One of the first questions we asked when we responded to the call of adoption was "how long does the process take?", and that is often one of the first questions people ask us now. We love talking about it when we are together with you, but just in case we don't have enough time to go into detail, here are the steps as we understand them. The green sections are ones that we have already completed at this point, and the black sections are ones that are still on the horizon. For those who just want the super abridged update...our estimates indicate the possibility of traveling to India by the end of 2024 at the earliest, or later in 2025 if things take longer.
One of our prayer requests is for a streamlined process wherever possible. And another is for patience throughout the many months! Please pray with us :)
✔ Application Part 1 [1-2 weeks]
Our first step after choosing an adoption agency was to complete a short application with basic information about ourselves. The goal of this step was to review the process of both domestic and international adoption, and to ensure that we were in fact eligible to adopt through whichever program we settled on.
✔ Training [~1 month]
To best prepare us for the adoption process, and for life after we bring our child home, we needed to complete 18 hours of training (10 hours of online modules, and a two day 8-hour class). Before we bring our child home we will need to complete an additional 12 hours each, which can be met by reading books or completing additional online modules. We have found these trainings and books to be very helpful as we prepare our hearts and minds!
✔ Application Part 2 [~ 2 months]
It seemed like we were cruising through the process, and then we started chasing down the required paperwork for a huge application to our agency. It took us almost 2 months to schedule and complete the needed appointments (physicals, psych evals, fingerprinting) and gather all the required forms. All of this is needed in order to validate the home study, which is next…
✔ Home Study [~2 months]
The home study process is an in-depth look at who we are as individuals and as a family. We were assigned a social worker who interviewed us across 3 different days to learn about who we are, what has shaped our lives, how we respond in different circumstances, and why we want to adopt. We always thought a home study was just walking around our house to make sure it is a safe environment for a child, but that was only about 1% of what a home study is! The outcome of the home study process is a 15 page document written by our social worker, detailing who we are. It’s like we’ve had a biography written about us that will never be published.
✔ Applications to USCIS (United States Gov.) & CARA (India’s Gov.) [~3 months]
After receiving our completed home study we began completing our I-800A application to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and our Dossier 1 application to the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) in India. These applications require extensive documentation, such as background checks, financial statements, and home study reports, among many others. Each document we submitted had to be notarized and apostilled in order to be authenticated. Application Part 2 was a ton of work, but this step definitely takes the cake for being even more!
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Wait for Approvals of both applications [~4 months]
No explanation needed here, but it definitely deserves it’s own section. Wait times are a bit unpredictable, but we are using 4 months as our expectation.
Matching with a child [~1-9 months]
Upon receiving USCIS and CARA approvals we will finally be eligible to be matched with a child! We could be matched on day one, or it could be several months. In India, CARA plays a significant role in matching children with families, and all referrals will come to us through our social worker. We know our child will be three years old or younger when we get matched, which means our future child could already have been born!! When you think of it, please be praying for our child even today!
Legal Procedures [~12 months]
We anticipate this being the hardest part of the adoption process. Knowing our child, but not being able to jump on a plane and make it final. Once a match is made, the legal process begins.
- We will file a I-800 to USCIS (2-3 months)
- CARA will issue a No Objection Certificate (NOC) (1-3 months)
- Judge will review evidence and issue written orders finalizing adoption (2-5 months)
- CARA will issue Certificate of Conformity (Article 23) (2-4 weeks)
Bringing our Child Home
The moment that makes all this work and waiting worth it! Our stay in India will be approximately 2 weeks long, ending with a flight home with the newest member of the Higgins family!
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