The Cops Are Going To Fingerprint Me!

[Annie&Hallie'sMom]

But it's a good thing. Hopefully tonight DH and I will go to the police station to be fingerprinted. It's the first step in our home study in order to adopt a child.

I've lived in my town all my life and NEVER been to the police station (that's a good thing). Tonight I'll have to figure out where in Town Hall we have to go.

I can't believe it takes 12 weeks to process though.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I recall that first step well, Liz. My best wishes for you both.

Dan

 

[aprincessmom]

WHEW!!!

For a minute there I thought this might have something to do with an unseemly act and Yankee Candles

Congratulations and good luck!

 

[Luckymommyx2]

I remember that well too! I think the twelve weeks is the longest you would have to wait. I think our entire adoption process to less time than that! Good luck and remember to relax and let the officer do all the work (at least that's what they kept telling me)!!

 

[Annie&Hallie'sMom]

Originally posted by aprincessmom
WHEW!!!

For a minute there I thought this might have something to do with an unseemly act and Yankee Candles

Congratulations and good luck!

No, they haven't caught me with my Yankee Candles yet! And thanks to you my husband (who generally can't stand YC scents) loves is when I burn the Rasberry Sorbet tart. Think I'll have to get a car jar of that now!

 

[ltldeb]

Good luck!

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Just a tip, keep your hands and fingers relaxed and let the person (it may not be an officer, sometimes they have volunteers) printing you do all the work. It's a pain when prints get sent back because they can't be read.

Congratulations on starting this process.

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

The hard part is trying not to break out singing "Bad boys bad boys, whatcha gonna do?" I had to go in to get fingerprinted before I could work at the post office, it was hard not to break out into giggles!

Good luck with your adoption!

 

[CamColt]

Thats great news! Congratulations and best of luck during this process.

 

[snoopy]

Wow, how exciting! Congratulations on your first step!

 

[Tony-NJ]

And exciting! I was at the Town Hall last monday, I actually may even be there tonight, I want to get a passport.

 

[Michelle]

Well I've never told anyone CONGRATULATIONS for getting fingerprinted before, but I think it fits in this situation!

All the best as you begin your adoption journey!

 

[RUDisney]

We had to go to the INS building and be fingerprinted by the FBI. I thought they were going to throw us out because, rebel that my DH is, he left his cell phone on.. even with all the signs around that told him not to use it inside the building. He got a call and actually answered it. He was promptly escorted outside to complete the call as I slithered under my chair.

This part is a piece of cake. Just wait until you start being interviewed by your social worker. That's when the real fun begins because that part is subjective. We were convinced that we'd be turned down because we have a large bar in our house and a wine cellar. Oh, the horrors of alcohol. Funny thing is, we only drank maybe 3 glasses of something per week before the kids arrived, and not on the same night, and now, we drink about one glass a month. There's just not time to think about it with having to think about lunches and homework, etc. For all our worrying, this was never an issue.

Thanks, Poly Princess for putting that song in my head.... "Bad boys, bad boys..."

 

[Annie&Hallie'sMom]

RUDisney...I was thinking about alcohol and the social worker myself. We don't drink much, but we had bought a case of beer at some point (I don't even remember when ) and half of it is still sitting on top of our fridge. (I think it's been there at least a year).

And I know they're going to have a fit about our stairs. But I figure my mom was raised in this house and she made it out alive. And my brother and I spent a lot of time as babes in the house and we're still alive. And I shudder to guess what they will think of my unfinished, dank basement.

Oh well...Bad boy, bad boy, whatcha gonna do?

 

[RUDisney]

Actually, it makes me feel good to know that we weren't the only people who stressed over the small stuff. We kept coming up with reasons why they could possibly turn us down instead of coming up with all the reasons why we wouldn't be.

One of my friends tells the story about when his brother was getting married. Before the wedding, he went to confession and told the priest his sins. When he was finished, the priest started on a "fishing trip." The priest asked him if he had any pornography in his house. He said, "well, yeah, a couple Playboys and maybe a movie or two." So, the priest went on to tell him about the evils of his ways.

This got us to thinking about the guns my DH has. We purposely gave all of them to our next door neighbor to keep for us so when the SW asked if we had any guns in the house, we wouldn't be lying when we said, "no." We didn't want the hassle of having to explain where the guns are kept, where the bullets are kept, etc., etc. As a matter of fact, our neighbor still has some of the rifles and we are so anal about making sure everything is kept extremely safe insofar as the guns are concerned. Heck, our kids don't have the slightest idea that we even have them.

So, when in doubt, give questionable items to your neighbor for safekeeping.

 

[Serena]

Congratulations!

I've been fingerprinted too, before my job as a crossing guard.

 

[Zurg]

 

[chell]

How did it go? Did you get the ole' ink or the pictures? I didn't even know that they could just scan them until we had to go get ours done for foster care. No need to keep up with that kind of stuff I guess.

Does processing the fingerprints take 12 weeks or just the process of your adoption agency? The process for our fingerprints can take up to 6 weeks. Our case manager said that it doesn't really take that long and that they just say that in case there is a delay.

I can just imagine how long the 12 weeks will feel like to you. Hopefully they will pass quickly.

Do you already have a child picked out or on the way?

Congratulations!!!

 

[Kim in TN]

Congrats!!!!!

We too are in the adoption process

The INS office had the digital fingerprints...very nice
but our local jail had the ole ink pads, what an experience that was!!!!! We were escorted to booking behind many locked doors and we had prisoners in cells all around us, while DH and I and my 68 year old Granny were fingerprinted, then they escorted us to the prisoner rest room while they stood guard so we could wash ours hands and dry them off with toilet paper

A&H's Mom if you want any one to talk to I'd be glad to chat with ya. I'm not much farther in the process than you, just completed the homestudy. Maybe we could support each other
marcusplus4@charter.net

 

[Annie&Hallie'sMom]

But it really was. The detective who "inked" us was a really nice guy (3 years behind me in high school, but I didn't know him then). He gave us his card and said to be sure to come back once we had the baby so he could make sure our car seat was installed properly. I know our town has a program with car seats, but I thought it was extra nice of him to say he'd make sure himself that it was in correctly.

We actually had to go back to town hall this morning (the records division was closed when we went last night) to ask for a letter from the division.

From what I understand the federal prints can take up to 12 weeks and the state prints take up to 8 weeks. We sent them in to our homestudy agency (along with a check) this morning. Now we just have to wait for a social worker to contact us (quick drink all the beer thats been sitting on top of the frig for a year! Or maybe I should just pass it on to my brother?).

We actually had our attorney fax us some info on a potential birth mother in PA, but we had to pass. This woman is 27 and is on her 4th kid (2 out of 3 have been adopted), she smokes daily, smokes marijuana weekly; did use cocaine prior to getting pregnant this time (although last time she did coke during her pregnacy); is a former heroin addict and was in a coma as a teen due to alcohol poisoning! Not our idea of a good candidate!