[JanelleD]

Well, our little guy has been home for 3 months now! He is such a sweetie and everyday he is learning something new. We are so blessed to have him in our lives.

Since he has been home I have been lax on doing anything paperwork wise. So, I am wanting to get going with that. I want to get his social security card but I'm not sure if we should readopt him here first or not. I know that if we don't do that first, the card will have his birth name on it as opposed to the name we have chosen for him. Then, we would have to get him a new card.

Should we just readopt from the get go? Does anyone know how to do that? I am planning on asking our home study agency but I thought I would check in with you guys first.

How long does the readoption process take here in CA?

Thanks!

[annaguat]

California requires one post placement to be done. You can do the readopt paperwork yourself or pay your post placement agency to help you. We have done it both ways and it is about the same amount of work and the same paperwork. We have also gone both ways with the social security card. If you need the number before the readopt is done you might want to go ahead and get the number now and then just go in after the readopt and change it. Anna

[mommytoEli]

we got the ss # first. it was no big deal to change his name on it. the readopt is not scary...you can do it yourself...it cost 20 dollars to file the paperwork in most counties in CA. once you have your post placement report, print out these forms: California Courts: Self-Help Center: Families & Children: Adoption: Independent, Agency, or Foreign Adoptions in California and take them, the homestudy post placement report and other documents asked for to your county office....typically probate court...but call and ask. then file. you will also need a legal cover sheet to turn in your docs...but i can never find it online. when we they. if all is right with your paperwork, they will give you a date then and there. if they need to review a few things, they may send you a letter when they are done. the date will be the first available appt...it will really depend on what's up with the courts where you live...but it should not be very long at all. have fun!

[jeannecr]

We went ahead and got the SS# first. Changing the name on it will be easy. In most counties the readopt is fairly easy, but you will need the one post-placement report from your homestudy agency, as others have said.

[JanelleD]

Thanks guys for all of your help. We've already had 2 post placements, out of our 5 required. Yes, 5. That's another thread all together!

What should the cover letter look like?

Thanks,

[mommytoEli]

five? that's insane. you should not need all of them to file for readoption. that's crazy. the cover letter....ugh...i've been looking for it online for years, and i can never find it. it is a legal cover sheet that states your names, minor's names, what you are petitioning for. but there is a format to follow. we could not find it, and so they actually helped my dh write one at the court house. when you call your courthouse to find out where to file, ask them if they can give you a copy of a template or tell you where to find one online.