I am really struggling with our kinship foster training classes. After the first class, my attitude wasn't great, but I had high hopes that future classes would be interesting and full of important information. While the information is important, it is also a repeat of what we learned in our infant adoption class. After our second class, this past week, my hopes are pretty much gone.
When you gather any group of 30 people together, you are bound to get a variety of experiences, issues, questions and problems. When those people are all dealing with a very confusing system, irresponsible family members, and a child (or children) they were not prepared to care for, the craziness grows exponentially.
This past Friday, our class spiraled out of control as several people took the opportunity to share (or complain) about what they were dealing with. At first, it appeared that they were just asking questions about the process, but after a few minutes, it became clear that they were looking for a place to vent. Those few minutes turned into a 20 minute discussion. I can sympathize with the confusion surrounding foster care. The problem is that each of our situations is unique, so it is hard to remain engaged in the class when the conversation is irrelevant to me. While we have had a relatively easy process, many of the people in our class are jaded by "the system" and that is apparent as soon as they speak.
Matt and I have been blessed with an incredible support system. I have to remember that not everyone has that. While I may find all of this frustrating, I want to be supportive of the men and women in my class. I have started praying for each of them:
-That they would experience peace in their decision to foster a family member's child.
-That they find answers to their many questions.
-That they locate resources necessary to help them through the process.
I also have a few prayers for myself:
-That I would remain positive about the class; looking for new information in each session.
-That I have patience with those taking the class.
-That I offer support to the people that may not have any outside of the class.
I am in a bible study right now, and as I did my homework today, I was directed to Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." I look forward to seeing the good that God brings through this experience!
Monday, May 13, 2013
Monday, May 6, 2013
Centipedes, Regulations and 17 Amazing Stories
We began our Kinship Foster Training Class this past Friday night. I'll be honest, my attitude has been less than great about attending this class. I can think of a few other ways that I'd rather spend a Friday. However, this is required to bring little Alex home, so I will do what it takes.
Class began with a centipede...yes, a centipede...crawling across my foot. I'm shocked that I didn't freak out. Actually, it was Matt that got a little jumpy. It wasn't until after he killed it that he told me that they can be poisonous. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it was about 3 inches long. Gross! For the remainder of our class time, I was constantly looking down at my feet or trying to find sitting positions that kept my feet in the air.
As we reviewed the class schedule, I quickly realized that much of the information was going to repeat our Infant Adoption Class. Cue the bad attitude again! My goal for the next five weeks is to find something new in every class to make me a better foster parent (and better parent in general). Here are a few nuggets that I gained Friday night...
- Rules and Regulations - this was actually what I wanted from the class, and there are a lot of them! The best info was about the licensing visit, specifically what was going to be required. We learned that we did not purchase the correct fire extinguishers, so I'll have to get new ones. We also learned that we'll have to get a landline phone. We have not had a landline since 2006, but as I've said before, we'll do what we need to do. We also have to buy a fire ladder. While there are many rules and regulations to learn, it is clear that they are all designed to protect the children living in the foster system.
- Resources - there are a crazy number of resources available to foster parents in Clark County. As we reviewed them, I was excited to know that we'd have a lot of support until the court hearing to determine Alex's final placement. Everything from diapers/formula to counseling to summer camps.
- Humbling Stories - We've tried to keep a positive attitude about our entire situation with Alex. Friday night showed us that we have absolutely nothing to complain about. I was in awe as I listened to everyone's stores. The grandmother who took her 7 granddaughters, the 22 year old guy who is taking care of his 1 1/2 year old brother, the couple who now have two nieces and a nephew in addition to three biological children, and the list goes on. It was humbling to hear what some of the people were willing to do. Many of them had little notice that they were being placed. Most of them have to deal with the parents of these children.
I look forward to learning many more things over the month of May. I'm just praying that no more creepy crawlers find their way onto my feet.
Class began with a centipede...yes, a centipede...crawling across my foot. I'm shocked that I didn't freak out. Actually, it was Matt that got a little jumpy. It wasn't until after he killed it that he told me that they can be poisonous. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it was about 3 inches long. Gross! For the remainder of our class time, I was constantly looking down at my feet or trying to find sitting positions that kept my feet in the air.
As we reviewed the class schedule, I quickly realized that much of the information was going to repeat our Infant Adoption Class. Cue the bad attitude again! My goal for the next five weeks is to find something new in every class to make me a better foster parent (and better parent in general). Here are a few nuggets that I gained Friday night...
