Remember that speed-talk meeting we had with two ladies at the Child Protection office in Cluj exactly a year ago? Today I mustered up the courage and energy to go straight back to the same tall door and knock confidently. We knew more this time. It’s crazy how small and powerless that visit made me feel last time. Today was completely different. I decided to be brave.
There are 8 steps, and today we completed step 1. We were walked through each step, informed regarding the necessary documentation and the duration of the adoption procedures. We signed the first paper.
Step 2 can be completed in five months. We will have had to live on Romanian territory for 9 months when we submit our papers. The said papers include: judiciary records, 3 notarized declarations, notarized copies of birth and marriage certificates, notarized copy of apartment ownership document, medical certificates, labs and psychiatric evaluation, proof of financial stability/income, minimum 2 character endorsements from our last jobs and a few others from friends and family, and a picture of us.
Step 3 will last 120 days maximum and it encompasses our evaluation and preparation for becoming able to adopt. It includes 6 visits at home from the social worker assigned to our case, 4 meetings with the psychiatrist, and a parenting course completed in a week, 3 meetings, 6 hours each day.
Step 4 we obtain the adoptive parents certificate attesting that we are able to adopt. This includes a comprehensive report of the last 120 days. We have a 5 day window to challenge this report if we feel it’s necessary.
Step 5 We are matched with a child. Depending on how picky we are, this step can take a few days or a few years. Needless to say, we have an advantage. 80% of the adoptable children of gypsy ethnicity, and sadly in Romania racism is still very much a reality.
Step 6 We are entrusted with a child in view to adoption.
Step 7 A judge signs on the adoption papers and the child is issued a new birth certificate with our names as parents.
Step 8 Monitoring the adoption for two years after we adopt. Every 3 months someone stops by to see that we are still doing ok. This can be monitored even if we move out of the country. We are bound to let them know if we move.
We now have a phone number and an official person’s name here in Cluj. This feels good. The roadmap is clear.