[kristyr41982]

Wow, sounds like you are making some progress as well. We have classes this weekend and then we just have to get the last bit of paperwork submitted this month. My DH has to take CPR on June 23rd and we have to have a fire inspection. We then will start our homestudy. They have interviews with us separately and together and then come to our house to check it out. That's when we get final approval. They are saying end of the summer and we should have final approval. Our high end is 3 as well. My son will be 3 in March so we figure they will be probably within a year of each other. We will take an older sibling though and make our son a middle child. We felt like he is so young he would not remember being the oldest and I would not want to separate siblings.

[theresa0604]

Hello girls,
I feel like I've been so out of touch - which I have - so I tried to catch up on how everyone is progressing. Sounds like everyone is moving in the right direction. I actually just updated my signature tonight and was a little amazed that it took us 10 months after we actually made the decision to adopt for us to become "approved and active" - we took our time at first then had a few hic-cups doing the homestudy (like replacing a window!!) then worked with a referral agency who helped us create our profile then submitted applications to the agencies they suggested then finally in the last 30 days became active with them - no wonder it took a while however we are very excited and actually have already been presented with some birth mothers ... 1 we sent our profile too but weren't chosen, 1 we passed on and another just this week that we have sent our profile to and are now patiently waiting (ha, ha!) to hear back.

The 2 agencies that we're working with are in FL and I'm presently still in FL assisting my mother so hopefully I'm in the right place to meet a birthmother face to face if we get the right opportunity. I've been here for over a month now attempting to work out of my mom's home since she was just diagnosed with Lymphoma. It took 3 painful weeks for a diagnosis but treatment started immediately after her diagnosis and she's having her 2nd round of chemo on Monday. I keep telling her she has a lot to live for since she'll be meeting her first grandchild very soon so I'm hoping that is motivation enough for her to push through.

I'll check back in soon ladies ... hopefully a little more frequently than I have in the past!

Have a great evening
Theresa

[IslandGirl]

Theresa: That's exciting! I hope your mom has a complete recovery! My DH's Grandma just went through chemo/radiation for lung cancer and she's in remission!

Kristy: Wow, sounds like you guys are moving right along! I know that must be a great feeling!

Well we are just waiting; we are 2 weeks away from our meeting with an agency to see if we want to use them. But for now, we're just doing some home projects and trying to save some money! Hope everyone has a great day!

[sarah16]

Good luck ladies! We are off to florida for a family vacation! Will catch up with all of you when we get back!

[CaribbeanQueen]

Hi Ladies--it's also been awhile since I've checked in... Our social worker had to reschedule our home visit because she was sick for a month with some nasty bug (not swine flu, thankfully!). She's coming out in two weeks, then we should be good to go. It looks like we'll be submitting our dossier in late July (depending on when our federal fingerprint clearances come back). I can't believe that this is going to happen! We've been waiting since 2004!

Personals next time... Glad to hear that everyone is moving forward!

[gangof4]

Caribbean Queen- Goodness. That must have been some illness! I'm glad she's feeling better both for your sake and hers.

Sarah- Have a great time in Fla!

Kristy- Are you doing classes all weekend? Boy those classes are long....but at least you get it over with in one weekend.

Island girl- That's exciting that your meeting a new agency soon.

Theresa- Glad to hear your back in action.

DH is taking his first class today. Then next month we both will take our final class. Hopefully by then our homestudy will be completed as well.

[momtocats4now]

Originally Posted by sarah16

I am gathering information on agencys right now in order to adopt. I have had some great advice from a couple of people on the forum who have adopted in the past. I was wondering if anyone was going through the process right now.

I didn't read through this entire thread, but I'm hoping someone reads mine

I was born to people who probably should not have reproduced (isn't that the way it always works!!) and was placed into foster care when I was 11. I was adopted by family members a year later, after my parents lost their parental rights for failure to comply with court orders. My biological father died when I was a freshman in high school and I do not have contact with my biological mother.

I also had the experience of a great foster family. Remember, if straight out adoption is too expensive, there's always the foster to adopt route. Become foster parents and adopt the children who are NOT as lucky as I was and do not have family members waiting to care for them.

Through my new parents, I gained a whole new, crazy family tree (adopted by family members, remember, everything that is "normal" just got thrown all about, cousins became brothers and sisters) and two brothers and a sister. One of my brothers and his wife adopted two little boys from...*drumroll*...people who should not have been able to reproduce...and they're the joys and miracles of my world. I don't mean to say that I love them more than my other nieces and nephews, but they do hold a special place in my heart because they were adopted-like me

I would not be the person I am today without people that wanted me more than anything else in the world. The amount of money, while daunting, is completely worth it. It's roughly the same cost as one round of IVF in most cases-if you go for a private adoption, it can be much less expensive. If my parents didn't shell out the money for home studies, travel fees (I moved from one state to another), long distance phone calls, clothes, food, etc, I don't think that I would be as willing to go through what I'm going through right now (just started all my testing for potential infertility treatments). I want my future children to have the same advantages that I ended up having-I graduated from high school, went to college, had a career, 1/4 life crisis, am back in school, happily married and now trying to conceive.

