How early can we start looking?

You need to wait until your study is complete because many of the children may be placed before your study is done. Also, it's been my experience, that the workers don't want to work with you until your study is complete.

Hi There, I am from Franklin County Ohio as well. We are dual licensed for both foster and adopt. We have adopted three little ones in the past two years. I don't think it will hurt you too much to inquire. What age range are you looking for? What I have found a lot of the time is that when I would inquire on a child a few years back when we first got started they were already matched. Recently they have updated it to indicate a red heart (I think) for those children who are adoptable but matched. I would imagine that makes it much easier but there are a lot of children matched so it sometimes gets frustrating unless you put in your search criteria only to fiind unmatched kids. I'd love to chat with you more and answer any other questions you might have. Feel free to email me directly at notyouagin@aol.com if you want or we can correspond through here. Best of luck to you! Karen Ferrell Moderator

I was so happy when I started the foster care-to-adopt process that I went on a waiting child list and found a child. I did not know that the proper etiquette was to wait until you complete your paperwork, homestudy and classes PRIOR to looking for a child. I was searching for an older child so I contacted her social worker. The SW and I hit it off and we have been conversing since October about this child and my interest in this child. The SW and I have developed a very friendly relationship which is excellent plus she say how serious I was about this child so it worked well for me. IF you decide to look earlier make sure that you understand that the child may not be available. I have found that it is imperative to keep the child's SW abreast of your progress. 'My' child's social worker knows when I will finish my classes, when I turned in all my paperwork, et cetera. Basically I made sure that I kept her in the loop. Lisa

The child were interested in is medically fragile, but when we submitted information via the website, our information would not be sent on until our homestudy was completed. We had thought it would be better to start early with this child since he is medically fragile and we'd want to be up to speed with his condition by the time we were approved. I've thought of contacting his SW directly, but am still unsure how we would be received. We spoke with one of the SW teaching our classes and she said most children we see now in the photolistings, will be adopted by the time our study is completed, 2-3 months from now. In the meantime, we just keep praying that we'll stay patient knowing our child is out there somewhere. Blessings.

jfenner, Hopefully it will all work out in the end!!! Many of the children are placed quickly which is a wonderful thing, but the children with a greater degree of special needs ie. medically fragile are much harder to place. Keep you chin up and get the most you can out of your classes for now. It never hurts to keep looking and anticipating. Adopting any child is such a precious wonderful thing!!!! Best!! Karen F