- Rules and Regulations - this was actually what I wanted from the class, and there are a lot of them! The best info was about the licensing visit, specifically what was going to be required. We learned that we did not purchase the correct fire extinguishers, so I'll have to get new ones. We also learned that we'll have to get a landline phone. We have not had a landline since 2006, but as I've said before, we'll do what we need to do. We also have to buy a fire ladder. While there are many rules and regulations to learn, it is clear that they are all designed to protect the children living in the foster system.
- Resources - there are a crazy number of resources available to foster parents in Clark County. As we reviewed them, I was excited to know that we'd have a lot of support until the court hearing to determine Alex's final placement. Everything from diapers/formula to counseling to summer camps.
- Humbling Stories - We've tried to keep a positive attitude about our entire situation with Alex. Friday night showed us that we have absolutely nothing to complain about. I was in awe as I listened to everyone's stores. The grandmother who took her 7 granddaughters, the 22 year old guy who is taking care of his 1 1/2 year old brother, the couple who now have two nieces and a nephew in addition to three biological children, and the list goes on. It was humbling to hear what some of the people were willing to do. Many of them had little notice that they were being placed. Most of them have to deal with the parents of these children.
I look forward to learning many more things over the month of May. I'm just praying that no more creepy crawlers find their way onto my feet.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Selfish or Healthy?
In classic "me" fashion, I am trying to solve a problem that is not actually a problem yet. I feel like I have an answer, but maybe getting it all out will help.
In late June, we are celebrating our 10th anniversary. We've been talking about this anniversary for a few years now, and had planned a weeklong trip to a beach resort in Cancun. As things picked up with Alex, we realized that a weeklong trip may not be the best idea, especially given that we had no idea how things would go. We agreed to pare it down to a long weekend near Temecula. As we started planning, I was so excited - wine tasting, a morning at the spa, actually being able to sleep in...you get the idea.
Based on what our case manager has shared with me, we should be licensed in mid-June. Our guess is that we'd be able to pick him up shortly thereafter. I suppose I should emphasize the word "guess" in that last sentence. Everything is dependent on the communication between Nevada and Arizona.
Our dilemma is: what happens if we are able to pick him up before our trip? Do we delay pick-up so that we can go on our vacation alone, or do we pick him up as soon as possible and take him along? Being a foster child, we don't think that we would be able to leave him with anyone else. Besides, I'm not going to want to let that little man out of my sight once we bring him home! At the same time, Matt and I really need a chance to go on a trip by ourselves. To be better parents, we need a few moments to relax and renew our energy. I don't think delaying pick-up by a week or so would be the end of the world, especially given that he is living with an amazing family right now.
Now, there is always the chance that we aren't able to pick him up until July anyway, but as you probably already know, I like to overthink life. My philosophy has been to look at the different possible outcomes of a situation so that I don't feel shocked when it actually happens - hoping that one of my guesses is correct.
Ultimately, we'll just figure it out as it comes. Either way, we'll get a weekend in Southern California. :)
In late June, we are celebrating our 10th anniversary. We've been talking about this anniversary for a few years now, and had planned a weeklong trip to a beach resort in Cancun. As things picked up with Alex, we realized that a weeklong trip may not be the best idea, especially given that we had no idea how things would go. We agreed to pare it down to a long weekend near Temecula. As we started planning, I was so excited - wine tasting, a morning at the spa, actually being able to sleep in...you get the idea.
Based on what our case manager has shared with me, we should be licensed in mid-June. Our guess is that we'd be able to pick him up shortly thereafter. I suppose I should emphasize the word "guess" in that last sentence. Everything is dependent on the communication between Nevada and Arizona.
Our dilemma is: what happens if we are able to pick him up before our trip? Do we delay pick-up so that we can go on our vacation alone, or do we pick him up as soon as possible and take him along? Being a foster child, we don't think that we would be able to leave him with anyone else. Besides, I'm not going to want to let that little man out of my sight once we bring him home! At the same time, Matt and I really need a chance to go on a trip by ourselves. To be better parents, we need a few moments to relax and renew our energy. I don't think delaying pick-up by a week or so would be the end of the world, especially given that he is living with an amazing family right now.
Now, there is always the chance that we aren't able to pick him up until July anyway, but as you probably already know, I like to overthink life. My philosophy has been to look at the different possible outcomes of a situation so that I don't feel shocked when it actually happens - hoping that one of my guesses is correct.
Ultimately, we'll just figure it out as it comes. Either way, we'll get a weekend in Southern California. :)
Friday, April 26, 2013
Progress!
It's been awhile since I last posted an update, and I can't believe how much I have to share with you.
