The Adoption Seminar . . . And away we go!

July 31, 2007

Daddy and I head off to the adoption seminar at the first agency that we heard about. I must say that they lived up to their reputation. I found them to be honest, straight-forward, and knowledgeable about what the current climate is in the world with different programs. The director has 5 children, 4 of whom she adopted. That is comforting to know that she “gets” this on a personal level. I walk in with my list of questions and my excel spreadsheets outlining financial requirements. They set my mind at ease immediately. It also appears as though they are coming in approximately $3,000.00 less than the other agency we were considering. Travel will be the biggest variable and no agency can control that. They were pleased that we already started the I600A process and were told the Home Study should be done as quickly as possible given that the I600A could not be finalized without. GROOVY! Say when! I’m there! We were also told that they, as an agency, would not accept any fees or let us apply with them until we had successfully passed the home study. That was impressive to me to know they weren’t moneygrubbers and their primary purpose was placing the children in loving, safe, nurturing homes. They made it clear that even though we were paying the fees, they worked on behalf of the children and the children were their primary focus. We leave feeling that the journey ahead will be a little less scary with these folks working with us. It starts to really sink in that this is bigger than getting the privilege of being called Mommy and Daddy. It is bigger than picking out the right schools and extracurricular activities. We have a chance to help make the world a better place . . . . starting with one child. How lucky are we?