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I guess I just don't understand. The agency advertises, and tells you they are desperate for foster parents. But its like pulling teeth to get anywhere. Its like a game of hurry up and wait. I'm starting to believe they really must not need homes as badly as they make it sound. We inquired with agency back in March. Took off work so we could both knock out the PRIDE trainings in two days in April. Had our fully complete packet turned in and fingerprints done all for the second class (4/23 & 4/29). Find out we have to take Foster Care 101...thats late May. No problem. We go and are told we will be assigned a licensing worker any day. That some of the couples in the class already had a LW and had completed their first homestudy...just made us believe great!, things are moving along! We didn't get a LW until late June, and our first homevisit (1 of 2) was first week of July. It went great! We wait. And wait. After a month I check in...she has two ahead of us to type up and revisit for their second as well. Again...wait wait. Check in late August. Same two still ahead of us, plus 3 more???????????? And no time frame for completion. We are so frustrated! On one hand...awesome...if they don't need us, there must not be any sibling groups coming into care in our area. No kids...abuse must be going down. But I know we are one of the few homes that is willing and has space for a large sibling group. Its our whole point in fostering...keeping kids together!! We have 3 twin beds and a crib just waiting for some kiddos! (our age range is 0-9) I'm really trying to stay focused on it being in Gods hands, and if its meant to happen it will. But a big part of me wants to contact the supervisor and cry. Is it always like this???? SixChicks
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Enough to drive you nuts, isn't it? System is broken in many ways. This is just a preview. With that said, I feel your pain. 8 months *after completing everything including interviews* to license was average when I got licensed in 2005. Wait, make that 2006 it took so long.Anyway, how large a group can you take?
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We started our training Sept 15, 2010 and are having our first home study visit Sept 20, 2011. A YEAR! I understand your frustration well. It will happen eventually and the patience that you learn now will help with the patience you'll need once you get your license and have to continue waiting for the right placement.This year has given us time to rethink what we are open to and I'm grateful for that, but still very annoyed that's it's taking so long. Almost everyone else in our class was done in about 6 months.
I am in the same boat! :mad: Applied 12/10 MAPP Training 4/11-6/11 Homestudy 1 and 2 Early 7/11 Homestudy completed and submitted 8/5 NOW WAITING FOR supervisor and regional supervisor signatures. The waiting is driving me crazy!!!!! The nursery is set-up and ready to go. Doing foster->adopt only (any race, gender, and open to disabilities)!:paci:
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We are half way done our PRIDE training, with four more classes to go. Back in early spring we were told that by the time we got through classes our homestudy would be complete. We were also told that if we missed a class we could either make it up in the next PRIDE session or make it up with our social worker. Sooooo....when we told the PRIDE trainer that we would be missing one class for vacation, she told us we'd have to wait until the next session. Two months? TWO MONTHS? That is b.s., especially since they sat there and told us we could make it up with our SW. When I pointed this out, they couldn't understand why I was irritated or that it would take two extra months. "Um, two weeks between sessions, and we'd have to make up the sixth class...eight weeks". Surely we are not the ONLY people who have pointed that out to them? I get it. And I like what one poster said about this being a test of patience. I am not even sweating the home study, it's that extra two months for one class. Anyway, I suppose my lack of patience is due to the fact that I have wanted to be a foster mom for half my 40 years. :)
LW called today, we are set for the 27th for the second visit. Should only take an hour. I wanted to ask about the time frame between the visit and the license...but I didn't. Figure why stress about it now...just see what she says at the visit! To answer how big of a sibling group...4 but I think we can do 5 with some sort of written variance. Its late...the terminology they used escapes me LOL. We are pretty limited to girls though. I can take an infant boy, by moving the crib to my room. But due to my girls ages, the other 4 bedrooms have to be girls only. My 21 and my 19 can't share their rooms with fosters. My 17 can if we get a placement before she turns 18 in Feb. then sharing isn't a big deal cuz its considered like a sibling. That kindof surprised me? So we have one huge room that my 10 & 12 will share with 4 fosters. SixChicks
I understand completely. I waited for 6 months just to take PRIDE. PRIDE took three months to finish because they only offered the class on Tues or Thrs. I wait a full month after class to be assigned a case worker for licensing. I am rushed to get everything completed and now I am waiting for a stupid fingerprints to come in for the 4th time. Everything else is completed. Just waiting...... Passing a by a room that looks like a a little girl belongs in there. LOL
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I was told the same thing. Need good people to foster. Even better was that I wanted a large sibling set. Was told I could have up to 6. I said 4 would be good. I hurried and did everything and was all set and approved 4 months or so after orientation. Been in the mix for several sibling sets. One I said no to from the beginning. I thought I was going to be approved and have a flood gate of siblings to go through. It's not like that at all. Even harder as a single female. I have room for 6 without a problem. I bought 3 matching comforter sets just to have on hand, plus the one that's already on the queen bed and I come home to empty bedrooms. I get updates about once a week or every other week about how my HS was submitted to all county workers (I'm with a private agency) and updates on previous sets that I was in the mix for and how I wasn't chosen for whatever reason. On one hand I'm happy that kids aren't taken away from their family, and on the other seems like a long road to get a county worker to recognize me as a good placement for a sibling set because I'm a single woman. Very discouraging.
