Well, lookie there!

FINALLY got these done!!! (If you can't tell, that's a pic of our fingerprint cards) -- now we send them to Lifeline to be sent to the state of AL for our background check.

I've actually had a few people ask a very valid question -- if we have worked in daycare and other settings where we've had to have fingerprints (Nathan actually has had his done 5 TIMES!), don't they have them on file? Why go to all the trouble? Here's the simplified answer to that, as best I can tell you: Evidently, fingerprints are really only good for a year or two at the most -- I think that's because you could've committed a new crime and it wouldn't show up on an old ABI/FBI clearance, so that's why fingerprint clearances are only good for a couple years at a time. Seems to be an unconventional system that is more trouble than it's worth, but I guess it's just the way it is. As I said, Nathan has had fingerprints 5 times, but none of them recent enough - oh well... So let's hope they're good enough to be accepted!

Now the only fingerprints we have left to do are the federal ones -- for USCIS (through Office of Homeland Security), in order to get cleared to bring home an international child and for him/her to be a U.S. Citizen. That's what we had to have the appointment for - and that's coming up in early June.

So...one more step down & a bajillion (it seems) left to go!

I know I've left y'all hanging with the fingerprint business...but it's been an enormously frustrating week in that department, but we've finally got that taken care of, I think! So there's the most recent update!

Labels: International Adoption, Paperwork