We finished our two-day adoption seminar today. Today's information centered on legal issues in adoption, which was beneficial to us since Texas laws are different than South Dakota adoption laws. We learned that, based on laws, Texas is an adoption-friendly state. We also spent some time discussing "matching," which occurs when a birth family chooses us to raise the child. They told us about placement and how to relate to the birth family after placement (when baby comes into our home). They showed us how to put together our profile page, which is placed in "the book" which birth families will be choosing from. Lastly, we were able to hear from a Buckner family who adopted a couple years ago and are now going through their second adoption. We were encouraged to hear that they have encountered many of the challenges we have faced.
On our way home we spoke with our case worker. She told us that we just needed to get our fingerprints, then home study, which should be completed in the next couple of weeks. Once the home study is done, we will be a waiting family! The home study is our last step before we start waiting. We are still raising funds and are so grateful for those who have supported us prayerfully and financially. We still need about $6000 to reach our goal. We may need this in eight weeks or eight months. Regardless, these funds are due at placement. It's hard to say when that is, but there is no doubt that things are progressing nicely.
Thanks for praying,
Jeremiah, Amanda, and Hesedah
