Adoption Timeline

I remember when we first started the adoption process I was SOO interested in how long this process was going to take.. I was googling domestic adoption and trying to find people who actually did a timeline of everything so I could see. Everyone's adoption journey's vary but I just wanted an idea of what to expect. So I decided to do a timeline for myself and others if interested of how long our process has taken. I should probably add that we DOVE into this 110% full force..we didn't take our time we sped through it, so if your a slow starter it might be longer!

March 23rd 2012- Went to an adoption orientation at our local DSS (department for social services) office to learn more about going through with adoption and received our initial adoption application a few days prior, filled it out, and turned it in the night of the meeting (not the BIG packet)- At the meeting we received our "big" packet and was told to complete it in "chunks" and send it in. We were also told this process of "paperwork, inspections, and homestudy would take 8-12 months)

April 2-7 2012- We completed a lot of our paperwork and dr visits this week because we were off of work..

April 10th 2012- Handed in a HUGE chunk of our paperwork. We would of had it all done, but a lot of it was supposed to be completed AFTER our adoption training classes.

April 14 2012- Adoption Training class!

April 21st 2012- Adoption Training class AND turned in the rest of our paperwork!

April 26th 2012- We were told DSS lost a big chunk of paperwork so we had to make copies of copies and I hand delivered them on...

May 2nd 2012- I hand delivered the missing paperwork, spoke with our caseworker, and were put on a list to wait for our DHEC inspection and were told we were number 11

June 1st 2012- PASSED our DHEC inspection and got put on the waiting list for our Fire Inspection

June 18th 2012- PASSED our Fire Inspection and got put on ANOTHER waiting list for our homestudy

August 5th 2012- SCHEDULED our Homestudys!!

August 17th- Homestudy #1

August 19th- Homestudy #2

APPROVAL???

(should be about 2 weeks from our last homestudy visit and then we are just waiting to bring our child/children home!! SO by the end of August we should be COMPLETELY FINISHED!)

This is such a FAST process for us, if everything gets finished like they say it will this ENTIRE process would have only taken us 5 months!!! Did you read that?? F-I-V-E MONTHS!! Isn't that amazing?? That's 7 months faster than we were told it could take! That's so awesome!