Just had M's last postplacement visit!

CaptainSerious · July 2014

Four years of visits every six months--DONE!!!

I can't believe it. The very last official piece to M's adoption is finally finished. How often it felt like we'd never reach this point!

March 15, 2008: Decided to start our adoption process

April 28, 2008: Applied to adoption agency

September 2008: Homestudy approved!

January 13, 2009: US Immigration approved!

February 26, 2009: Dossier sent to Peru!

April 3, 2009: Dossier submitted to Peruvian authorities

June 17, 2009: Received request for more information from Peruvian authorities

July 15, 2009: Submitted response to Peruvian authorities

September 20, 2009: Received notice that Peru approved us to adopt!

March 11, 2010: Submitted request to parent M to Peruvian authorities

April 27, 2010: REFERRAL!!!

June 7, 2010: Received our provisional approval from US Immigration

June 22, 2010: Flew to Peru

June 24, 2010: Met with orphanage staff where M grew up

June 25, 2010: Received approval from US Embassy to begin in-country portion of adoption

June 30, 2010: MET M!!!

July 5, 2010: Gained custody of M!

July 13, 2010: ADOPTION DAY!!!!!

July 26, 2010: Visa approved!

July 29, 2010: Flew home!

June 30, 2014: Completed last of required postplacement visits!

Now, all we have is a measly two more years of visits for J (and the readoption we plan to do for both of them before the year is out)!

Dr.Loretta · July 2014

Eeee! Congratulations! It's all coming together

[Deleted User] · July 2014

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lorifromwi · July 2014

Congratulations! What a long process, but I'm sure so worth while to have M in your life!

Just curious, what is a "readoption"? Haven't heard that term before.

CaptainSerious · July 2014

When you finalize an adoption in another country (which we did; the postplacement visits were not a condition for the adoption, we were just contractually bound to complete them), you can petition your state court to recognize that foreign adoption. The court issues papers, written in English, acknowledging the adoption legally, and issues a certificate of live birth (similar to a birth certificate) that shows the details of the birth and the adoptive parents as parents. These documents can then be used instead of the foreign adoption decree and both certificate for all purposes. They are easier to replace and proof that a US government recognizes the familial status, do it is far less contestable (probably less of an issue in Hague adoptions).

Most people refer to this as "readoption," although states call it different things, because technically, you are not adopting the child again, just getting American documentation of the foreign adoption.