Finally!!!

We finally received our State Endorsement!

YAY!!!!

Our social worker called me at 2:00 this afternoon and said everything was ready to go.

I had to wait until 3:30 to leave because I had to get the kiddos from school. 

(Agency is about a 40 minute drive from home, so I couldn't make it and be back in time).

Picked kids up, drove to agency, then darted over to FedEx to send homestudy, I800A, and all other documents to USCIS, filled the gas tank and made it back by 5:00 pm for Rylee's volleyball game.

(Please don't do the timing/math on that trip.  It may or may not indicate a violation of the speed limit!)

Whew!

But I feel so much better! 

What exactly is the importance of this State Endorsement, you ask?
It is basically the State of Illinois approving our homestudy.
And we can't move forward without it.
It must be included in the next step in the adoption process, which is the I800A application.
Simply put, it is us asking Immigration permission to adopt a foreign born child and bring her to our country.

 

So what's next?

Now we wait a few weeks to receive a letter notifying us of where/when to get fingerprinted. 
Then continue to wait for I800A approval, which is running about 2 months right now.
In the meantime we continue to prepare our dossier (a compilation of about 17 documents).
Shortly after we receive I800A approval, we will be DTC (dossier to China!)
Which is HUGE!!!!

Clear as mud, huh?!