On Friday we received a 'welcome' packet from the adoption agency. Inside, along with some pretty pictures of smiling kids and letters congratulating us on deciding to adopt, were two CDs. On the CDs are lots and lots of forms, questionnaires, and checklists which we will need to complete as part of the homestudy process.
Now, I love a well documented administrative process as much (ok, probably more) than the next person. I am truly at home in bureaucracy. Compiling documents and data, marshaling affidavits, and navigating intricate, hierarchical processes is something I do very well. I actually enjoy filling out forms, checking boxes, attaching appendices and validating affidavits. But... wow. This is a daunting pile of paperwork to contemplate, even for me.
I know it's all important. Obviously, they need to know if we have criminal backgrounds, or are financially unstable, or religiously opposed to medical care. It makes sense to ask about our education, our relationships with our extended families, and our medical health. And naturally, there's going to be some regulations regarding the condition of our home and various safety protocols. We knew going into the process that there would be a lot of questions to answer. But seeing it all laid out in one place, one set of documents, well, it's just shy of overwhelming.
Of course, the agency'll help. Just having compiled all the documents and forms and questionnaires for us is a big help. I can already tell I'm going to love the checklists. Marriage licence? check. Birth certificates? check. Two years of tax info? check. Immunization records for the cats? check. Lock box for cat medicine, separate from lock box for human medicine? check. Fire escape ladders for each upstairs bedroom? check...
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