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Initial Stages

December 2020

February 2021

> Decided to initiate adoption journey. Spoke to some adoptive families and friends who have been adopted. 

> Contacted different agencies and did A LOT of reading. 

> Contacted and had out first meeting with the case worker in charge of the Colombia program at Gladney Center for Adoption.

Let's Do This

February 2021

> Submitted initial application with Gladney and began collecting the tons of needed documents.
 

> Paid first agency fee. While looking for  a two bedroom apt (wild time)

> Contacted many other Ohio based agencies to see who would do our home study here in Cincinnati. 

Rollercoster Ride

March 2021

July 2021

> Started home study with Adoption Circle.

> Home study approved in OH.

> Home study approved by Gladney. 

Think Marathon NOT Sprint

August 2021- 

October 2021

> Submitted USCIS documentation, and got biometrics done. Pending approval  Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child. Processing and response can take up to 4 months.

> Started compiling all the other ton of documents needed for the Colombian dossier. 

> Completed all requirements for dossier. Currently it is being translated and prepared to be submitted to Colombia by mid November. 


> Shared our journey with family and friends to complete our adoption puzzle. 
 

One Step at a time

November 2021

> We received our Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child approval from USCIS. 

> Submitted Colombian dossier. Processing and response can take up to 3 months.

 

> Now we have to wait... pray and wait. A match and placement can take between 6 months to 2 years after all approvals have been received.  

>January 10th, 2022 - we will celebrate our one-year anniversary of starting the adoption process. 

God's timing 

feb-April
2022

> We bought a house. I guess Cincy will be home to the Cuervos for a while. 

> We found out we were pregnant with Lucia and were required by our agency to put our adoption on hold until she was 6 months old. This was so hard, but we kept on reminding ourselves God is the one in charge.  

July 2023

> Lucia turned 6 months old, and we decided to reopen our adoption process. We have a lot of paperwork to renew (home study, fingerprinting, dossier, medical, psych evaluation)   

> It was a beautiful discernment process to be reminded of our initial call to grow our family through adoption

Feb 2024

> We are fully up to date and Colombia has approved all of our documents. Now we just have to wait for a match.   
 

Happy New Year - sorpresa! 

Jan 2025

> We received a phone call from Gladney saying that El Bienestar Familiar matched us with a 1-year-old baby girl.

> A week later, we received her file (it was the longest week of our life)  

> This all feels like we are walking on holy ground... we discerned to move forward and TRUST the process

> We were experts at thinking marathons. Now, we are to sprint to get all of our USCIS documents completed and sent while also getting ready to hopefully become a family of four. This process can take between 3-4 months. 


PLEASE PRAY LIKE NEVER BEFORE- If this is what God intends for our family may we all get the graces we need to trust and lean into the journey. 

AMDG

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