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Wednesday, June 22, 2011

More Frustrations

I checked in with our caseworker today. We have to have another interview because her supervisor has additional questions we need to answer. I have no idea what type of questions are unanswered at this point. We have covered our own childhoods, medical histories, education, work history, financial status, discipline plans, home inspection, relationship between us, relationships with family members and our experiences with children.

As I talk with families who have been getting licensed this year for foster care and foster-adopt I am observing families who already have children being processed faster than families who do not have children. This is just my observation. I understand that people who have children are proven parents - good or bad. BUT, people who do not children may or may not be better, as good as or worse parents.

We passed the process with the US Homeland Security, but it feels like the State of Washington is unwilling to allow us to become parents for whatever their preconceived notions of good parents. It is frustrating while we wait for our first child. If all goes well in next Thursday's interview, our home study should be complete by July 10.

Surprisingly, my patience is holding up. A young girl we have been praying for since January has found a family. It is not us as we wait for paperwork, but she has found a family. I pray her transition goes well. I am casually reading about children on the online photolistings, but I am not allowing myself to get attached until our paperwork is done and we can contact caseworkers of children.

For now, I just pray for:


  • our future child

  • our home study

  • the 8 year girl who found a family

  • our life as we wait

Thursday, June 2, 2011

May Milestones

After the frustruations of April, flowers began to bloom in May. Late April I contacted my state representatives involved in our case. Rep. Finn was most responsive to our case. His staff contacted DSHS HQ who then called me immediately promising a call from the local DSHS office by the end of that week. Well, I never got taht call. I gave the local office until the following Wednesday to call, which they did not. I called the office and the Supervisor did not seem to know I was expecting a call from him, but he did provide me with the phone number of the licensor who would complete our home study. I immediately called Elaine and we set up a time to meet. She would interview Mike one day and me the next. After getting lost on her way to the house, she interviewed Mike May 19. He was not talkative about the questions asked or how he thought the interview went so I entered my interview the next day not know what to expect. Elaine is a wonderful lady who made me comfortable like I was talking to a close friend. Besides the interview, she inspected the house and was impressed with the amount of room we have and the character it has - lots of storage, three floors, nooks for playing and a quiet neighborhood. She has two other home studies before ours, but she planned to have ours done by June 26, no later than July 10. Once our home study is complete, our case will be turned over to a new licensor.

Elaine told us we could contact a child's caseworker before we receive our license approval letter. We just send a child's casework Elaine's information which she will feed them until the report is finalized and complete. I emphasized to Elaine we are interested in adopting from the foster care system. Our license with be for ages 5 to 10 as we have our eye on a child who is currently 8 years old and we do not know who long it will be before she can be placed with our family.

The hope is to have a child by the end of the year. As we may get a child during the school year I will be meeting with the elementary school counselor this month to get ready for a school-aged child in our home. We are now back on track with the foster-adopt.

The Jamaican adoption, we just wait. We might get a match later this year or it might be next year. I did get to meet Mrs. Edie, CEO of the Child Development Agency in Jamaica. My god brother had a fundraiser for Embracing Orphans in Walla Walla and made arrangements for Mrs. Edie and one of her orphans to be speakers at the event. Samantha had the audience in tears telling the story of her abuse and her dreams for the future. I had the opportunity to talk with Mrs. Edie and let her know my husband and I were one of her prospective parents. She asked when our application was submitted and I stated October 2010. Who knows, maybe the meeting will move our case a little faster.

Only God knows from where our child will come and when. I have to take actions to feel proactive and to deal with my anxiety as we wait for a child. While April was frustrating, several milestones occurred in May and June is hopeful as we continue on our adoption journey.......