Saskatchewan Homestudy

Sorry - I'm an albertan!! I hear the process in Saskatchewan is a bit different...is it true their are no private agencies?? I have no answers but I wanted to welcome you and wish you luck!!

We are also in Alberta but checked into moving to Saskatchewan for a job opportunity while we were waiting for #2. It has been awhile so things might have changed from whagt we were told. There are no private agencies so your first step would be to get in touch with [URL="http://www.cr.gov.sk.ca/adoption"]Community Services[/URL] to start with your questions. Sorry I'm not much help. Best of everything and keep us posted on what you learn. The more information here the better and we'd love to support you in the process should you choose to go that way!

Hi there, We are in the process of starting a domestic adoption through Community Services in SK - we met with a social worker to get the application in Feb 07, we actually turned the application in in Aug 07 (we needed to do some reading and thinking first!) and then in Oct we got a letter stating that it would be 2-5 YEARS before our homestudy would even be started. Needless to say, I doubt that we are adopting domestically through SK - I just don't want to wait that long - which means we probably won't be adopting at all, since we can't afford to do it any other way. Carolyn

eek!! That's awful Carolyn!! Is there any way to adopt through another province??? I think private agencies have some definite cons....but the pro's are definitely there too!!

Carolyn, What age group did you chose? We too have completed the application in May 07, we haven't actually met the social worker, we spoke with her on the phone a couple times and she mailed the application. The only response we received since was that we were on the waiting list and one saying we had been on the list 6 months, and had anything changed. We decided on 0-4 yrs as an age group.

Aww, Ally; I wish I had more of a current update for you; but ... I do believe that we first spoke with SK Social Services in 1991; I do know that we were given that horrible 2 - 6 year scenario; we didn't pursue it further until after undergoing further infertility investigation, including IVF in 1993; that took some time to resolve, wrap our minds around, move on, rethink, commit ... I don't recall exactly when we first submitted our application. I do recall that the paperwork was extremely lengthy! and that gathering all the required documentation / clearances / references was pretty time consuming; I think we probably had our paperwork done in spring 1996, and were still given the 2 - 5 year scenario. But we had in-office interviews, and a home visit that summer. In October 1996 we were officially 'on the waiting list'. We heard nothing for months. In May 1997 we got THE phone call, our daughter born October 1996. Birthmom had chosen our profile, but in hospital, chose to parent. At first. I guess, to me, in retrospect, it seems like everything happened quickly; at the time of course, not so much. We do know another couple from SK (the hubby was a new coworker of my hubby's) and their process was like lightning fast, less than 1 year from initial application to placement, this was equally long-ago! sorry; 1997 - 1998. Anyway, I have always thought they use that 2-5 year thing to see how applicants react; definitely, there are never any guarantees, but I don't know that it should take that long. I don't know if there are other agencies that complete the homestudy at least; I mean, it's not rocket science, and is a very painless procedure. Definitely, your criteria would make a difference; we were open to sex / race, age up to 5 years, we were accepting of some but not all medical conditions. I felt bad about that actually; but definitely, there were some conditions that we did not sign on as accepting. In the end, we were chosen for some basic reasons: we were childless / infertile; we were employed / secure; we were open / and agreed to an open adoption as birthparents chose; and we were pet-owners/lovers! Sorry my review of SK adoption seems to be completely out of date. I do like the AB govt adoption site, it's more accessible; but... there must be babies / children in SK that need loving homes too. You have to believe that your child is out there. What is meant to be, is meant to be. Babs

Carolyn; Don't give up. You and Ally both: Hang In There. Babs

Maybe, just maybe ... It might depend on the social worker. We had a great one. She liked us, and we liked her. I suppose, if you happen to get a govt worker, who feels overworked and underappreciated ... ??? Do you both feel comfortable with the worker you've been assigned? We started our initial process in MJ and relocated to Reg shortly thereafter; dd was born in Sktn; our worker in Reg and birthmom's worker in Sktn were both terrific. I would hate to think that politics / workplace stress enters into this, but it might. Babs

Sorry, I never did really answer your questions!! Chatty me, missed the points: The homestudy process was easy; it involved us each having an in-office visit separately, and then one together; one visit to our home (where we sweated unnecessarily over our over-exuberant dogs and how clean the house was - neither were factors); We also attended a meeting with about 12 other prospective adoptive couples, the guest speaker was a couple who had recently adopted; it was also painless and actually kind of informative, reaffirming the choice of open adoption. I remember fighting my jealousy - the guest speakers were just home with their 2nd child - and I had to fight my inclination to weigh our chances against the other 12 ... Well, nothing is EASY!!! So, yes, the homestudy started relatively quickly once our paperwork was submitted. I don't know if that has changed, but I do think, that we were STILL presented with the 2 - 5 year thing at that point. But on the bright side: because it does appear that they are still quoting that same timeframe, which was not true for us, nor for the other couple that we became acquainted with; I think it may still come down to your criteria and your comfort level with your worker (and your worker's comfort level with his/her position!); I wish both of you fellow SK moms-to-be all the best. Babs

We put toddler - young child. We have a biological child, and for his protection, I only want children in the house that are younger than him. Also to avoid "twinning", I wanted a child who would be in the year below him in school, so I put any child born after March 1, 2004 (My son's bday is Dec 1, 2003). We were open to sex, and we were open to most of the conditions listed on the form. Carolyn