[LHH]

My husband are just starting the process of trying to adopt internationally and I am extremely fearful of the home study.
My husband had a DUI about 6 years ago when he was in the Navy. Shortly after that we met and were married a couple years later. As part of some exhausting infertility treatments we cut out all unhealthy lifestyle choices, including drinking. What was originally done to attempt getting pregnant eventually became a way of life. However shortly after moving to a new state his brother was in town and they went to dinner and had a couple of beers at dinner. Well wouldn't you know a police officer had someone pulled over in our apartments and walked over to ask him about the out of state tags. The officer asked my husband to take a sobriety test and my husband refused as he felt it was ridiculous because he was already home. Bad idea!!!- create DUI #2 - this was only 6 months ago. As a result he has agreed to never drink again, as it appears to us God was trying to teach a valuable lesson. My husband has undergone classes and psychciatric evaluation for his probation, and asc a result of this evaluation it was decided by the doctor that he had no problems with alcohol and no trearmewnt neccesay.(just bad luck and poor judgement!!)
Is this going to keep us from being able to adopt?
We are young (30) healthy individuals with good jobs, a beautiful home, in the district with the best schools in Ga. and we are trying to create a life that would be ideal for a child. Do we have any hope? While we have infertility issues on my side we probably could concieve with IVF, but we love the idea of adoption, as my husband says "help a baby not have a baby". Are we dead in the water or is there a chance we could get approved?-

[JuliannaTeresa]

What were the charges Misdemeanors or Felonys in the DUI?

We could be able to know more from this please?

[Judilyn]

We adopted out daughter from the state foster system. My husband had 2 previous DUI's but they were both over 15 years old. None the less they showed up on his back ground check and the one DUI had happened 20 years prior when he was home on leave from the army. Due to the time frame they were not held againist us because my husband never had any more charges against him for anything.

And just so everyone knows, he no longer drinks at all.

Judilyn

[dr. mom]

This may not necessarily stop you from adoption but it will need to be addressed in your homestudy. How it is presented in your homestudy and in the evaluations may help you! good luck! You will both need finger print checks and iy will most likely ciome up there too!

[LHH]

They were both misdemeanors.
Should I just bring these up immediately in the home study.
I don't think I want to hide and wait for the questions, I kind of want to just throw them out and confront it head first.
What do you think?
PS thanks for the responses.. this whole thing gives me nightmares...and not sure where to look for answers.

[dr. mom]

Alot will depend on your agency. Our agency has a preliminary application form where they ask such things and decide if you meet the qualifications to adopt. Most agemcies do not start the homestudy visits til all the paperwork is done so you might want to call the agency before you start to make sure you will be able to adopt. Why waste all the time, energy, and money unless you know for sure. Most likely they will noyt give you a yes or no. They will need you to sign releases and they will get the evaluations, etc and make their decision afyer reviwing it. The DUI before your marriage should not be a factor but the recent one may. Is all the court stuff done? Is he on probation or anytrhing?? I know you for sure can't do it while you are still in the court system. Good luck!

[lmtayl2]

I don't think it will matter.
1) The 2nd offense was not a moving violation and it wasn't a felony.
2) Large gap btwn the 1st and 2nd.
3) You sought a psycho analysis and went took DUI educational classes.

It takes a big heart to open up your home to kids who have no home and are awaiting adoption. If I were to compare someone who gets a DUI to someone who brings a drug exposed baby into this world and doesn't get put in jail, I would rather my child be with a person who received a DUI anyday.

Not saying that getting a DUI is ok because you take a risk and put other people at risk as well. It doesn't have to be your husband who would run into someone, but someone could run into your husband and get killed. Your husband would be looking at a Federal DUI.

[tbug13]

Hi, I realize that this thread is very old, but I am wondering what the outcome was?? My DH had a DUI 3 yrs ago and we are waiting on approval as to whether we can adopt. He was very upfront about the incident and took all the classes etc required. It was a misdemeanor.
I would love to know if you were allowed to adopt??
Thanks, I really hope everything worked out for the best.
T.