Foster Care in the Works

Well, as most of you know, Kelsi and I have been working on obtaining foster care through the Ministry of Social Affairs. Previously, we had a Family Based Care Agreement with Bykota House, which basically was foster care through our children's home ministry. Foster care through the Ministry of Social Affairs is much stronger. I began putting paper work together, after Kelsi left for her month in the states--thought I might have some extra time on my hands, and I did. Just an update on what we have been up to, this is the list of things that we need to apply for foster care--with the things marked out that we have already obtained.

For the Foster Parent:

    1.    Letter of Request to the Minister of Social Affairs

    2.    Supporting letter from the Center where the child resides written to the Minister.

    3.    Affidavit from the US Embassy 

    4.    Medical certificate

    5.    Marriage certificate

    6.    Birth certificates

    7.    Psychological report

    8.    Family Based Care Agreement

    9.    House lease agreement

   10. Certificate of residence

   11. Financial statement

   12. Certificate of employment

   13. Copies of passports

   14. Copies of visas

   15. Criminal Background Check

      For the foster child:

   16. Birth certificates

   17. Documents of admission to the Center or orphanage

   18. CV (history) of the child prepared by the Center

   19. Supporting letter from the Center

   20. Documents on Abigail’s eye

   21. Visa picture for the girls

***Translated copies of all documents originally written in English***

The Affidavit should be done tomorrow afternoon. The Medical certificate will be done as soon as our doctor knows what she is supposed to be checking for. The Psychological report is done, but we are waiting on the original copies to arrive from Batombong. Still looking into the Criminal Background check... online it says that we have to send everything by mail, so we will probably prepare all the materials and have them brought over to Kelsi's mom in the states, but then it says that it will take at least 25 days to process, and then we will have to get the report back to Cambodia some how--the mail is not reliable here. After that we have some forms in Khmer that a friend is going to help us with, and we can apply at the Ministry of Social Affairs for foster care. No it is not an adoption. A friend of ours, however, who has this has been able to get a travel visa for her son and take a trip to the States. This legal tie is a big step towards adoptions, too. If you are Khmer and have foster care through the Ministry, after six months, they encourage you to adopt. Things seem to be moving at the US Embassy too. Today, when they rejected our Affidavit, they gave us an example form that was for when an American needs to apply for a Cambodian Adoption and needs an Affidavit stating that they have informed the US Embassy. It is a slow process, but it is exciting to see movement towards something tangible. Please keep praying for us, and pray specifically for all of this paper work to come together and for us to have favor with the Ministry of Social Affairs. God has plans greater than ours, and we are trusting Him, as we walk on this path in Cambodia. Thanks for your support and prayer!

BecauseHeLives,

Micah.

UPDATE!:
We got the Affidavit signed today! WOOT! May 29th, 2014

UPDATE!:
We received the Psychological Evaluation today from Batombang! Yeah!!!! Only two more things! May 31st, 2014

UPDATE!:
We found out that the medical check ups did not need to be for us, but for the girls, so we had some worked up by our doctor--basically saying that we have been taking the girls in for check ups and have taken care of their shots. DONE! June 1st, 2014

UPDATE!:
We found out that our background checks did not need to be professional FBI backgrounds. Kelsi's grandpa, Wendell, was able to get us what we needed through his Kamp Kersey connections. We have them now, and that concludes all the things that we were supposed to get together for foster care!
June 9th, 2014

UPDATE!:
I spoke with Channa today (Channa is helping us get our stuff together to apply), and we have one more piece of paper work (a Khmer application) and then we can apply. Currently, we have been told that foster care applications are on hold, due to something in the government, or because someone did something bad--that is usually how it works. We will apply as soon as possible. We are meeting with Channa tomorrow to sign the Khmer Application.