Foster Child Adoption

Tigerlilly26 · 05-29-2003, 02:04 AM

I am in the process of adopting my 16 year old foster daughter, just curious if anyone else here is adopting from the foster care system? All I see are international adoption.

crissy99507 · 05-29-2003, 09:42 AM

my husband and I are thinking about becoming foster parents..please give me any advice you have,and how do I start the process?
Thank you !!
~Crystal

cyndl · 05-29-2003, 01:04 PM

how funny that you posted today! we are going for our orientation to foster/adopt inour county this afternoon!! i am glad to see some foster/adopt people on the bb. i enjoy reading about and support all the other adoption types, but it is nice to talk to others who are doing the same. sorry i can't help you with anything tho. obviously we know nothing yet. but i may end up asking you questions!!

god luck!
cyndl

Tigerlilly26 · 05-29-2003, 10:07 PM

www.fosterparents.com is a good place for information. There are a lot of people who would suggest fostering with your local office of family and children. I would suggest finding a private agency in your area. Before choosing one, though make sure you know your options! and make sure you know what thier rules and regulations and stuff are. Then they will take it from there. We were licenced last summer right at this time. We have only had 3 placements including the 2 we have now. Lots of people have short term placements, but we are therapuetic level and most children in theraputic level homes are long term. I would highly reccomend fostering to anyone who has lots of spare time and energy! I don't know what I would do without my kids! Although sometimes it is hard, it is all worth it.

Tigerlilly26 · 05-29-2003, 10:11 PM

I honestly have issues with international adoption. I won't get into it, though. This isn't the place for a debate! But I am here to answer any questions I can. I will stick around and lurk waiting for more foster/adoptive parents to come out of the woodwork!

Lisa67 · 05-30-2003, 12:24 AM

We looked into foster to adopt before deciding to go through China. It wasn't right for us at the time, but we may foster in the future---we'll see where life leads us.

I also wanted to send you a 'pat on the back' for you for what you are doing. The kids you are helping are so lucky----but if you feel like I do, they are really the ones helping YOU!

I say that because everyone always tells me what a good thing I'm doing, and that Lilly will be a lucky girl to come into our family, but the truth is....WE are the lucky ones!!

Parenthood is a marvelous experience.....no matter what road we take that gets us there!

Best of luck,
Lisa

Tigerlilly26 · 05-30-2003, 12:27 AM

I totally agree, we are the lucky ones. Our kids have some issues that they wouldn't if they had always been here but the little things mean so much, you know? and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Congratulations on your little Lilly!

teachermomtobe · 05-30-2003, 01:32 PM

My husband and I just finished with our 10 week class to foster/adopt. We have decided that instead of fostering that we are going the adoption route and our assistant instructor who fosters has a little boy that she would like us to adopt!!!
I work in the school system and have seen so many kids in foster care that just need a good home. It just seems like the right thing for us to do.
Best of luck to you!

mertletheeturtle · 05-31-2003, 03:45 PM

My DH and I are considering adopting next year.
I must say, I see all these people adopting from
other countries when there are soooooo many
kids in the U.S. that need homes!! Maybe that's
too blunt but, I would rather adopt from here then
some place else. Is it because the process takes
too long or it costs more? It would be worth the
wait and cost to adopt here. That's just my opinion
and I'm sticking to it!!

teachermomtobe · 05-31-2003, 10:54 PM

I agree with you about the fact that there are so many children here waiting to be adopted. I'm not against international adoption, I just wish more people would consider adopting a child from the foster care system first. Even before we were married and knew about my pcos, we were discussing adoption because I worked in a high poverty school for 8 years and saw so many kids that just needed a good home. In Florida, DCF pays for everything except your attorney (that runs about $1000 and can be reimbursed-we'll know more soon). Best of luck to you all.

Skywaitress94 · 06-01-2003, 02:09 AM

I just finished the first 24 hours of the 56 hour foster to adopt program. We will do the rest when a placement has been made. DH still has 9 hours to complete before our home inspection. Whats funny is we are willing to take a sibling group of 2 but yesterday we met a sibling group of 3 and i found they stole my heart. I spoke with a social worker today and she said that they will work with us regarding licensure - the bedroom we have would normally only be licensed for two children. I am praying and asking God if this is what he wants. The children are 1 y.o, 3y.o and 5 y.o. 2 boys and 1 girl. DH is waiting to hear if he got a new job if he did then I can stay home and that is the only way I would want to pursue these children. I feel a strong pull to them and I pray the Lord will give us the answers.

Lisa

Tigerlilly26 · 06-01-2003, 01:32 PM

Whats funny is we are willing to take a sibling group of 2 but yesterday we met a sibling group of 3 and i found they stole my heart.

You will find that happeing a lot if you foster for any length of time! I have only had 1 placement that was within what I said I was willing to take. I have fallen in love with all of my children from day one!

I spoke with a social worker today and she said that they will work with us regarding licensure - the bedroom we have would normally only be licensed for two children. I am praying and asking God if this is what he wants. The children are 1 y.o, 3y.o and 5 y.o. 2 boys and 1 girl.

The only way you are going to be able to do this probably(at least everywhere I have heard) is if the 1yo is the girl. That way they can give you special permission for the child to sleep your room. I cannot imagine them placing children of different genders in the same bedroom. The only exception I have ever seen is if they are young infants/toddlers.

Where are the children at now that they aren't wanting them placed right away? We have never had time to think over a placement before...it's now or never

Good luck to you

One tattered Angel · 06-08-2003, 02:46 AM

We are sooooooooooo excited. Joshua will be officially ours on June 19th. We cant wait.

MicKen · 06-09-2003, 12:00 AM

Mertletheeturtle...

Please do not discount the other orphans in the world that deserve homes *just as much* as American foster children do.

I am glad you feel strongly about domestic adoption, but, I truly believe, adopting a child of ANY nationality is what is important. They are all CHILDREN WHO NEED HOMES.

For us we wanted to have a child, and we chose to adopt internationally. We didn't care if the child was born "American" or not...they automatically become so when entering the U.S.

Children, are to me, special ALL OVER this world. My son, although not born in the US...is my precious boy and I could not love him more that I do.

So, although I am glad your are happy in your decision to adopt domestically (and I feel that is a wonderfuol decision as well), I don't think it is necessarily right to put down international adoption.

Just MY 2 cents and I am sticking to it!

Children are precious all the world over.

MicKen · 06-09-2003, 12:04 AM

And I must add...we are proud of our son's Ukrainian heritage! We will make sure he is proud in the future too!