Another Small Step

I have finally decided that I am going to adopt from Haiti.  Haiti was my original favorite option, in part due to the Christmas projects I had been involved with that benefited Haitian children.  When the earthquake happened, I was certain that Haiti would not be a possibility in the near future, so I looked elsewhere.  Ironically, the humanitarian parole given to children and families who were in the process of adoption from Haiti at the time of the earthquake cleared the decks, so to speak.

I know there are risks, such as whether the "new" adoption law will pass and in what form, how long this will take (probably around 2 years), and the general international adoption process quirks. 

I have also decided that I am going to pursue an independent adoption, meaning I am preparing and completing the paperwork myself.  This saves me around $10,000 and is much of the same things I would have to do with an agency anyway. 

In the short term, I am going to be a foster parent (I have 2 years, remember), and it may be that I end up adopting domestically in the future too.  I will also be reading parenting and transracial books.  While I have already read several attachment, adoption and parenting books, I need to read up on transracial adoption and attachment issues.

But for now, it is good to have a direction and plan to put into action.  Hopefully, I can get the dossier completed by the end of the summer and be matched with a child by the end of the year.