Chico day 2

It's much cooler today in Chico. The seminar is still quite interesting and I am truly enjoying the folks I am meeting here, feeling even more interested in localization.

I visited the little memorial to Oma and took a video (see below.) Sadly, there was some graffiti on it. I think I will email the Burke ladies and see if people want to pitch in, each about $25 or $50, to donate to Chico State and tell them we'd like that gift designated to clean up the memorial. Not only will that achieve the immediate goal of getting it cleaned up, it will also communicate to the university that Oma's family still cares very much and is engaged.



I met a nice lady named Deb, who is just finishing chemo for breast cancer and came all the way out here from Boston. Pretty brave to show up to this thing not knowing anyone here with most of her hair gone wearing a bandana. She was so lovely to chat with. She showed me photos of her dog online and I showed her the paintings on my web site and she definitely is now going to commission me to do a portrait for her. Funny that the first business opportunity from this localization seminar has nothing to do with software at all!

chico, language, hot hot hot

I'm in Chico, which brings back so many (sort of fuzzy) memories, taking a class that culminates in certification as a Localization Project Manager, which is a nice specialization to add to my pretty solid generalist software / infrastructure experience. The folks in this course have flown in from Singapore, Germany, and Argentina... and I thought my drive up from Berkeley was a drag. The teachers so far have been really great - so nice to be actually interested in class here in a place where I wasn't very interested before.

There are a couple of things that I am attracted to about this specialization: the international aspect (interesting input about different cultures, potential for fun travel) and the language aspect. Like my sister (and father and mother and so on...) I am a big language nut. Porter calls it being a "word geek."

This area near my hotel was all just rocks and dirt when I last lived here, but is now full of condos and shops and businesses. Wild.

And could it be hotter? Well, I suppose it could be humid, like, say Austin! I do not love the heat, so maybe that's another data point about moving.

local girl does good

The Marin paper published this full-page spread on an up-and-coming recording artist from Marin named Amber Dante.

She's Pastor Veronica's daughter! Very cool.

(Veronica Goines is the Pastor of my church, St. Andrew in Marin City.)

Good news!

Welcome to the Merrifamilia my new furry kiddo, Lulu! She's a rescue black lab, still very much in puppy mode at 11 months, but highly sweet and responsive and loves to learn. I've entered the new world where chew toys are like oxygen. She loves people, other dogs, the water, and BIRDS. Any kind of bird is worth pursuing in Lulu's world.

One of the best perks is all the walking I'm getting with her.

Here she is (in video below) at our wonderful local dog park, Point Isabel (her ears look a bit funny due to the wind in her face, but she normally looks very labby):

Good article on the front page of the NY Times today

On Ethiopian adoptions.

Check it out here.

adoption timeline

By popular request (and also for ease of communication for me!), I'm posting my adoption timeline, so y'all can see where I am in the process, and what's left to do...
I will update as I have news. Enjoy!!

** Status as of 07/26/07: Stages I - IV complete!! **

Stage I: Sign Up with Adoption Agency and Home Study Agency {done!!}

A. Research the 7 U.S. adoption agencies authorized by Ethiopian gov’t [done!]

B. Select Dove Adoptions International, based in Oregon [done!]

C. Apply to Dove, pay application fee [done!]

D. Received acceptance package and contract from Dove, submit contract and first installment
of adoption fee [done!]

E. Research licensed adoption agencies to do Home Study (must be a licensed agency in my home state - CA) [done!]

F. Select Adopt International, in San Francisco [done!]

G. Submit application to Adopt International, pay application and Home Study fees [done!]

H. Ask four friends to write letters of recommendation [done!]


Stage II: Get Permission from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (CIS) to Adopt Foreign Orphan {done!}

A. Fill out USCIS Form I-600A (Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition) [done!]

B. Submit the following to USCIS in San Francisco:

1. Completed I-600A [done!]
2. Completed Form DOJ-361 (Certification of Identity) (notarized) [done!]
3. Check for I-600A Application fee [done!]
4. Check for “Biometric fee” (for fingerprints) [done!]
5. Copy of my passport (for proof of Citizenship) [done!]
6. Health insurance verification (proving that the child will be covered by my health insurance as soon as he/she gets here) [done!]
7. Completed Home Study [done!]
   

C. Receive letter from USCIS giving me an appointment to have my fingerprints taken. [done!]

D. Have fingerprints taken for FBI for clearance. [done!]

E. Receive form I-171H from USCIS (Notice of Favorable Determination Concerning Application for Advance Processing of Petition of Orphan Petition) - this means I’m approved to adopt! [done!]


Stage III: Home Study (concurrent with Stage II) [done!]

A. Receive intro package and instructions from Adopt International [done!]

B. Get assigned to licensed Social Worker who will write the Home Study; call Social Worker to introduce myself. [done!]

C. Make appointment to get fingerprinted for California Department of Justice clearance [done!]

D. Make appointment with doctor for medical [done!]

E. Get full medical exam, TB test, HIV test, Typhoid, initial Hep A and B inoculations; get doctor’s signature notarized on four copies of health letter (for Ethiopian gov’t – to be part of my Dossier) and four copies of medical form (required for Home Study) [done!]

