So, I am currently in the process of doing a “re-adopt” of my son. Let me explain this a bit for those of you who aren’t in the “adoption scene”—I am legally his mother, but he isn’t a US Citizen. Now what kind of process is this? A process that allows me to travel 1/2 way around the world, go to court, legally become his Mama (got a new Ethiopian birth certificate with my name on it), spend countless hours filling out immigration paperwork to only have him come home to his forever family as a proud member of the green-card carrying members of this country. Seriously?!
My frustration/experience with the adoption paper chase is long. I fall into the category of “what could go wrong, did go wrong”. Don’t get me wrong—for those of you who have met my son, he is ROCKIN’! He is truly the best thing that has ever happened to me. He is amazing and beautiful and intelligent and sassy and funny and snarky and pretty much the best kid in the world (at least in my eyes)! I couldn’t have “created” a better kid! However, in my journey to him, paperwork was the bane of my existence. Paperwork was lost (not be me but others), paperwork wasn’t submitted to the correct people, wrong paperwork was filled out, paperwork expired (because I waited so darn long for him), and I wasn’t told that certain paperwork was needed. Even the sealed envelope from the US Embassy in Ethiopia (that I didn’t assemble, touch, open or even really look at it) was incorrect. Really, what is your friggin’ job, person at the US Embassy in ETH? Geesh.
So… having said all that. I have now gone two times to the OC County Court in Orange to only be told, “Well, you don’t have all the paperwork!” The packet I got FROM them doesn’t include ALL the paperwork. Really? That’s the packet you give people? The one missing the “request for a hearing”?! During this explanation of the 1 sheet of paper I was missing, a fit of tears started pouring down my face and the woman behind the bullet proof glass just rolled her eyes with a “seen this before; you are not my first crier I have had” look in her own eyes. All I could do was grab the sheet from her and sulk/grumble back to my car.
I have to say, this is why people don’t adopt. Why is the process SOOOOO incredibly painful? Why is the paperwork so incredibly overwhelming? Why are there so many hoops to jump through? Why? Why? Why?
I admit, I have a great kid and if I wasn’t changing his name, changing his birth year, and I didn’t care that he has a green card—I wouldn’t have to go through this, again. But seriously people…
Having said this, I now will fill out the rest of the necessary paperwork and get a hearing and re-adopt my kid!
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