Paperwork and patience

An update for our friends and family as we navigate the adoption process. We have completed A TON of paperwork - at this count 23 different documents, background checks, sex offender checks, medical forms, TB testing, and other documentation to navigate the home study.

We've met with our adoption lawyer, are now on their website as prospective parents (!) and have sat in on 6 hours of webinars of the 10 hours of education required by the state.

We've met with our pediatrician and discussed the distinct difference between expecting a child and adopting a child.

We have discussed trans-racial adoptions, newborn opioid withdrawl, and have started to fundraise for our adoption. We even hosted a March Madness Bracket Challenge with folks contributing $155 to our adoption fund.

This is to say that this has BEEN ALOT of movement, momentum, and support from our community at large. Admittedly, we have moments (more Katy, than Trevor) of sheer overwhelm at this task in front of us to grow our family but we are steadily moving forward, still steadfast in our decision.

Katy often describes this process as peeling back layers - every step is an opportunity to learn what we don't know and learn what we not have even considered as a family. It's been challenging in a good way.

We've also seen some tremendous success; thanks to our family and friends.

Adoption By the Numbers

• We've saved $12,000 towards our adoption in 53 days.

• Our friends, family, colleagues have helped us raise over $5,000 for the adoption via our Go Fund Me.

• Our friends and family have bought 26 t-shirts and sweatshirts, officially joining our Adopt Squad. These items are available for sale now.

• We've given away nearly all of our Baby Bottle Banks! (REMINDER: Return if your bank is full to Katy and Trevor and we'll cash you out).

The Next Steps

Lots of folks have asked what our next steps are in the process and our timeline. Unfortunately, adoption doesn't come with a 9-month timeline. We wish we could confirm when this will happen but we are committed to fundraising the full adoption fund by the end of the year. Our next steps are just as detailed as the last 60 days of effort:

The Home Study: We've completed our paperwork pending fingerprinting for Katy. For our home study, we'll be working with a case worker who will meet us, interview us and determine if we are fit to adopt. Once that's done, we will have completed the home study. This is a major hurdle in the adoption process and we cannot wait.

Applying for Grants: We've made solid progress on our adoption fundraising - 20% of the total $60,000. We recognize that our families and friends can't contribute that difference. We will be applying for highly competitive grants for adoption to help us offset the fundraising gap.

Continued Fundraising: We are hard at work planning a few fundraisers for the summer and fall - including a summer movie night, dodgeball, and other fun. More to come on these events.

Additional Education and Training: We will need to complete our last 4 hours of education required by the state but we also will be pursuing newborn classes specific to adoptive parents and first aid/cpr certification for newborns/infants.

Thank you to all our supporters and community for your support, generosity, and time. We truly would not be able to do this without you!