Jumping through HOOPS

I have been wanting to do this post for sometime now, but I just never could seem to get it started. I want to talk about how children come into our lives......we all know about the "Birds & The Bees", but sometimes that does not work in bringing a child into the family. So when this does not happen couples/singles have to find other options in making their dreams come true of having a child.

I am going to talk about the adoption side and kinda shine some light on all the "hoops" that adoptive parents have to jump through to PROVE that they will be great parents!

Imagine having the dream of wanting a child so bad....and than you find out to have this dream come true you have to go down the adoption road. WONDERFUL...having gone down it twice, I would do it over and over again.

There are a TON of documents/paperwork that needs to be completed before someone else can tell you if you are "fit" to be a good parent and than you have to wait for that perfect birthparent to choose you for their child.

When most people can "make" a baby, go to the hospital give birth and than able to leave with the baby and never look back, than here we are (adoptive parents) who have to complete the following documents before anything in the adoption world can move forward (Ohio requirements for domestic adoption):

* Request for a homestudy to be done/complete application if needed

*Have a fire inspection of your home

*Work references

*References from friends

*Physicals on all the people in your home

*BCI/FBI checks completed

*Infant/Child CPR done

*Child Abuse check ran against you

*Financial paperwork ( to make sure that you can afford a child)

*Interviews as a couple and seperate

*Inspection of your home

*Once you bring the baby home ~ you have 6 months of visits with a social worker

After all of this is completed most of the documents are only good for 2 years (in OH)!!! So if you allow them to expire, you need to do them ALL OVER again...that includes the hassle and MONEY! Yeah this stuff is not free!

Why am I talking about all of this you wonder?? Well after much thought we decided to update all our paperwork again because it was getting ready to expire and we did not want to start from square one. We are not ACTIVELY looking to add another addition but after talking with our social worker we decided this was the smartest thing to do. We want to be ready for anything and if we did not complete this all now and a situation came to us and we did not have all this paperwork updated, we would not be able to be placed with a child. So here we are once again "Paper Ready" and we will just see what the future holds for us with adding to our family through the MIRACLE of ADOPTION!!!!

Like I mentioned above I would jump through firey hoops over & over again when you get the wonderful outcomes of healthy beautiful babies!!!!!