Welcome to Kennedy's Adoption Update - Our Journey to Bring Kennedy Home


	The process to adopt our baby has been an exciting and emotional one. Once we decided to start our family through adoption, we wanted her to be here now! However, there has been many meetings with our social worker, much reading and research and tons of paperwork to complete before finally being approved to adopt our baby. It's the kind of work you don't mind doing because you know the reward is so great in the end! Here is a timeline of our adoption process: March 18, 2005 After much research and discussion, we decide to proceed with our dream to start a family. March 21, 2005 Contacted Pat Winchester, social worker, regarding starting our homestudy. March 27, 2005 (Easter Sunday) We announced to our family our plans to travel to China to adopt our baby. April 19, 2005 We met with Pat for our first of several meetings. We began writing our "biographies" and collecting the necessary paperwork. April 30, 2005 We officially registered with Family Outreach International, an adoption agency based out of Ottawa, Ontario.
May - June, 2005 Continued with homestudy and gathering required documents. July 5, 2005 Last meeting with our social worker. July 19, 2005 Homestudy is received by Health and Social Services in Charlottetown. August 8, 2005 Met with Richey Mayne (provincial adoption consultant). We receive her stamp of approval! August 12, 2005 Our dossier is sent to Family Outreach International to start the translation, notarizations and finally, fitting us into a travel group. August 19, 2005 We receive a letter stating that our file has been sent back to PEI for final approval. This letter also lists eleven other families that we will travel to China with. Two are from Saskatchewan, one from Alberta, two from PEI, and seven from Ontario. August 23, 2005 We receive a letter from Richey Mayne (provincial adoption consultant) stating that our file is complete and today it is being sent to China! We're group 64. August 24, 2005 We receive an e-mail from a member of our travel group. He and his wife are travelling to China for their third time! Their experience will be invaluable! He has started a Yahoo group to keep us all in touch online. August 29, 2005 We received the citizenship and immigration sponsorship application--the first step toward Kennedy becoming a Canadian citizen! September 25, 2005 Attended our second get together for PEI families who have adopted or plan to adopt from China. November 10, 2005 Sent sponsorship information to FOI. December 16, 2005 Received our log in date: August 31. That's only one week after it was sent from FOI. Great! Spoke with Bob, our facilitator, who informed us wait times are extending. It will possibly be 12 months from log in to referral by the time our turn comes up. Not so great! December 18, 2005 Christmas get together for PEI/China group at China Star. November 2006 We are expecting our referral to arrive at the end of this month or first of December. We cannot believe we will soon see Kennedy's face! December 11, 2006 We received our referral! February 5, 2007 GOTCHA DAY! We held Kennedy in our arms for the first time. Check out our Travel Journal and Blog pages for updates, pictures and movies!