween and Christmas, adoptive couples like Carlie and I often slack on their home study paperwork. She told us that because of the hectic schedule people have during the holidays, they often put their paperwork on hold but people don’t stop having babies.  I heard her LOUD and CLEAR! Babies being born and not as many people able to adopt?? Sign us up!
 I have never been so motivated to get paperwork done in my life!  And this gives a WHOLE new meaning for me to the term “paperwork”.   Let me share the list of items that we had to get together to  complete the home study:

- resume from both

- autobiography from both

- letter from our banks stating we are customers in good standing,

 the types of accounts  we have and the balance of each account

- letter from our  doctors stating that we are in good health and

 free of any infectious  diseases, specifically HIV

- letter from our vet (yes, a referral letter from my dog’s doctor!) stating that Macy was gentle and current on shots

- a 7-page “Get To Know You” sheet from both (and this asked some personal stuff!)

- certified copies of our birth certificates (this was stupidly expensive)

- statements proving our financial stability, including copies of last year 1040s

- 6 reference letters (to quote Dr. Heller "you need 6 reference letters...but you could turn in 20!)

- copies of our driver’s licenses and social security cards

- MO State Highway Patrol Criminal Background Check

- FBI Child Abuse Screening (which included getting our fingerprinting done)

- outline of our home, including placement of furniture, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers

- Employment Verification Letter from each of our employers (including current salary)

- Financial worksheet (listing ALL of our assets and liabilities)

I think that’s all of it…

I attacked this chore with a vengeance!  I understand that we may have to wait for a baby until a birth mother picks us but I did not understand us waiting any longer because we can’t get appointments made, letters requested, and copies made.  If you know me at all, you can probably guess that getting this paperwork organized and executed properly is right up my alley! Twelve hours later I was on the phone making appointments, requesting letters, and sending emails. I worked on it nightly. Organizing the papers, checking off items on the list…feeling that right now this was the only thing I could do to get our baby so I did it with joy and with gusto!

Three weeks after being given our home study paperwork assignment, I sat on our living room floor and made copies of each piece of paperwork required for our records.  We had completed it all (well, Carlie still had is autobiography and doctor’s appointment to complete, but I trusted him to get those done on time!). I called Dr. Heller’s office and scheduled our home visit, the final step in the home study requirements.

We were warned that this paperwork would feel very intrusive. I suppose when you look at and think about all they are asking from us it IS a lot. But Carlie and I never once complained about it or felt that it was too personal or invasive. Every paper we filed, letter we requested, question we answered, appointment we went to, or paper that we copied felt like a step closer to meeting our baby. And that thought alone made it easy.