Timeline

June 11, 2014 - Agency application submitted
This includes four pages of personal and financial history, a medical conditions checklist to indicate all the special needs we are prepared to accept, past three years tax documents, a family photo, a photo of our house, a notarized copy of the terms of agreement, and the application fee.

June 19, 2014 - Home Study application submitted
This includes a four page application, plus ten attachments and a fee.

June 24, 2014 - Began Home Study
This will include collection of documents, a series of four interviews by a social worker, and clearances from every place we have lived. Since we were both in the Navy, we have moved a combined total of 17 times! Thank goodness some of them are duplicates and the two foreign countries are exempt! The home study is expected to take four months to complete.

August 4, 2014 - Finished our portion of Home Study
We have completed our interviews, submitted all our paperwork, and submitted all our clearance requests. Now we wait for the social worker to write the home study report, all the clearances to arrive, and the home study to be approved by the adoption agency.

August 7, 2014 - Began Dossier
We already gathered some of the required documents during the home study process (vital records such as birth certificates, marriage certificate, plus medical forms). Now we complete the 13 additional items which will need to be notarized, certified (state level) and authenticated (national level). There is also a compilation of photos that are required of our family and home. The dossier is expected to take six to seven months to complete.

August 29, 2014 - Completed 12 hours of required training
Done on-line. Very interesting, informative, helpful and not difficult at all.

October 22, 2014 - Home Study complete
We received our official home study that was completed by the home study agency and approved by the adoption agency! Major milestone! The home study process took four months, as expected.

October 23, 2014 - I800A submitted
This is immigration paperwork. Ours consisted of a ten-page form, plus several attachments such as proof of citizenship, proof of marriage, and a notarized copy of home study, plus a fee. I sent it to the U.S. Department of Homeland security and it is said that approval takes three months. Once we receive the 797 Immigration Approval, it will be added to our dossier which goes to China. We have completed all the documents for our dossier and they are out for certification by various states and authentication by the Chinese Embassy and Chinese Consulate. We are pleased to be well on our way in this adoption process!

October 31, 2014 - Child Referral received
We received our first child referral consisting of a medical record and three photos. This happened much sooner than we anticipated! We will have his file reviewed by three medical professionals and will prayerfully consider this little boy for adoption.

November 19, 2014 - Letter of Intent submitted
We are so pleased to have sent in our Letter of Intent to adopt our precious little boy!

November 24, 2014 - Congratulations!
We received notification that our LOI was uploaded to China's system for waiting children. We are so thrilled to know who our little boy is!

December 2, 2014 - I-797 received
We received our immigration approval today. Once it it notarized/certified/authenticated, it will be added to our dossier. The dossier, including the home study, 797, and a compilation of photos of our family and our home, will then be shipped to China.

December 12, 2014 - Dossier to China
Our adoption agency sent our dossier to China today!

December 17, 2014 - Log In Date
We are LID, meaning our dossier is in China and has been logged into the Chinese system.

February 12, 2015 - Letter of Approval
Our LOA from the Chinese government authorizing us to adopt Peter has been issued! We are so blessed to have received our LOA five days prior to the two to four month window that is advised.

February 20, 2015
Sent in our I800 immigration paperwork for Peter.

March 14, 2015
Received I800 provisional approval.

March 16, 2015
Received NVC (National Visa Center) Letter, which is the official I800 approval.

March 18, 2015
Submitted DS-260 Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Form online to the U.S. Department of State. This is our final paperwork prior to receiving our final adoption/travel authorization from the U.S. and China.

April 2, 2015
We received our Article 5! That is the final approval from the U.S. to go adopt Peter. Now we wait for Travel Approval from China.

April 9, 2015
We received our Travel Approval from China. Now we just wait for our travel itinerary from our adoption agency confirming our U.S. Consulate appointment in China before we can book our plane tickets!

April 23, 2015
All booked and ready to go! International flights, in-China appointments and transfers all set! So excited. Praise God!