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So, you’ve decided to take the plunge and adopt from Ethiopia! If you’re like me, you’re anxious to get going. If you’ve already received your homestudy packet from your homestudy agency, you may be feeling overwhelmed at the sheer volume of items mentioned. What you do next can greatly affect the speed of your dossier assembly. Here are some tips to get you a jump start.
1.) First off, request your birth certificates, marriage licenses, and divorce decrees. You will need to request these items from the state in which each event occurred.
http://www.vitalchek.com/ is one central clearinghouse where you might try starting. Get at least 3 certified copies of each item. Both your homestudy agency and your Ethiopian agency will need these to start your adoption process. You will also need a copy to finalize your adoption after your child comes home.
2.) Your local criminal background check is another important piece of your dossier, and one that can potentially take awhile to get. Some homestudy agencies won’t even start the homestudy till that clearance is done. As soon as possible, get the contact information from your homestudy agency, and get those fingerprints! Local agencies can take a few weeks to a few months to clear those fingerprints, as they will need to be examined against the local database of criminals, and also sent to the FBI. Then the clearance is sent to your homestudy agency. You will need to get a notarized original of that local clearance for your Ethiopian dossier as well.
3.) Next think about who will write reference letters for you. You will need two kinds. The first type of reference is for your homestudy agency. Most homestudy agencies provide a form to be filled out and require references from 3-4 people, one of whom can be a family member. These will need to be returned to your homestudy agency before your first homestudy interview. So for these first reference letters, try to think of people who not only will say nice things about you, but also people who are likely to quickly return the letters to your agency. And make sure your friends and family KNOW that the homestudy cannot begin without their input!
The second type of reference letter you will need is for the Ethiopian government. Your agency will provide you with a format for writing these letters. You’ll need two. Again, choose people with a high opinion of you, but also people who are organized and won‘t lose or entirely forget the form!
In my experience, even motivated friends take at least a week to pull together a reference letter. If you are gifted with patience, this may sound fine, but for impatient people like me, it can feel like at eternity! So make sure everyone knows how essential these letters are to your adoption process.
I usually give people a heads-up before my agency sends the forms, check in a few days after they should have gotten the reference requests, just to make sure they arrived, and then call one more time a week or so after that, to see if the letter-writing went OK. Yup, I’m a nag, but if you do it in a friendly way and express your appreciation enthusiastically, people tend to be really gracious.
Hello there!
I’ve been reading up about Ethiopian adoptions and will be picking an agency soon. I have a question…I’ve read that the dossier must be authenticated at the Dept of State AND at the embassy in DC, as well as the Secretary of State?? I’m confused..would someone be so kind and explain the notarization, certification and authentication process for me? Only some documents go to DC? Thanks!