It’s been a BUSY last few weeks!!! As I said on the previous
post, our case was assigned and on 12/18/14 the individual completing our home
study contacted us. We were given a few choices as to day/time for the
face-to-face visit and chose to have it today (1/19/15). That gave is only 1
month and 1 day to replace the AC/heat, have the fire marshal inspection
completed, and to clean, baby proof, and generally prepare our home for the
visit. In the end, we got it all done and the day arrived for the visit. She
came in and very quickly got down to business. First item of business was
personal interviews. Basically, she sat us down individually, with the other in
a different room, and asked for clarification on just a few things from the
written questionnaire that we completed. After that, it was time to interview
us together. That portion consisted of a lot of basic questions primarily on
our expectations and what we are/are not willing to do for a child,
particularly while in the foster phase. For example, if we were to have a child
placed with us that is of a different religious background, how would we handle
it? We explained that we would be more than willing, as long as it is a
Christian background, to take the child to a church of their denomination as
long as we were still able to take them to our church either before or after
their services. Once we got done with the interview portion it was time for the
walk through. We literally went room to room showing her the contents of every
closet, drawer, and cabinet both inside and outside of the home. Once it was
done she gave us a little question and answer time and then we were done. As
she said bye she told us, “Y’all are going to be great! I have a really good
feeling about you two. You’re very realistic and not living in a fairy tale
like so many people I see.”
So what’s next…
From my understanding, our contact person is going to go
back to the office and work on typing up the home study report. Basically, this
is a massive report that addresses every aspect of our lives, individually and
as a couple, our home, and all other pertinent information, such as our support
system. Once the report is completed, it is sent to a “reader” to be reviewed.
Once it passes the reader’s critique, the report and all other necessary
information, will be sent to the state to apply for a foster/adopt license. If
our timeline ends up about the same as a friend’s who recently went through the
process with the same agency, we should be licensed within 4 weeks, which would
be roughly the second week of February. Once licensed, the waiting game begins.
There really is no telling how long it will take for a child to be placed in
our home. However, what I can say is that the friend that I spoke of earlier
had children placed in her home 5 weeks after being licensed. Keeping with that
trend it would be around the 3rd week of March. If that is how it
works out I feel we would be blessed beyond words, since the 3rd
week of March is spring break for the school district that I work in, and it
would allow me the entire week to be at home and help the kid(s) get settled
in. However, as in all things in this process, there are many unknown. With
that said, we are choosing daily put all things in God’s hand and trust that
above all things His Will be done and that we will meet the child He has
planned for us.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tune in next time for a post on our (still in the works)
Foster/Adopt shower that our family is throwing us.
