Checks, Balances and Red Tape

It never fails with adoption paper chasing that just when you start to think things are getting better someone (in this case the USCIS) pulls the rug out from under you.  I should be used to it by now.  My adoptions have each had a high degree of administrative frustration either that or I have a VERY low tolerance for administrative frustration. Either way it flat out sucks.

The latest logjam is with my I800a which has now been with immigration for more then two months. I expected the approval would finally be here last week since other PAP's with the same receipt date were reporting their approvals were complete, but of course I was wrong.

After days of mailbox disappointment I broke down and sent an email to my case worker yesterday.  I thought she would say my approval was in the mail but instead she told me she was just now reviewing my home study. What???? Why is she five days behind everyone else???

I know, I know... the good news is we are close (although God help us if there is a request for additional information), but at this point days really do matter more than ever.  We are in a race to get a log in date (LID) by September 30th or we will be subject to a rule change that goes into effect on October 1st that would cause us to have to redo our entire home study with a new social worker.  This  could possibly set us back 3-4 MONTHS.

Seriously you will not want to be near me if this happens.

Still waiting for immigration approval...

I've supplied our case officer with our Fed Ex account number and asked her to overnight our approval.  Praying that I'll have the blessed thing in my hands by 10:30 am on Tuesday. If it does come Tuesday morning we can drive it down to the state capital and get it certified by 2 pm and then overnight it to our agency before the end of the day.

If we can be DTC (dossier to China) by Labor day, then I think we can beat the deadline.  If not...well let's not even go there.

In case you couldn't already tell, NOTHING about paper chasing gets any easier with subsequent adoptions.  Nothing. I could adopt 10 more kids and it wouldn't get any easier. (Which should not come as a surprise since each child is equally wanted and equally in need.)

Adoption is fraught with superfluous administrative burden.  Inefficiencies that are beyond disheartening to prospective parents; inefficiencies that keep kids in institutional care, away from loving permanent homes and desperately needed medical care longer than absolutely necessary. And that is the real crime.