I'm totally new at this so this really is a question and not a suggestion as to why you all are waiting so long....Is it possible that they are "saving" foster families who are open to large sibling groups in case they need them? Like maybe they have the greatest need for 2-3 kids at a time, so they're not really putting those kids in families willing/able to take 4+ b/c what if a bigger group comes along? Just wondering if any of that comes into play...
Well, IMO since I'm only doing foster to adoption and not taking in foster children, the children that I'm looking for are unfortunately already in the system. I know my agency has been "knocking" on all the doors in all neighboring counties for me. They also ask if there are any large sets that might be heading to TPR in the next few months that do not have an adoption resource family lined up. So far I just sit here and reading other people's stories on here that are getting match after match, 4th adoption, 5th adoption, 3 sets of siblings and I just sit here on the sidelines wondering if being a single that works is such a bad thing, even though I have a family member that will be "on duty" and pretty much a SAHM type when I'm not there. When I was approved I had thoughts of having the kids before school started, so I can register them and have them start the year here. That's passed. Now I'm hoping to have them here for Halloween and trick-'or- treating, but I see that won't probably happen. So I've moved on to hoping for Christmas.:( :( :(
It is actually a relief to know that I am not the only one playing the waiting game with this process. My DH and I started this process back in January of this year. During that time frame we had to switch agencies and now we are waiting for the DLR to clear my DH's background check. That is the last thing we need in order to have our last home visit. I thought for sure we would be looking at placements by now but I'm starting to wonder if it will even happen at all this year. I too feel like the woman who cried kid. Although all of my friends and family are very supportive and seem understanding of the situation, especially with all the state budget crisis' that are going on. I can't help but to feel so discouraged with the system. Looking at the empty crib/toddler bed and other kid stuff I have accumilated isn't helping either.
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LW came for the second home visit as scheduled. Said a few weeks with supervisor, then on to licensing which is running 2-3 weeks. A few last minute things came up to deal with...they need actual marriage certificates in addition to divorce papers. Which of course we can't locate and have to order LOL. I mean seriously??? The courts obviously recognized the marriage...cuz they granted the divorces! He can print his online...I have to snail mail because Cincinnati is behind the times and has a nice old lady in probate who handles all those requests :-) Best case...licensed by Halloween...but more likely Thanksgiving. Either way I am starting to get excited...and a fair amount of OMG am I crazy?? Well...yeah :arrow:
It really can be a slow process. We have been licensed since 6 September, we had to turn down a placement a week before our licence came through - we can only take 1and had requested between 0-8 was our preference. They asked us to take a F 14yr old, we couldnt accommodate unfortunately. Since then the phone hasnt rung once. We have some mandatory training next week and it will give me a chance to speak to the SW then. Our little one keeps asking when is a buddy coming to stay seeing as the bedroom has been empty for 2 months after rushing around furnishing it and decorating. Still, I guess it means that children are safe and loved with their bio-families - which is always the good thing.