People have been asking us for updates regarding the adoption of our little girl from the Ukraine. This last week, we had our fingerprinting completed for the immigration department of the US and we wait for our approval letter. We have heard that we will wait anywhere from 2 weeks to 45 more days. Once our approval is obtained, we submit all of our paperwork to the Ukrainian Ministry of Social Policy and await their response. They generally take about 30 calendar days (we've read) but have told us that they will expedite her dossier due to her condition. Once they approve us, they extend us an invitation to travel with an appointment date to be in Ukraine for. So that sends us scrambling to book airline travel and get passports for the children.
We are looking into staying at a Scripture Union Camp only a half mile from her orphanage. Besides being a good rate for 2 rooms at the camp, we can walk to the orphanage each day to be with her. We plan on spending 3 hours each day with her. We don't know if they will let us spend that amount of time every day or not, but if we can, we will be there. We must spend a certain number of hours and days with her before a court date will be set. We believe that this is to ensure families understand the child's needs before moving forward to definitely secure the adoption.
We are hoping to take our three children with us as we understand that the whole process in country will take 6-7 weeks. I'm grateful that we homeschool and that this won't disrupt their learning. What an experience!
Once our court hearing is set, we wait for it to arrive while continuing to visit our daughter in the orphanage.
Once court has granted the adoption, we may pick her up and move to Kiev to an apartment (less spartan than a camp for her) to be close to the ministries where we obtain her birth certificate, her passport, her visa to travel, our immigration form that makes her legally a US citizen upon touchdown on US soil.
We are looking into staying at a Scripture Union Camp only a half mile from her orphanage. Besides being a good rate for 2 rooms at the camp, we can walk to the orphanage each day to be with her. We plan on spending 3 hours each day with her. We don't know if they will let us spend that amount of time every day or not, but if we can, we will be there. We must spend a certain number of hours and days with her before a court date will be set. We believe that this is to ensure families understand the child's needs before moving forward to definitely secure the adoption.
We are hoping to take our three children with us as we understand that the whole process in country will take 6-7 weeks. I'm grateful that we homeschool and that this won't disrupt their learning. What an experience!
Once our court hearing is set, we wait for it to arrive while continuing to visit our daughter in the orphanage.
Once court has granted the adoption, we may pick her up and move to Kiev to an apartment (less spartan than a camp for her) to be close to the ministries where we obtain her birth certificate, her passport, her visa to travel, our immigration form that makes her legally a US citizen upon touchdown on US soil.