Home Study, Finally

Welcome to the boards and the Foster/Adoption world. How did the final home inspection go? It will be good to have another male perspective around here, there are a few, new insights are always welcomed. I (single mom in the Houston area) did not receive a Case Worker until the child was placed with me, then each one came with their own. I am going through a private agency, do you have an agency or are you going through the county?

Thanks for the welcome!The home visit/interview went well. It was supposed to be for three hours, but ended up being four - mostly my doing, because I talked a lot. :) But I felt very comfortable with the social worker conducting the interview, and there was a lot of good back and forth. She even gave me suggestions and tips on handling some scenarios, where I could read more about working with and parenting older kids. Overall, her feedback was positive and encouraging, and she reassured me I have the right attitude and mindset for doing this. "You'll be a great dad," she said several times.She said she expected to finish her report before the deadline (10 days or so), and from there it would be handed over to CPS. Once they had the file and all they needed, they would assign me a case worker. I'm working directly with the state/county, and not through a private agency. I've become accustomed to pestering them as I don't get much proactive communication from them. Of note, she was another person among several that have told me that because I specified a preference for an older child (10 and up), I would probably be matched and have a placement faster than I might expect. That's both exciting and nerve wracking!As to being a single male in this process, so far I've received nothing but support and encouragement. Of course, my interaction with "the system" has been limited to the PRIDE classes and the home study visit, but I'm glad that so far no impediments have arisen.

Thanks for the welcome! The home visit/interview went well. It was supposed to be for three hours, but ended up being four - mostly my doing, because I talked a lot. :) But I felt very comfortable with the social worker conducting the interview, and there was a lot of good back and forth. She even gave me suggestions and tips on handling some scenarios, where I could read more about working with and parenting older kids. Overall, her feedback was positive and encouraging, and she reassured me I have the right attitude and mindset for doing this. "You'll be a great dad," she said several times. She said she expected to finish her report before the deadline (10 days or so), and from there it would be handed over to CPS. Once they had the file and all they needed, they would assign me a case worker. I'm working directly with the state/county, and not through a private agency. I've become accustomed to pestering them as I don't get much proactive communication from them. Of note, she was another person among several that have told me that because I specified a preference for an older child (10 and up), I would probably be matched and have a placement faster than I might expect. That's both exciting and nerve wracking! As to being a single male in this process, so far I've received nothing but support and encouragement. Of course, my interaction with "the system" has been limited to the PRIDE classes and the home study visit, but I'm glad that so far no impediments have arisen.