After submitting our application, we were contacted almost immediately by the ICPC Case Manager. Within the week, we already had an appointment to go get our fingerprints done through the Department of Family Services. Aside from our prints, we had to sign up for a Kinship Foster Care Training Class. When I called, I was told that we would be placed on the waiting list because there were no openings. What a bummer! Being the Type A person I am, I freaked out that we might now meet the deadline of May 27th. Our Case Manager assured me that we would be fine. If our class went longer than the deadline, they would grant us a license contingent on completion of the class. About a week later, they opened up spaces and we signed up. We'll have class every Friday in the month of May, finishing on May 31st!
This past weekend, we went to Phoenix to celebrate Matt's dad's 60th birthday. I contacted a social worker in Tucson to see if there was any chance to visit with Alex. She got me in contact with his foster mom, and we met them on Sunday. It was great to see him, especially for Matt and CJ who had not met him before. He is a sweet little baby! He looks so much healthier than when I last saw him. He has put on almost 4 pounds! His foster mom is amazing. She is clearly taking very good care of him. He is her 18th placement. Talk about commitment!
Matt and CJ, with sweet little Alex.
This morning, we met with our Case Manager for our first home visit. It was a relatively short visit because she has a copy of our Arizona home study which provides a lot of the information she would need. We'll have one more visit after this - a safety walk-through of our house - which will be scheduled as soon as we finish our class. After that, we'll wait to hear from Arizona about picking Alex up! My guess is the 2nd or 3rd week of June.
We look forward to starting our classes on May 3rd, and will keep you posted on all of our progress.
After submitting our application, we were contacted almost immediately by the ICPC Case Manager. Within the week, we already had an appointment to go get our fingerprints done through the Department of Family Services. Aside from our prints, we had to sign up for a Kinship Foster Care Training Class. When I called, I was told that we would be placed on the waiting list because there were no openings. What a bummer! Being the Type A person I am, I freaked out that we might now meet the deadline of May 27th. Our Case Manager assured me that we would be fine. If our class went longer than the deadline, they would grant us a license contingent on completion of the class. About a week later, they opened up spaces and we signed up. We'll have class every Friday in the month of May, finishing on May 31st!
This past weekend, we went to Phoenix to celebrate Matt's dad's 60th birthday. I contacted a social worker in Tucson to see if there was any chance to visit with Alex. She got me in contact with his foster mom, and we met them on Sunday. It was great to see him, especially for Matt and CJ who had not met him before. He is a sweet little baby! He looks so much healthier than when I last saw him. He has put on almost 4 pounds! His foster mom is amazing. She is clearly taking very good care of him. He is her 18th placement. Talk about commitment!
Matt and CJ, with sweet little Alex.
This morning, we met with our Case Manager for our first home visit. It was a relatively short visit because she has a copy of our Arizona home study which provides a lot of the information she would need. We'll have one more visit after this - a safety walk-through of our house - which will be scheduled as soon as we finish our class. After that, we'll wait to hear from Arizona about picking Alex up! My guess is the 2nd or 3rd week of June.
We look forward to starting our classes on May 3rd, and will keep you posted on all of our progress.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Starting From Scratch
If you read my last post, you'll know that there was a chance that we'd have to start over on our home study. In an attempt to remain positive, I kept telling myself there was no way that they would ask us to start over again after we just gotten things moving. I spoke with our case worker from the ICPC office and sure enough, we are starting from scratch.
For whatever reason, the Clark County ICPC office needs to complete the home study, as opposed to allowing our agency to simply share their report. Unfortunately, this means that all of our work over the past five weeks is for nothing. Even our fingerprinting will have to be done again.
It would be very easy to get angry and throw myself a pity party. Actually, I really wanted to do that. In my head, I have a hundred reasons to say "poor me." Some may even agree that I have just cause to respond based on my emotions. What I have to remember is anger and self-pity will not change our circumstances. Throwing a fit or allowing myself to fall into a depression will not get our home study done. We have decided to just move forward and do what is necessary to bring Alex home. From the beginning, we've told people that we would do anything to bring him into our family. Well, this is our chance to prove that. Don't get me wrong; I am frustrated by how things have gone. I have just resolved to handle it differently than I've handled some things in the past.
I firmly believe that God is at work in this. While that may sound cheesy or cliche, I really hope you can hear (or read) the sincerity behind it. One day, I hope to look back and recognize exactly why things happened this way. We had frustrations in our journey to adopt CJ, and now we understand why certain things happened. Had we moved any faster or slower, we may not have been matched with Brooke. In the grand scheme of things, an extra couple of weeks is just a small blip in our life story.
