Your Odds of Adopting

Interesting UTBrie.. I wonder why the state statistics are so different??? I googled our kiddos' home county... RU... 51%! :eek:

My county is 76% RU according to that. And assuming the number for re-entry also falls in that same 12 month period, then recidivism rate is 40%. That alone should tell someone something is wrong. The even sadder thing is the number of deaths. Ohio is 2nd highest I country. And I believe we have had only one death in foster care in a decade. The deaths in "substitute care" were in kinship care, if I recall. It has been a while since I saw those numbers. My county is Franklin for anyone who wants to look. Also keep in mind, my county only removes in extreme situations. I have never heard of removal in a moderate report of abuse in my area. So things are really bad for them to remove and then they send so many back.

I was thinking the same thing... One of the girls we are matched with for teaming this week (if we're chosen to get that far) is in a foster home who will also be a part of this teaming. How is that fair since in CT we were told you are either foster or adopt...

For the others from Ohio on here, I have to laugh. I was looking at the PCSAO report and then their "report to Congress." So, OHIO is failing in almost every category, which I already knew from that judge I took the class last month, but this agency then puts forth this report asking Congress to change the way they do Title IV-E so that Ohio can continue doing the poor job of managing our foster children as is?? Maybe I am mis-understanding this issue.I know that Judge had told us that there is a HouseBill reform act trying to be passed that the PCSAO is against because it supports enforcement of the ASFA, which of course, based on the stringent timelines, goes against Ohio's general RU at all costs and time policy.

Even with those stats, people are continuing to search for their "forever" children. The stats mean nothing to their mindset. That is the good news--that they are neither getting discouraged, nor letting a child sit waiting. Heard someone say recently (can't think of who now, but hope to remember to credit), "there is no setback stronger, nor more durable than a strong mindset!" Prayers for strength and guidance through this process---to all those who are pursuing adoptions.

This is the feeling I got sitting in the info sessions. I think the message that so many people get is from the ads that are run on TV and in newspapers, that kids need homes. So people assume that means that the kids are adoptable. There were at least two couples sitting in with us (very small group that night) that were perplexed by the whole reunification process...as if they didn't understand what fostering really meant. I am hoping when we finally get to start classes (less than 4 weeks now!) the instructors will drive that point home. Repeatedly. It's interesting, because my mom mentioned that she doesn't think now is a good time for us to add another child to our family (whatever...:rolleyes: )... she thinks it's just like how we adopted Cam, that soon as we are licensed the county will just hand over a child to keep. So, that mindset is there....this makes me want to go randomly ask people what their perceptions are of foster care and adoption through the system.... :eyebrows:

There are many positives with adopting through foster care, however, the time involved and the process of failed reunification and possible reunification is freightening to some who seek adoption. In TV-land, everything is promoted by "results" and people do not see the process behind it. Everything is instantaneous. I would like to have that perfect dinner, that perfect laundry with stains that all come out, and neatly folded or pressed and fading out of sight and into a dresser all in the time that it takes for a commercial by one of those ad agencies to promote whatever it is that they happen to promote. However, all adoptions, whether public or private go through a process. People find this out in those meetings----but it really doesn't register until they actually go through the process. The trainings just orient or familiarize you to the possible behaviors, plights, or diagnoses involved. However, nothing prepares you for the daily God sent work that this involves. It is a true commitment without assurances or certainties. It is the work of love and hope. Most people have problems understanding that the children are in the photolisting looking for exactly those who do understand and accept that life is neither perfect, nor TV instant. If people's perceptions are TV-based, then we are all in trouble as a society. I expect better and think that TV is viewed just for entertainment and promotion. I really want to believe that it is........ Best.

I know several children on photolistings that are great kids, that I would adopt right now---if not for rules against kids of different ages/genders sharing rooms. ((IF it weren't against the rules I'd love to tell folks about some fantastic kids in photolistings!!)) I don't believe it is the chlidren on photolistings that are "harder to adopt", as if something were wrong with those kids. Rather I believe it is the system which puts barriers to adopting those kids. The first problem--social workers do not return phone calls on kids in photolistings. Before LG returned I was going straight adopt--and was specifically looking at older children with moderate to severe developmental disabilities. I worked the photolistings hard--and still had problems connecting to real people to review my homestudy. ((This may have been the Lord's timing though. My homestudy was approved for two different children....the day after LG returned :) )). And despite being VERY specific that I ONLY wanted to consider legally free children, I kept being presented legal risk/foster adopt placements. Next, when social workers and agencies do homestudies, they tend to move applicants away from straight adopt, to foster (aka. foster adopt). I wanted to adopt from a photolisting originally. I was told I couldn't be considered for that child. I would have to be a licensed foster parent. So I got my license. Then I was told that each child I inquired on wasn't *Really* up for adoption. They were just listed for techinical reasons. When a social worker has a child that is in a placement that moment....and a child they just received a call on for removal, which child do you think will go to that new foster (aka adopt) family?? That doesn't even go into all the children on photolistings that aren't actually legally free. So I don't think the children on the photolistings are the problem. Its the system failing in yet another area.

has anyone heard anything positive about the site Adoption Photolisting? or is that also highly risky??

