If we had $30,000 today and were able to jump into our adoption at top speed, the process of international adoption from China Special Needs will still take about 12-18 months. We have some pretty serious goals for those 12-18 months. And since failing to plan is just planning to fail, even though this plan will likely need to flex and change, here is an outline of our goal:
Our projections show that we will need 10 months of concentrated effort to pay off our excess debts (everything beyond our home mortgage). So, over the next 10 months we will be slicing and dicing our debt through the power of our greatest asset: our income. I am fortunate enough to enjoy the world's greatest job of being a stay-at-home-mom, and while I wouldn't trade it for the world, the title "homemaker" does not come with a high salary... So when I say "our income", I mean Brad's pay. We will continue to cinch the belt on our family budget and make extra payments to our debts in a mighty way over the next 10-12 months.
Because we will not be contributing our personal income toward our adoption during that time we plan to hold numerous fundraising events to raise the monies we will need to get the ball rolling on our adoption paperwork. Here's what the fundraising goals will look like:
Goal #1: $300 for the application to our agency. The application ensures that we qualify to apply to the China Special Needs program. We did this for Russia also. The fee pays for our personal consultant to review our application, speak to us over the phone to verify information and discuss our eligibility, and begin our file for the adoption. We plan to submit the application to celebrate Jacob's 6th month home which would be May 3.
Goal #2: $3500 for our agency fee. This fee covers the costs of our placing agency who will be working on our behalf. From our consultant to the documents center to the referral department to the travel department to notary fees and license information that will be necessary for our dossier. We are hoping to have these funds ready before the 4th of July.
Goal #3: $250 for the application to our home study agency. This application ensures that our home study agency (different from the placing agency) will be able to provide the documents necessary for China. We hope to have this ready by the second week in July.
Goal #4: $2400 for the home study and $1300 for post-placement fees. The home study is the first major step toward our adoption. It is required before we can move forward in any way. It is kind of a jumping off point for the rest of the adoption. And the post-placement fees pay for our post placement reports which go back to China after the adoption. The fee is paid in advance to ensure we will actually complete the reports. We are hoping to have these funds ready and waiting by my birthday, August 12.
Here is where the timeline gets a little fuzzy. The home study is a time-sensitive document so it cannot be completed too early on. We need to be confident we can complete our adoption (from a financial standpoint) before beginning the home study. So the next goals do not have dates attached yet. The exciting part will be somewhere around December when we make our final payment towards our debts and can begin accelerating the fundraising by contributing a large part of our monthly income like we did for Russia. God will be putting the dates on these goals. If He asks us to move forward in faith before the money seems to be in place, we will start running in the direction He leads.
Goal #5: $890 for USCIS. This is a document we need from the US Government approving our international adoption.
Goal #6: $5750 for our agency administration fees. This will be due once our home study is done and our placing agency begins working directly with China. These fees cover reviewing our dossier paperwork and all the clerical stuff it takes to complete our adoption. This also covers post placement services. If you'd like a better view of what this entails visit my post about our fees for Russia.
Goal#7: $10,500 for our foreign program fees. This covers translation of all documents and notary, our in country escort and translators, donation to our child's orphanage, and everything else that happens in China before and during our travel.
Goal #8: around $7000 for all travel expenses getting us to China and back again. This includes: All visas for Brad and I and our adopted child, Chinese medical examination of child, passport for our child, and all traveling expenses from airfare to hotel, food, and other transportation.
We will likely start the home study when we've hit the midpoint of our fundraising goal at about $16,000 (total goal $32,000). All things are possible. So for now the only part of our plan that is certain is our effort to begin and work hard through the end no matter what the actual time line becomes.
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