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Originally Posted by jkwdbu
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Well I was hoping for more than just a photo. I would like a background sketch, a personality analysis, and perhaps even a short video of the child. These types of things would help us to be able to participate more actively in the child selection process.
As it is now, foster children face rejection every time they are moved out of a home. Bringing them into our home for a 'trial,' especially when we know nothing about the child ahead of time, seems problematic.
If we could observe the child more discreetly (without actually bringing them into our home) it would help to keep them from potentially experiencing more rejection.
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I can speak only to what I've seen here in WA. (I worked in the child mental health field and in foster care / social work for many years.) Generally, a potential adoptive parent gets to talk to the child's social worker (not necessarily the social worker who did your homestudy) about the child. The child's social worker may only know what's on paper about the child, or may have had an ongoing relationship with the child since the child entered the system.
Depending on the worker and the worker's knowledge of the child and of mental health issues in general, I've heard workers describe children very accurately and workers who describe an entirely different child.
I'm curious about the "personality analysis" that you mentioned. What do you mean by this? As far as I know, there are no personality inventories which are valid for toddlers / young children - personality isn't set this early in life.
You may also be able to talk to the child's former foster parent(s), teacher(s), GAL/CASA, etc, who will all have different points of view of the child.
Unfortunately, even if you get to do this, and get a video and get to meet the child, there are no guarantees. Children "honeymoon" when they meet new people - they're on their best behavior. I've seen videos of children I've worked with that have made me literally laugh out loud - the child in the video and the child they're describing is who the child is at his/her BEST behavior, which happens about 10% of the child's existence.
You should be able to get pretty extensive documentation of the child, if he/she has been in the system for any extended amount of time. Talk to collateral contacts (school, GAL/CASA, etc.), former foster parent(s), respite parent(s), anyone who has had contact with the child.
Best of luck to you!