I think the whole foster, foster to adopt, straight adopt is really messed up in my state. Our old agency knew we wanted to straight adopt and led us to believe that we could do exactly that..then they signed us and pushed fostering to the extreme. We didn't want to foster and tried to pursue photolistings and got our heads ripped off from our caseworker who now only wanted us to foster. We felt left down and decided to bail on that agency because we felt led on. Now we are trying as of last year to begin with a new agency who is as slow as can be and we are at this point almost a year in and still no closer to things. DH and I are ready to give up and in our case, though we want and have always wanted to adopt...are again considering ttc another child...which we can do..but still why does the system need to be SO broken. I mean I know WHY, but still so many people are put into situations that they weren't told about ahead of time....:grr: Though I want to adopt in the U.S...if things continue on the path they are going, for us it will either be me getting pregnant again..I have 2 bio boys already OR go Internationally.....its just nuts!

Wow! I've had a totally different experience than most of you. We were matched with our sons about two months after being licensed. We did not ask for assistance, but were given it and when we tried to turn it down the social workers pointed out how much more we could do for them with it. This time we've been homestudy ready fir six months and have already said no to a few (out of concern for our children, we want to ensure they can be safe and have enough attention. We've found some great kids on photo listings and also through our social worker's network.When we were fostering (before being matched with our sons) the social workers were increibly easy to deal with. We've had very prompt responses on inquiries, too, even before our homestudy was sent.The social workers keep telling us that we're very realistic. Our county doesn't have a whole lot of kids, we're a fairly small one population wise. In our neighborhood, though, a child was removed based on the school's notification (I talked to the principal about what I saw), and it was done in a timely way. I still see the girl when I volunteer at school and she's doing quite well at her aunt's house.I've been impressed with the professionalism of our county, other counties and agencies in other states. I guess we're very spoiled.

Just looked up the stats! We had 15% of the kids in custody in our home! There were less than 10 adoptions the year we finalized, so we had over 20% of those! Do I ever feel blessed!

Just looked up the stats! We had 15% of the kids in custody in our home! There were less than 10 adoptions the year we finalized, so we had over 20% of those! Do I ever feel blessed!

I think it varies so much from county to county and state to state. Here in Vegas we seem to have a high number of babies that go into foster care and our reunification rates are pretty low. I know at least 10 couples who adopted their very first foster placement, and it was an infant baby they got right from the hospital. We were foster to adopt- we said no to several placements and then were given our now forever daughters situation- she was 3 weeks old- and in a current foster home that could no longer keep her due to some other family issues. The birth mom had a history of having her kids taken away and had a very long drug history, and the birthfather was unknown, there was also no family of the birthmother- and we were told that reunification would unlikely. This ended up being true, it was very fast for a foster to adopt situation- TPR was granted when DD was 11 months old, and her adoption was final when she was 14 months old. I think there are a lot of success stories through the foster to adopt route, but it does vary from situation to situation- although I am yet to see a child be reunified- and I know a lot of foster parents- they are either adopted by the foster parents, or other foster parents (because the current ones do not want to adopt) or they go to a relative.

Yes each state is different...our home state is known to be very difficult to deal with, I was told that by so many agencies that I spoke too. Many of the dozens and dozens of inquiries that I put in for kids I found on photolistings I feel like now may have been dead ends...because as soon as they saw MY state....they immediately didn't want to bother. Which honestly I don't blame them. Our state run programs push us adopting ONLY in our state and expressing an interest to look out of state will get us, the family on the agencies "bad" list. It really is a catch 22....darned either way. I am glad though that other states do have better luck and that there are many POSITIVE stories out there because honestly why adopt at all if there are never any happy endings, so I am so happy to hear good news instead of stories like mine. It is always awesome to hear so many great things from so many people, gives the rest of us on the other side HOPE! So congrats to all of you who HAVE found your forever kids.....:clap: