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Long Vent Ahead, But I Thought You Would Understand
My husband and I are in the process of adopting an 8 month old baby boy. We brought him home from the hospital when he was 10 days old, so we're the only family he's ever known. His bio's signed the TPR papers last December, so this adoption should have been very easy and quick. Our problem is that our Social Worker doesn't reply to calls or e-mails from us or our Attorney. She needs to file our Homestudy with the court. We're told that's the only thing holding us up at this point. We hired our Attorney before he was 6 months old in anticipation of moving forward quickly and finalizing the adoption soon after the 6 month waiting period was over. That came and went 2 months ago.
I've talked to the SW several times at our monthly visits about the Homestudy and she actually told us, at on point, that she was almost done updating it. Two weeks ago she announces that she found out that she wouldn't need to update it. I asked her when she was going to fax it over and she then informed us that she didn't have it and that she would have to track it down. What?!? So, apparently, she's never seen it. How was she about to finish revising it 2 months ago when she never had it to revise?
We talked to our Attorney again today and they still don't have it and it hasn't been filed in court. I finally decided to call our SW's supervisor and left another message. I also got the supervisior's boss' phone number from the supervisor's voice mail and called her. She actually answered the phone! I explained the situation to her and she told me to have our Attorney call their Attorney. Hopefully, she'll put some pressure on either the CW or her Supervisor and one of them will learn how to use the fax machine. And I hope that didn't actually cause us more problems. I hate going over people's heads, but it's been such a long process and no one is helping.
This has been such a huge frustration. We should have at least been scheduled for a court date by now. Do the CW's only carry so many cases at a time? We feel like we're being kept on the books by the CW because we're easy. (No bio parents, hearings or court dates and we usually drop by the office at the end of the month so the CW can get her monthly visit in because she usually forgets to call us about it.)
We just want our baby to officially be ours and to give him our name.
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Girl - i am feeling your pain. I have been working on getting SNAP approved since June of 2009 and was told today it would be likely July before we get to the SNAP committee. I am not holding my breath as we finished our classes in Oct and homestudy visit was in early March and still no license. *sigh* My complaints are met with "Stay positive and don't give up" UGGGGGGOOD LUCK!
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I am right there along with all the rest! I have had FS since birth in Oct. 2008. Parents signed TPR July 2009.. and I have had alot of the same answers to questions as the OP.
One thing I did learn is that if your case didnt actually move to the adoption team worker, and was left for your FCM to handle that is alot of the problem. I was told ( get this) that the "adoption team was not taking on such cut and dry cases right now. not to make you feel less important than the rest". I guess they are doign higher priority cases right now.. and then was told the state wanted some sort of cross training done.. so I guess in St. Joe County I am the guinea pig here.. for my FCM. You are in Vanderbaugh co. I thought I woudl be finished way before now! Still waiting. I was also AMAZED when I was told " as long as he is a ward of the state, the per deim will still be coming!" Like that was a consolation! I really wanted to reach Mitch Daniels on that one! You know.. tell him one or two ways to help the budget in this state!!! It made me wonder how many others are told that. I know how much they have sent to me in the past year!!
I do have to admit that once I hired an attorney.. after hearing them tell me I didnt need to . not yet.. they would let me know what to do and when.. that got them moving thats for sure.. right now I am anticipating hearing back from CEU on the subisidy review we requested.. at my attorneys advise.. and I hope to be final before july!!! Still a hope.. I dont really believe anything any one tells me any more!
Good luck to you though!! I know its hard to keep hearing how it wont be much longer.. just hold on.
I actually got a call back from the Supervisor today. She seemed more knowledgable than the CW. She took our Attorney's name and number. She also asked me about other paperwork that our CW was supposed to have filed and I had to tell her I had no idea if anything had been filed. I doubt it has. Hopefully this will speed things up a bit or at least get our Homestudy filed.
We got a call from the Supervisor this morning a little before 8am. She told us she was talking to "The Attorney" today. We're not sure if she meant our attorney or their attorney, but any discussion of our case is progress. She also meantioned that she was reviewing all of our CW's cases. My husband was a little concerned about that, but I say good. I hate it when people don't do their jobs. We're one of the easy cases and she has completely failed to help us.
She also wanted to make sure she had our correct address so that they could finally send us his Medicaid card. We waited over 6 months for a number that the CW wrote on a paper card. We were getting calls wanting payment for his birth and NICU stay.
Now if we could just get them to file for his SS Card!
I'm excited that they're making an effort to help us. I'm still frustrated that it's taken so long and so many phone calls.
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