Out of my hands!!!

Pictured above, from left to right: Kathy Geleta, Cindy Froggatt, Janice Bergeron -- at offices of Children at Heart

On January 25 2007, I handed over my completed dossier to Children at Heart Adoption Services in Mechanicville, New York. Woo hoo!

Many thanks to Janice Bergeron, founder, and Kathy Geleta, assistant director of the adoption agency. They have helped me every step of the way. (For more information about the agency, go to http://www.childrenatheart.com)

My dossier is a 29-page set of 20 different documents (plus 10 photos). [Note: Each one of the 20 documents has been notarized, certified by a county clerk, and then apostilled by the appropriate Secretary of State.] Collectively, these documents explain who I am and why I want to adopt a child from Kazakhstan as well as assure the authorities that I do not have a criminal record, am healthy, and financially stable. All the paperwork included in the dossier supports the conclusion stated on the one-page Form I-171H from the United States Department of Homeland Security - U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS):
"It has been determined that you are able to furnish proper care to an orphan or orphans as defined by Section 101(b)(1)(F) of the Immigration and Nationality Act."

Here are a few photos included in the dossier (exterior of home, interior of home, baby's room, and ME!!!)







So, the dossier is now literally out of my hands and I move to the waiting stage -- where the adoption process is figuratively out of my hands. I place my trust in Janice and Kathy and the other people that work with Children at Heart in this country and in Kazakhstan. First, the dossier will be translated into Russian. The translated dossier then goes to the Kazakhstan Consulate here in the States before being sent over to the Ministry of Education (and others) in Kazakhstan for their review. At some point (probably no sooner than May or June), I will receive a Letter of Invitation (LOI) from the local authorities in Karaganda, Kazakhstan to travel there to adopt a child from the Malutka Baby House. Once the LOI is issued, I will be able to get a visa and make travel arrangements. Then I'll be in the country 3-7 weeks to bond with and adopt a child (the number of trips/length of time for each trip has been changing recently).



I'm confident it will be a great adventure!!! I hope you'll follow along and participate in the process through this blog...