Questions

Hello everyone. I've just jumped over from foster-adopt forums. We have just finalized the adoption of our 3 foster children (ages 8, 9 and 11). Wow, almost a month ago. The eldest had been attending Catholic mass for the past couple of years. The younger 2 say they are Catholic, but they didn't even know the Sign of the Cross (they do now!). C remembers pictures of her and T being baptised when he would have been less than a yr old and C being just over 2. I have asked and emailed our parish Deacon to find out how we can do a trace through the Church to see if the children have been baptised in the Catholic Church. He said he would do the search (or send off for it, or whatever it takes). We have not had contact with bfamily, so it's not like I can ask them to produce the records. So, far, Deacon has had no info (it's been since Aug). I checked with him at the beginning of November and he told me "it takes time" (he's really not the easiest person to work with). Sometimes I wonder if he even sent the info off the 1st time (I know I shouldn't doubt a religious person, but he IS so hard to work with!). So, is there a way I can do the search? I know the city the kids are from (not our area, 5 hours away). Also, since they have been adopted, if they have been baptised, can they get new Godparents? I'm worried because J is now 11 (5th grade) and all 3 want to take communion (they are in classes), but they can't finish until I produce a baptism certificate. If they haven't been, Deacon says it's a 2 year program, outside of the classes they are already taking. I've even asked how, or if, their names can be changed from their birth names to their adoptive names and had no answer. Has anyone had experience with this? Help please.