After way too much agonizing and foot-dragging, Bill and I decided to simplify our process and just work with an agency, Bethany Christian Services. The lure of "cutting down our wait time" and perhaps "saving quite a bit of money" lulled me into inaction. As Bill put it, "At the rate we're going, we're never going to get this adoption done," and we had barely started!
So, I compromised and suggested that we just go with an agency. We had already looked into several and were taken with Bethany since it has a heavy emphasis on finding Christian families for children. They are also one of the largest (or perhaps THE largest) agency in the country with offices all over the place. They also handle international adoptions, which we are still considering for a future adoption.
The biggest advantage with an agency, at least for me, is that there are specific steps and deadlines to meet. That's a big one for me. I do not, repeat DO NOT, handle self-determined timelines well. Every independent study class I've ever taken - and there have been few 'cuz I'm a quick learner, you know - has been a huge struggle with insanely busy crunch times at the end. I'm great at meeting other people's deadlines, but I will admit that I procrastinate. That's why we (read: I) ended up dragging our feet.
We also made a change in what state from which we would adopt. Bethany isn't permitted to help us complete an adoption in Illinois unless the child is born there. But they CAN help us in Washington. Washington has favorable laws for adoptive parents, and it's a lot closer than Illinois. A direct flight from here to Seattle is relatively easy to get, much shorter, and cheaper.
SO, here we are. We filled out the preliminary application with Bethany, are planning to travel to Seattle for an adoptive parent meeting & start the formal application, and have an appointment on January 14th to start the homestudy process with Fairbanks Counseling & Adoption.
Three small steps for the Howards, one giant leap for our adopted child!
2 comments:
Cheri, thank you for the update; we have been wondering. We are cheering for you, and we are already excited to meet your new family member! Joel & Jessica
Cheri & Bill, that is *wonderful* news!!! I can hear the relief & sense of accomplishment in your voice - and that's half the battle right there! We can't wait to hear the next update in January!!! Truly so many things to be grateful for. Merry Christmas!
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