We realize that there are many words or terms you may not have heard before and this can make it difficult to understand our adoption process. This is a less than perfect attempt to define some of the terms you will read on our blog and your friend’s blogs as well. *Every process and agency is different, so please note that these terms are not meant to be conclusive.
Paper Chase: The time and process of collecting birth certificates, marriage certificates, references, proof of employment/income, background checks, and other notarized docs, etc. It really feels like a chase!
Home Study: Includes visits with a social worker and adoption education homework. At the end of this time, your social worker will write a medium long document discussing the information they have collected from you.
Dossier: The paper chase ends with a collection of the above mentioned documents. Your social worker will aid you in this process. The dossier is sent to Ethiopia at completion.
DTE=Dossier to Ethiopia. The date your dossier arrived in Ethiopia.
Actual or “official official” wait: Begins after DTE and involves a wait-list.
Official Wait: This is counted from when the family begins the actual adoption process and could refer to when they began fundraising or doing the “paper chase”.
Wait List: We are on a waiting list to be matched with a child and move up each month towards #1 depending on the month. There are many factors that play into the wait list.
Referral: Once we are matched with a child and accept them, they become our referral. They are not our legal child until we travel to Ethiopia for our first trip and attend court.
SN=Special Needs. May or may not refer to an HIV+ child.
We 3 Kings 