PRU Match in Los Angeles Co.

This sounds very strange! Maybe I'm reading too much into what you wrote but it sounds like the foster parent wants to keep the child longer even though he/she can't adopt right now. Perhaps whatever the reasons are for not being able to adopt will vanish in the right amount of time. For instance, is the FP trying to adopt another child right now? I don't really know the exact rules but you aren't supposed to take two separate pre-adoptive placements at the same time, correct? Although I don't have the same experience. The adoptions worker assigned to our case seems to truly dislike us and I am terrified that she will try to sabotage us in a similar way.

You can take all the pre-adotpive placements you want. This does sound odd though. Have visits been going well? Where are you in the case? Hang in there and push your FFA to fight for you. I'm also with an FFA (Kern) and this just sounds altogether odd.

La County does what La County wants to do. If you think your situation is bad I have a situation that tops that. if I told you what a fellow fost/adopt parent went through with La County you wouldn't even believe me. Short and to the point. Was back door matched with a sib set....basically what that means is someone from the county knew someone at the agency and the foster parent was basically matched without having any competition. They called fost/adopt parent one day and said we have a sib set that meets your parameters would you like to meet them. The next day parent was out to meet the kids and by the end if the visit the coordinator basically told the kids that your new parent. They asked parent to take immediate custody of the kids which fp declined because they wanted a disclosure meeting and time to get to know the kids. The kids and fp basically had about 5 weekend day visits and 3 weekend overnight visits and kids were due to move in the following week. FP did some calling to get assistance with getting the kids set up in school and pretty much got the run around. FP WAS also declined a disclosure meeting. When FP asked too many questions and finally found the adoption worker and contacted her the AW basically said you've been matched but we need to have a disclosure meeting with your agency. FP replied that was all they had been asking for from the beginning...well the meeting happened and after 8 weeks of bonding with the kids they decided that FP was no longer a match! Why would you torment the kids like that. KIDS had already met all of the extended family and had bonded with this FP...cried when they went back to their foster homes and couldn't wait to be with their fost adopt mom. That's good ole La County for ya, I hope everything works out for you but lately I have NO FAITH in this County. Good luck.

La County does what La County wants to do. If you think your situation is bad I have a situation that tops that. if I told you what a fellow fost/adopt parent went through with La County you wouldn't even believe me. Short and to the point. Was back door matched with a sib set....basically what that means is someone from the county knew someone at the agency and the foster parent was basically matched without having any competition. They called fost/adopt parent one day and said we have a sib set that meets your parameters would you like to meet them. The next day parent was out to meet the kids and by the end if the visit the coordinator basically told the kids that your new parent. They asked parent to take immediate custody of the kids which fp declined because they wanted a disclosure meeting and time to get to know the kids. The kids and fp basically had about 5 weekend day visits and 3 weekend overnight visits and kids were due to move in the following week. FP did some calling to get assistance with getting the kids set up in school and pretty much got the run around. FP WAS also declined a disclosure meeting. When FP asked too many questions and finally found the adoption worker and contacted her the AW basically said you've been matched but we need to have a disclosure meeting with your agency. FP replied that was all they had been asking for from the beginning...well the meeting happened and after 8 weeks of bonding with the kids they decided that FP was no longer a match! Why would you torment the kids like that. KIDS had already met all of the extended family and had bonded with this FP...cried when they went back to their foster homes and couldn't wait to be with their fost adopt mom. That's good ole La County for ya, I hope everything works out for you but lately I have NO FAITH in this County. Good luck.

I've been hearing horrible LA County stories this week. I'm in a neighboring county and we've been told LA County has some cases they may open up to our county. However, already some of the waiting parents at our FFA have declined saying they won't work with LA County. Wow. My sister had a great experience fostering and adopting LA County. Maybe it's just the current state of things, new policies or a bad group of SW's. Ugh.

My experience with LA county has been 90% negative. I had a social worker lie to me to get me to take a placement outside of my parameters. then she had the nerve to admit she lied because she needed to find a home so she could leave early for vacation. I was in court this week and I couldn't believe the reason for a "continuation" on TPR. I understand that the la county SWs are overworked but the dishonesty and incompetence are difficult to look past.

I'm in LA County and it does depend on which regional office you work w/ as well as the CSW. LA County is huge and some of the most overwhelmned areas are in Palmdale, South Central, and Compton. These are the areas where CSW turnover is great so what you are hearing is not unusual. We have been fortunate that we only take infant/toddler sibling sets so our parameters require emergency placements. Plus our Region tends to have more seasoned CSW who have their MSW. I would have a sit down w/ your FFA to see if they can get to the bottom of the situation. If they can't, ask for them to continue the search for an adoptive placement. I know it sucks but its not worth the headache if your intention is to Foster/Adopt.

I'm in LA County and it does depend on which regional office you work w/ as well as the CSW. LA County is huge and some of the most overwhelmned areas are in Palmdale, South Central, and Compton. These are the areas where CSW turnover is great so what you are hearing is not unusual. We have been fortunate that we only take infant/toddler sibling sets so our parameters require emergency placements. Plus our Region tends to have more seasoned CSW who have their MSW. I would have a sit down w/ your FFA to see if they can get to the bottom of the situation. If they can't, ask for them to continue the search for an adoptive placement. I know it sucks but its not worth the headache if your intention is to Foster/Adopt.

Well, we got the official word today that we are being unmatched. Our FFA fought long and hard to make this work for us. The most frustrating part is that we were never able to get a reason for the county to want to unmatch us. They tried to say my husband was detached at the initial observation visit when he was holding the baby and playing hide-and-seek, but then they detracted. This case was in the Palmdale area, and the CSW has been outright lying about everything she has observed. She also encouraged the current caregive (who is 68 and unwilling to adopt due to her age, but did mention her daughter and/or friends from her church wanted to adopt the child) to give out our number to every agency so we could get a different placement so we would drop out. It has been a very confusing process for us, we had 4 visits, and had been planning for our future as a family. Fortunately, the child is young enough that she will not be too confused by everything. We have a current foster placement for a year, but he is being transitioned back to his birth mother (which we support), so we are not strangers to the system. But, we are very discouraged. This is why LA County is losing fost-adopt parents.

If you feel that you were justifiably 'Wronged' ??? State of California does have an State Wide Adoption Board. That is located in Sacramento in Northern California!! This is not California State Department of Licensing also. This is totally for filing complaints!! Both my Husband and I would join you in filing a complaint ourselves!! Juli

Palmdale is the worse. Sounds like the baby is in a County home and those homes don't want to give up their placements easily. One of my.friends stopped fostering because of their experience w/ the region. Is it possible to ask your Agency to place you w/ emergency cases only? Yes there's risk but most babies and toddlers are placed in LA as legal risks. Plus I've heard that more FP adopt their emergency foster placements than their matched adoptive placements.PM me if you have any.additional questions or just want to chat.

Palmdale is the worse. Sounds like the baby is in a County home and those homes don't want to give up their placements easily. One of my.friends stopped fostering because of their experience w/ the region. Is it possible to ask your Agency to place you w/ emergency cases only? Yes there's risk but most babies and toddlers are placed in LA as legal risks. Plus I've heard that more FP adopt their emergency foster placements than their matched adoptive placements. PM me if you have any.additional questions or just want to chat.