Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) who are new to the adoption world can find our terminology overwhelming and confusing. In an effort to alleviate some of those feelings, I’m posting different glossaries that define terms commonly used in Viet Nam adoptions. If there are any terms of acronyms that you just can’t figure out, please let me know and I’ll do my best to find out for you. You can always comment below or email me at rebeccah@adoptionblogs.com

DOJ – the Department of Justice in your child’s province will examine your... more

Wading through the murky waters of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) can be confusing. With your agency’s help and the support of other parents who have been there and done that, it will seem much less overwhelming and panic inducing. Although the forms have names made up of letters and numbers that sound similar, most are pretty simplistic documents that are fairly easy to fill out. When we were in the process of adopting Ella, our agency walked us line by line through each USCIS document to be sure that they were filled out correctly the first time. If your agency hasn’t offered this assistance, be sure to ask for the help.

Here are definitions and descriptions... more

When adopting from Viet Nam, your dossier is the large group of documents that is sent over to Viet Nam. In this post I will list some of the basic documents that will make up your Vietnamese dossier and explain what each document is. Your adoption agency should help you through compiling your dossier and guide you through any questions you may have. There will be other documents (powers of attorney for your agency to act on your behalf, etc.) as well as photographs required; your agency will tell you what is required when you get to this step in the process.

Home Study... more

When starting out in the world of adoption, there are many words and terms that can seem absolutely alien to Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs.) I remember cracking open Adoption for Dummies for the first time and being so grateful to have some of those confusing words defined for me. Here are some words/terms that you will come across as you read more about adopting from Viet Nam. If there are any others that you’re not sure about, let me know (rebeccah@adoptionblogs.com or comment below) and I’ll find out for you.

Dong – Vietnamese currency that is mainly in the form of bills, though you can find some coins floating around in the marketplace. One US dollar (today)... more