Hardships in Colombian adoption process

1. the waiting 2. the waiting 3. the waiting 4. did I mention the waiting??? :) Really and truly, that is the only thing that is driving me nuts about this process right now. I thought the dossier was very easy to put together (maybe because it was our second one??), and I love that the process is predictable and understandable. And, in the end, I know the wait is for good reason and it will be worth it. My very impatient half just needs to be reminded every once in a while... :D

Hugs to Zuke....you kept me going waiting for Guatemala to come to their senses and send our kids home. Just know we are waiting this out with you!! We love you!!

Other way around, my wonderful friend!!!! :grouphug: You know what it is...we just have to have our second kids come home at the same time again so we can marry them off too!! :D

I second the waiting...waiting...waiting Also, having to do my psyche eval over. Also, having to have everything apostilled.

The psych eval was definitely a pain in the butt. Also, wish the time in country could be shorter.

Well....... Since this is our third Colombian adoption in three years (not our third start to finish), I am finding all of the paperwork a bit exhausting. Psych eval...yuck. (Still mentally stable three years in a row!) Notaries who don't know what they are doing...yuck! Apostilles...yuck! However, no matter which country you choose you would have some form of paperwork and red tape to muddle through, so I'd assume that the hardships in Colombian paperwork are probably no greater or worse than other countries since I have no other experience to compare it to. As far as the time in country goes, I don't mind at all the length of time in country, even up to the 8+ weeks. The thing that makes it seem like a "hardship" (as the title states) for me is not knowing the length of stay. I am a planner and do much better when I can plan and budget my time and finances. Oh, and well, the cost of staying anywhere for that length of time gets to be costly, too. My husband has had to return for work both times and will have to again. It is just the way his job is, so that makes it a little more difficult. We love Colombia and are very comfortable staying there, but the unknown timeframe makes it harder. We always miss it when we get home. Megan

Well, being here now, the thing that is hardest for me is the waiting for Sentencia. It could come on any day now, so I never want to leave the hotel incase the call comes, but I'd go crazy if I stayed cooped up inside here all day! It's along the same lines as Megan - I don't mind the long in-country stay (I've really enjoyed my time here!) but it would be so much better if I just knew the date we could travel home!

My frustration so far is that the Division of Public Records lost my husband's doctor's letter that they apostilled. They have no idea where it went, but they know that it was apostilled. This just happened to me yesterday. Ugh, so now we're back to the doctor's office!

I debated on whether I should post this, because I don't want to be "whiny" or tacky, but since you asked, here's what drove us nuts. We adopted through ICBF, by the way, and are not Colombian.Well, we are a weird case, I guess, because our Guat adoption was way smoother and easier than our Colombian adoption. I think most people doing both countries would have the opposite experience! I would NOT trade my son for anything, and I LOVE Colombia, BUT - 1. the wait doubled after we submitted our dossier2. we were first in the regional office for MONTHS with no referral, then ICBF moved our dossier to another region and there immediately was a referral in the region we just left!3. the age range you are approved for is kinda big, so you don't really know what age child to expect (for an infant, at least)4. our in country stay seemed endless - it's really hard not to have a set return date5. even when you are first on the list you could wait a while depending on how many Colombian families happen to be ready at that timeThose are the major points of irritation, but of course, the treasure of our son far outweighs those issues. I hope I didn't offend anyone!

Ahh...so I am in good company!! :D When our dossier went, our wait time was still being quoted at 12-18 months. We are now being told 30 plus... It's funny about your adoption from Guatemala being easier...ours certainly wasn't a horrible process by any standards, but I think I was more frustrated waiting for a baby that I knew. Those visits are wonderful, but boy did I want him home faster after I got to meet him!!!

I know what you mean about watching your baby grow up in the Guatemalan process, Zuke, but in a way, at least I felt like I was waiting for a real baby! I was beginning to wonder if there would ever be a baby for us in Colombia! But we didn't know a single other person adopting from Colombia until almost the END of our process, and that made a difference, too! I guess all adoptions have annoying parts. Being able to share the highs and lows with other people is so helpful!

We have such a long ways to go, but our biggest hardship so far had nothing to do with Colombia specifically, just snags in getting my husband's letter of health. About 5 months of running around to all kinds of appointments only for a letter than says he is in good health, nothing further. Hehe. It was 18 months when we started too but by the time our dossier was turned in we knew it was more like 30+.

Hi, my husband and I just started the journey with a Colombian Adoption. Any changes since you guys did yours? Any information that can help us to take the decision it will really appreciated.

Hi, I hope you're well. I'm half way through my adoption training/home study in the UK and due to having a personal connection with Colombia, have chosen to adopt from Colombia. It seems no-one in the UK has ever done this - so I am hoping to garnish information from people who have managed to adopt from Colombia in other countries. I am looking to adopt a child with a special health need - as I am 45 and a single woman. If anyone has any recent experiences they are willing to share, I'd love to hear from you. Many thanks