I Love Checklists!

I love checklists! How about you?

Do you use cute pieces of paper to fill out a list for the day or week and have the fantastic feeling of checking something off your list?  Man, it feels good!  This is the checklist we have to complete for the adoption process.  Slowly, but surely items are being checked off.

Today, I was fingerprinted at an office downtown.  The bottom of my fingers on both hands were covered in black ink.  Even the special de-greaser they had didn't get all of the black off.  Josh, ahead of the game, had his done last week (before the adoption specialist even came out).  Can you guess that someone is excited?  He had to go back again this week though, because we have to have 2 sets.  One to receive a fingerprint clearance card and one for the courts.

Below is a checklist of what will happen in the next few months:
             Attend a 12 week course to become Certified for Adoption - this starts the first week of June.
             CPR Training
             Fill out a lot of paperwork
             Have an interview with Jenn
             Home visit with Jenn
             Wait & Pray

The process to adopt a child will happen like this:
       A child is severed from their parent (these are children who have been placed in the foster care system).
       The foster family does not/cannot adopt the child.
       The CPS worker checks the Adoption Registry and picks 3-4 families who would be a good match
                  for the child.
       We get a call to see if we are interested in adopting the child.
       The adoption specialists who represent the families meet with CPS and share why their family would be
                  a good match.
       The adoption specialists leave the room.
       CPS decides on a family.
       If we are chosen, then the adoption specialist will call and set up a paper presentation where we receive
                 all of the information on the child.  At the end of that meeting we get to see a picture.
       We go home, pray and have 24 hours to decide if we want to adopt.

After that the child will be placed in our home (if we decide to adopt) in a time frame that varies with each situation, but from 1 day to 1 month.

At the end of 6 months, the adoption will be finalized!!

Sounds like a nerve-wracking process to me!  I know when a phone call comes to see if we are interested in being represented that I will be a bundle of nerves until the next phone call of joy or let down.  I also know, I will need a lot of grace during that time.  Thank goodness for access to that grace!