We've finished our packet! We have everything signed, dated, put in order and separated in to various envelopes. The checks are written and the necessary documentation for various things are attached. All 4 lengthy personality tests are done (which I forgot completely about when writing yesterday's post!) and all the personal questions are answered and we've proofread it 3 times! All that's left to do is stop at Staples to copy everything and then I'll deliver it to the office tomorrow! It's such a sense of satisfaction to have it done! I'm not sure if I'll sleep really well knowing we've completed another milestone, or if I'll be up all night with excitement! Either way, you're probably all sleeping soundly, and I'm off to attempt to join you in never-never land! Night!
Glenna asked if this is like a traditional homestudy and adoption process and how it differs from traditional adoption. Functionally, they are identical. We take the exact same adoption education classes as traditional adoptive parents, and actually, all of our classmates will be there for traditional adoption purposes. We undergo the exact same homestudy process that this Agency administers to traditional prospective adopters, with the exception of a few forms about our preferences about the child (race, age, gender, characteristics, needs, etc) since those things don't exist and/or aren't known at the embryonic stage. Our court certification will be exactly the same and actually, that will certify as legally eligible to adopt for any kind of adoption so we could in effect take that completed homestudy and do a traditional adoption.
The only thing that is different is the government's legal classification of the actual transfer of the Embryo. The government does not view this as an adoption because it does not grant personhood to preborn children, and things cannot be adopted. So we don't get the nifty tax credit, and we don't have to do any post-placement court hearings, termination of rights, waiting periods, finalizations, etc, or anything like that but until the point of the actual transfer, this is exactly like a traditional adoption. The only difference in that regard is that the Homestudy and Court Certification are an Agency requirement (by Nightlight, our placement agency), and not a legal requirement (again because of the way Embryos are legally classified).
Good question! I hope I did a sufficient job of answering it!