One silver lining is the cost. If this turns into an adoption, there will be very little cost to us. While we would pay almost anything to make this happen, it is awesome to think that we can use those funds to benefit our family in other ways.
This morning, I submitted our application to be a foster family. We're waiting to get an appointment for our fingerprinting (most likely this weekend). We'll need to take a training course and have them come to our house for a visit. Unfortunately, the class is full right now, so we're on the waiting list. Being that our case is a little unique, I'm hopeful that they will find a way to get us in. We have to complete this process in 60 days.
Your continued prayers are appreciated!
For whatever reason, the Clark County ICPC office needs to complete the home study, as opposed to allowing our agency to simply share their report. Unfortunately, this means that all of our work over the past five weeks is for nothing. Even our fingerprinting will have to be done again.
It would be very easy to get angry and throw myself a pity party. Actually, I really wanted to do that. In my head, I have a hundred reasons to say "poor me." Some may even agree that I have just cause to respond based on my emotions. What I have to remember is anger and self-pity will not change our circumstances. Throwing a fit or allowing myself to fall into a depression will not get our home study done. We have decided to just move forward and do what is necessary to bring Alex home. From the beginning, we've told people that we would do anything to bring him into our family. Well, this is our chance to prove that. Don't get me wrong; I am frustrated by how things have gone. I have just resolved to handle it differently than I've handled some things in the past.
I firmly believe that God is at work in this. While that may sound cheesy or cliche, I really hope you can hear (or read) the sincerity behind it. One day, I hope to look back and recognize exactly why things happened this way. We had frustrations in our journey to adopt CJ, and now we understand why certain things happened. Had we moved any faster or slower, we may not have been matched with Brooke. In the grand scheme of things, an extra couple of weeks is just a small blip in our life story.
One silver lining is the cost. If this turns into an adoption, there will be very little cost to us. While we would pay almost anything to make this happen, it is awesome to think that we can use those funds to benefit our family in other ways.
This morning, I submitted our application to be a foster family. We're waiting to get an appointment for our fingerprinting (most likely this weekend). We'll need to take a training course and have them come to our house for a visit. Unfortunately, the class is full right now, so we're on the waiting list. Being that our case is a little unique, I'm hopeful that they will find a way to get us in. We have to complete this process in 60 days.
Your continued prayers are appreciated!
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Can't We Catch A Break??
Maybe it's because Alex has already arrived, or maybe I'm just not a patient person, but I am starting to feel like roadblocks keep popping up. It's really hard to know that he is cuddling up in a foster parent's arms, when I feel like he should be in mine. I understand that there are steps and policies that need to be followed, but it does not make it any less frustrating.
Last week, we had quite a bit of activity. A social worker from Tucson called me to get working on the ICPC (Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children) paperwork. We got a few updates on the situation, although there are still a lot of unknowns. A few days after that, our agency sent us a packet of questionnaires that needed to be completed. I'm not sure how we didn't get to this sooner, but it is what it is. In total, there are about 60 questions ranging from our childhood to our marriage to our parenting. They are very similar to the questions we answered during CJ's adoption process. I don't mind answering all of these questions, but we can't schedule any meetings until we submit them. Ugh!
Monday, we received a package from the Clark County ICPC office. We were excited because it was a lot faster than we had expected. When I opened it up, it was a home study packet for their office. As I read through, it was asking us to complete two more packets of information and to schedule our home study appointments and fingerprinting. Odd...we already did fingerprints through the agency, and we are in the middle of the home study process. Thoroughly confused, I called the case worker that was listed in the packet. It turns out, we may need to get our home study done through Clark County. Not the news I was hoping for - we just submitted our payment to the agency two weeks ago. When I explained the situation, the case worker said she would see what could be done. I would hate to think we've wasted that much time and money. We're now waiting to hear back from her. We'd appreciate your prayers that they will accept the home study from our agency.
One thing is for sure, we are a one-of-a-kind situation. There is literally nothing normal about this process. I realize that each adoption is unique, but this is ridiculous. I just have to keep reminding myself that every step we take, and every payment we make, will be well worth it in the end. I truly believe that God is at work in us right now, and that these steps are in place for a reason. I just pray that I can keep a positive attitude about it.
Last week, we had quite a bit of activity. A social worker from Tucson called me to get working on the ICPC (Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children) paperwork. We got a few updates on the situation, although there are still a lot of unknowns. A few days after that, our agency sent us a packet of questionnaires that needed to be completed. I'm not sure how we didn't get to this sooner, but it is what it is. In total, there are about 60 questions ranging from our childhood to our marriage to our parenting. They are very similar to the questions we answered during CJ's adoption process. I don't mind answering all of these questions, but we can't schedule any meetings until we submit them. Ugh!