I am grateful to my adoptive parents for everything that they have ever done. Adoption is the greatest gift that anyone can give a child. I know it was the greatest gift that my parents gave me!

Who knows where I'd be now if it weren't for them? BTW, they're incredibly supportive of our current situation, as well as the possibility of adoption later down the road.

-molly

[gangof4]

Molly-Thank you so much for sharing your story! It means a lot to me because we are adopting through foster care. We are in the process now of completing our homestudy and classes.
I'm not sure how it works in other states but in ours-we live in Pennsylvania-it's totally free to adopt through foster care. The agency/state covers all legal fees. And the homestudy is free. Infact any expenses incurred during the process are reimbursed. ie criminal clearances.

Good luck on your infertility treatments!

[sarah16]

Hello ladies! I hope you all have a great week!

[J*e*n*_78]

Hi everyone!!

just checking in

Sarah- I was thinking about you- i know it has been right around a year for you... and all i could think was how close you are to getting that call!! Glad to see you're hanging in there!

CQ!! Hi !!! So good to see you over here for adoption as well!! Hope you're doing good! I'm sure your little ones are keeping you busy!

Kristi- I hope you are done with your classes ... and that you will be done by your deadline! I need to make one for ourselves... it's just been one little thing at a time so far!!

islandgirl- Good luck with choosing an agency!

Theresa- sorry to hear about your mom having to go through chemo. My mom finished chemo recently. It is very hard but your mom is lucky to have you there to help support her- that will make all the difference.

Molly- thank you so much !! What a wonderful story!!

gangof4- Good luck with finishing all your classes- you guys are almost there!


We're getting ready to send off info to start homestudy. Finally got our fingerprinting done this week. Our agency hasnt said anything about classes though like i see most of you are taking. Are they parenting classes or adoption classes? Just curious. I dont know how i would react to parenting classes.. i guess i just think it should be ok to learn as you go like "normal" ppl? Does anyone else feel that way at all?
Take it easy all!!

[arucker]

well we may be changing agencies now. I have never been so stressed out in my life even with IVF compared to this process. The ICPC law has put a damper on the situation with the agency we are with now. We can't stay out of state for weeks because of our jobs and the whole out of state thing just seems like a lot of hassel to us. We gathered paperwork and the SW is suppose to come for the 1st visit on saturday and wanted us to pick an out of state agency and it has stressed me out too bad. So I think we may change to catholic charities in our own state and not have to worry about staying in another state and out of state lawyers ect. It may take longer in KY, but I think it just may be easier for us. Any input from anyone doing out of state would be much appreciated. We will have to make our decision tonight and cancell our SW for saturday. UHHHHH!

[gangof4]

Arucker- So sorry to hear that you are feeling stressed. I dont have any experience with out of state agencies but just wanted to say that I feel for you. It shouldn't have to be so stressful.

Jen- The classes that I am doing are for foster care. They're really to prepare you for fostering a child. They're not parenting classes. I can see how you'd want to learn as you go. That's the way it should be.

So we are doing the second part of our homestudy now. In fact quite literally now. My husband is being interviewed downstairs and then I will be next.
We did everything else as far as paperwork goes. And next we have to complete our classes and final homestudy

[sarah16]

Good luck ladies with all your classes and homestudies. Our social worker is coming in the next week or so to have our year update! Not sure what that will mean but she is sending out a packet to us today.

[BrandyHagz]

So I think we may change to catholic charities in our own state and not have to worry about staying in another state and out of state lawyers ect.

Rucker, while I totally get what you're saying here - please keep in mind that most agencies don't restrict the women they work with to their local area. In fact, many/most agencies will tell you the amount of local placements they do vs. the amount of out of state placements.

I would have for you to think that working with a local agency equates to a local situation - because in a many instances, that isn't the case at all.

I don't know what your requirements are - but there are a lot of agencies nationwide who work with families in situations such as yours - they offer 'cradle care' which is basically a local family who will care for the infant during the weeks you wait for ICPC - then once that process is complete, you travel to pick up the child.

[IslandGirl]

Hi guys!

I hope everyone is doing well and moving right along in the process!

We met with an agency on Friday and it went really well! The biggest surprise was the wait time! She told us we could be looking at 2-3 years for an infant. So, that changed our game plan a bit! Original plan was to wait until after the first of the year to begin the process but with that news we've decided to go ahead and get the ball rolling! We're trying to finish up the preliminary application now to send in. We're really excited about starting!