The Next Steps in the Process

Now that our homestudy is completed it has to be sent to DCFS (Department of Child and Family Services) and to USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) for approval.  In our state, DCFS has to approve us to be a foster family in order to adopt.  Most states do not require this step but I am finding out that our state is one of the most difficult to adopt through!!  Yikes!!  Anyways, our homestudy agency sends our homestudy to DCFS and to USCIS and we send off a document called the I-600A to USCIS to start the process.

Today we sent out the I-600A!! WOO!HOO!!!

So now what...............???  Well we wait and wait and wait for our approvals from both DCFS and USCIS. I believe I heard that these can take up to 6-8 weeks again.  So I am figuring at least 10-12 weeks to be safe!!

In the meantime I am finishing up the first 1/3 of our dossier - called the Registration Application.  Soon, I need to head to the state capitol to get it apostilled.  I am actually done with it EXCEPT for the crazy pictures of my house.  This is driving me crazy!  I keep ordering them from Walmart or Shutterfly and they keep turning out so dark.  I had Walmart lighten them and they lightened them too much!  Todd came back with the 3rd order (maybe 4th?) of them tonight after we tried to correct the coloring on the website and guess what..............too dark!  UGG!!  I just want to be done with them.  When I print them off my computer at home, just on plain paper, they look great!!  So why is this so difficult???  Anybody have any ideas???