Monday, we received a package from the Clark County ICPC office. We were excited because it was a lot faster than we had expected. When I opened it up, it was a home study packet for their office. As I read through, it was asking us to complete two more packets of information and to schedule our home study appointments and fingerprinting. Odd...we already did fingerprints through the agency, and we are in the middle of the home study process. Thoroughly confused, I called the case worker that was listed in the packet. It turns out, we may need to get our home study done through Clark County. Not the news I was hoping for - we just submitted our payment to the agency two weeks ago. When I explained the situation, the case worker said she would see what could be done. I would hate to think we've wasted that much time and money. We're now waiting to hear back from her. We'd appreciate your prayers that they will accept the home study from our agency.
One thing is for sure, we are a one-of-a-kind situation. There is literally nothing normal about this process. I realize that each adoption is unique, but this is ridiculous. I just have to keep reminding myself that every step we take, and every payment we make, will be well worth it in the end. I truly believe that God is at work in us right now, and that these steps are in place for a reason. I just pray that I can keep a positive attitude about it.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Hurry Up and Wait!
Anyone who has been through, or currently going through, the adoption process knows the concept of "hurry up and wait." It seems like every step of the way, we rush to get things done, only to wait for results. Right now, we are working on our home study so that we can take temporary custody of baby Alex. Thankfully, the agency we are working with will work on expediting the process for us, since little Alex already made his appearance. We've been so rushed to figure things out, that I now feel like I'm not even sure what is next.
Here are the tasks we've been given so far:
1. Fingerprinting - we got this done last Friday (two days after they asked us to get them done). We were pretty excited that NV uses livescan instead of ink & paper). Unfortunately, it can take up to 8 weeks to get the results back. We're hoping that they come back in the shorter end of the spectrum (3-4 weeks).
2. Reference forms - ok, so we didn't get these, but the five fabulous people who offered to be references received them. We picked some good people; most of them have already started working on the answers!
3. Doctors appointments and blood work - we didn't have to have any blood testing done with CJ's adoption, but our current agency does require it. Amazingly enough, I was already able to see a doctor and get the necessary testing done. Matt's appointment is coming up. I was really glad that CJ did not require an appointment or blood work. I just had to submit a form to his pediatrician, who already finished it!
The agency is taking care of all of the background details and waiting for our background checks to come back. We're hopeful that we can begin scheduling in-person interviews next week. If our estimate is correct, we should be able to finish our home study by mid-April.
I have to remind myself that the waiting process can be just as useful as the moments when we are busy. I need to take this time to appreciate the last weeks of having just one child. I can be reading more books. I can try to squeeze in a date or two with Matt, because I doubt many date nights will happen when Alex comes to stay. I get so caught up in the business of life, that I forget to just sit back and appreciate what the Lord has given me. I'm very blessed, and I don't take enough time to simply enjoy life.
Thanks for the continued prayers! We'll keep you posted!
Here are the tasks we've been given so far:
1. Fingerprinting - we got this done last Friday (two days after they asked us to get them done). We were pretty excited that NV uses livescan instead of ink & paper). Unfortunately, it can take up to 8 weeks to get the results back. We're hoping that they come back in the shorter end of the spectrum (3-4 weeks).
2. Reference forms - ok, so we didn't get these, but the five fabulous people who offered to be references received them. We picked some good people; most of them have already started working on the answers!
3. Doctors appointments and blood work - we didn't have to have any blood testing done with CJ's adoption, but our current agency does require it. Amazingly enough, I was already able to see a doctor and get the necessary testing done. Matt's appointment is coming up. I was really glad that CJ did not require an appointment or blood work. I just had to submit a form to his pediatrician, who already finished it!
The agency is taking care of all of the background details and waiting for our background checks to come back. We're hopeful that we can begin scheduling in-person interviews next week. If our estimate is correct, we should be able to finish our home study by mid-April.
I have to remind myself that the waiting process can be just as useful as the moments when we are busy. I need to take this time to appreciate the last weeks of having just one child. I can be reading more books. I can try to squeeze in a date or two with Matt, because I doubt many date nights will happen when Alex comes to stay. I get so caught up in the business of life, that I forget to just sit back and appreciate what the Lord has given me. I'm very blessed, and I don't take enough time to simply enjoy life.
Thanks for the continued prayers! We'll keep you posted!
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