F. First meeting and interview with Social Worker (at her office in Sebastopol). [done!]

G. Gather and submit to Adopt Int'l (home study agency) the following documentation:

1. Application Form for International Adoption Home Study [done!]
2. Personal History Form [done!]
3. Fee Agreement International Adoption Home Study [done!]
4. Names/contact info for 4 people to recommend me - Adopt Int’l sends recommendation forms for them to fill out. [done!]
5. Recent photo [done!]
6. Release of Information forms (notarized) [done!]
7. Criminal Record Clearance statement from City of San Rafael [done!]
8. Agreement for Int'l Home Study Services [done!]
9. Certification of Pre-Adoption Preparation [done!]
10. Employment Verification (letter from employer) (notarized) [done!]
11. Medical Report (on form provided by Adopt Int’l) (notarized) [done!]
12. TB Test results [done!]
13. Copy of 2006 and 2005 tax returns [done!]
14. Copy of recent bank statements [done!]
15. Other financial documentation (net worth statement) [done!]
16. Copy of Birth certificate (notarized) [done!]

H. Have fingerprints taken for DOJ clearance. [done!]

I. Confirm with Adopt Int’l that DOJ clearance was received. [done!]

J. Complete the following courses for fulfill Adoption Education requirement:

1. Adoptive Parent Prep Seminar [done!]
2. "Let's Talk About Adoption" [done!]
3. "With Eyes Wide Open" (focus on int’l adoptions) [done!]
4. "Conspicuous Families" (focus on transracial adoptions) [done!]
5. "True Colors" (full-day workshop on transracial adoption) [done!]

K. Second (final) meeting and interview with Social Worker (at my home). [done!]

L. Review draft Home Study provided by Social Worker, make comments/corrections, send back to Social Worker. [done!]

M. Social worker finalizes Home Study, sends to Adopt Int'l. [done!]

N. Adopt International informs me that Home study is officially complete!! [done!]

O. Get five copies of Home Study (one for USCIS, four for dossier) [done!]


Stage IV: Dossier Preparation [done!]

My dossier must include three copies of each of the following:

1. Letter to Ethiopian Government (introducing myself, explaining why I want to adopt from Ethiopia, and committing to providing my child with awareness or his/her cultural heritage) (notarized) [done!]
2. Letter to the Board of Directors of Toukoul Orphanage in Addis Ababa (notarized) [done!]
3. Family Registration Form (notarized) [done!]
4. Financial Information (net worth statement) (notarized) [done!]
5. Letter from my Bank (notarized) [done!]
6. Criminal Clearance Letter from City of San Rafael (notarized) [done!]
7. Three Letters of Reference (different from the forms submitted for my Home Study) (notarized) [done!]
8. Employer Letter (notarized) [done!]
9. Medical Letter (with TB and HIV test results) (notarized) [done!]
10. Birth Certificate (state-certified) [done!]
11. Completed Home Study (notarized) [done!]
12. Copy of Adopt Int'l Agency License (with "true copy" statement) (notarized) [done!]
13. “Obligation of Home Study Agency” form signed by Adopt International (notarized) [done!]
14. Copy of the deed to my house (with "true copy" statement) (notarized) [done!]
15. Power of Attorney – for attorney to represent me in court in Addis Ababa (notarized and apostilled by the State of Calif.) [done!]
16. Form I-171-H (this form is sent to me from the USCIS) (with "true copy" statement, notarized and apostilled by the State of Calif.) [done!]
17. Passport Photos [done!]
18. Family Pictures [done!]

Stage V: Dossier Processing And Submission

A. Dove sends Dossier to Ethiopian embassy in Washington DC to be authenticated and translated into Amharic (a few weeks)

B. Ethiopian embassy sends Dossier back to Dove

C. Dove sends Dossier to Ethiopian Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MOWA)

D. MOWA approves Dossier

E. Dossier submitted to the Board of Directors of Toukol Orphanage in Addis Ababa


{the wait is approx. 4 - 6 months from submission of Dossier to Referral of child}


Stage VI: A Child Is "Referred" To Me

A. Toukol Orphanage board meets (behind closed doors) to identify a child for me, based on the information in my dossier, and their knowledge of the children at the orphanage.

B. Child’s “Referral” papers (including photo and medical information) are sent to Dove

C. Dove contacts me with referral information (Yay!!)

D. Submit child’s information to be reviewed by Pediatrician experienced in international adoption

within a week (but probably immediately)…

E. I accept the referral (or reject, if there is some good reason, and wait for another referral – this is extraordinarily rare)


Stage VII: Adoption Is Formalized In Ethiopia

A. Attorney in Addis Ababa prepares documents for court on my behalf

B. Paperwork filed in court

{about one week}

C. Court date assigned

{several weeks}

D. Court date (Attorney in Addis Ababa appears on my behalf.)

E. Court issues adoption decree – (adoption is now final under Ethiopian law)

{several weeks}

F. MOWA issues permission for me to travel to Ethiopia

G. Embassy appointment date is set (Once I know this date, I can plan my travel to Ethiopia!)

H. Adoption decree translated into English

I. New birth certificate is issued for child (with my last name)


{wait is approx. 4 - 6 weeks}


Stage VIII: I Go To Ethiopia To Get My Child!!

A. Fly to Addis Ababa

B. Stay in guesthouse at Toukol in Addis or at hotel

C. Meet child!

D. Apply for Ethiopian passport for child

E. Get medical and 2nd HIV test (required by US)

F. Go to US Embassy; apply for Visa for child

G. Fly home!


Stage IX: Home Sweet Home

A. At airport – provide child's passport, Visa, and sealed documentation (given to me by U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa) to USCIS agent

B. Get child’s passport stamped

C. File for re-adoption in California

D. Apply for SSN for child

E. Engage Adopt International to create “post-placement” reports

F. File post-placement reports with Ethiopian government – four (4) total

nice little video about Point Richmond