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Welcome to the board! And welcome to the start of the fun journey of foster care! Adopting via the state is definitely not for the faint of heart.
Have you checked to see if there are any private agencies in your town that do foster care? When I first looked into foster care, two family friends who were licensed through the state URGED me to go through an agency. I am so glad I listened to them. It was nice having a go between myself and the state.
My son's CW (county worker) only called when she wanted to visit (maybe once every four months or so) or when she had bad news though then she would call after she was sure my agency had called and told me first. She rarely returned phone calls.
In LA, where I live, I was told adopting a single toddler would require a wait. Most toddlers in the system have siblings either younger or older or both.
At my last foster parenting class, I asked how long I would have to wait to adopt an infant girl (0 - 2). I was told the wait was 9 - 18 months. But if I was open to a minority boy, I would have an immediate placement. I was certified Halloween 2004 and my five-day-old son was placed December 30, 2004. My son is black.
When I first started the process I desperately wanted a girl, but after hearing the wait I quickly became open to a boy. I wanted to be a mom way more than I wanted a daughter. I even inquired about a sibling group of 2 under the age of 2. But I was told in LA, sibling groups rarely come in groups of 2. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 siblings, they had plenty of. I didn't think I could handle going from zero kids to three in one swoop.
Best of luck with your journey and definitely check out your state's foster care board on this site and the general foster care site, they are very great places to learn...
Merry Christmas,
Yash
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