Readoption Hearing

Today was a very special day in the Mancini household. Today we had our Finalization Readoption hearing for Eva. Our appointment was at 3:00. We got to the courthouse around 2:30 and just a few minutes after 3:00 we were with our attorney in the magistrate's chambers. It went really quickly. We got sworn in and then the attorney and the magistrate asked us each a series of questions about our adoption process. Shortly after that, the magistrate declared that our foreign adoption was deemed legitimate by the State of Ohio and recognized that Eva is our child. We even received certified Adoption Certificates. Now we will be able to get her a U.S birth certificate and passport.

We decided to go through the readoption because we wanted her to be recognized in the State of Ohio as well as through the federal government and Ethiopia. We also wanted all of our adoption paperwork to be legitimate so that when we move, she will be recognized as our legal daughter. But we also did it because we needed to do an official name change. In Ethiopia, the child's middle & last name are that of the father. So, leaving Ethiopia, Eva's legal name was Melat John Mancini.

But as of today we would like to officially introduce Evangeline Maria Melat Mancini!!