[anilorak13ska]

Hello. We started out with a private agency (The Datz Foundation) doing our homestudy as we were pursuing an independent domestic adoption of an infant. That HS was completed October 2008.

This spring we went through PRIDE training in hopes of foster-to-adopting, and should be licensed within the next couple of weeks.

Last month we started seriously considering older kids, and are now looking for a child up to age 4. As we go through the photolistings and inquire about kids, we're either told to submit our HS or have our agency submit it for us.

We've been eliminated twice now. I wonder if there's something wrong with our strategy.

Yesterday our DCPS SW told me that we cannot use their HS to adopt an out-of-state child, bc it's not an adoption HS but a "resource" HS. (News to me, since we went through fost/ADOPT training) She did say that if we inquire about a child out of state, that child's CW can request our HS directly from our DCPS. But this is not what the photolistings seem to follow at all. Why would they bother with that when they've got people submitting HS directly to them, without their having to ask for them! I though getting a HS through the state would mean we could replace the private HS, but it does not look that way at all.

The other option, which we've been using, has been to use our private agency adoption HS, but our SW there isn't full time with Datz, so when we've asked him to submit our HS on our behalf (for states like Oregon who won't talk to us directly), he just forwards it to someone else at Datz to submit. (I just spent a good week and a half trying to figure out WHO at Datz is the person who can find out more information about a child. Looks like by the time we straightened that out, the child's CW had already narrowed down their choices.)

Also, I wonder if all states require what I just found out Oregon does - a "special needs HS" in order to adopt a child from foster care. Supposedly our PRIDE training would work, but since we can't use our DCPS HS, we've gotten an addendum done by our private agency stating that we went through the PRIDE training. Now our HS has two addendums, and will need to be updated in 4 months anyway for out-of-state adoption (within VA it'll be valid for 3 years).

DH and I have both changed jobs, which affects the amount of time we can dedicate to a child (now we have more), but this is not reflected in our private HS, though it is in our DCPS HS (which we can't use like we thought we would). Therefore, we also don't know if we should go ahead and pay for the update of the private HS now, or wait until it needs to be done in a few months.

I should add that Datz doesn't place children, so we're not "signed" with them. We paid for the HS, we planned to pay for the post-placement visits, and that's it. Now they're telling me I'll need to submit a retainer if I want someone at Datz to communicate with a child's CW (at $100/hr!)

So when I hear about my SW representing us at a child's staffing meeting, I have no idea who that would be. HELP!

What am I supposed to be using to be considered for out-of-state kids on photolistings?!?

Thank you in advance!