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Originally Posted By barki

Whenever we are going to committee for a child it is a very anxious time, no matter what! BUT don't stop sending out homestudies or considering other children while you are waiting for this child. It isn't disloyal to the child you are waiting for to also be pragmatic enough to know that if you stop and wait for each and every decision to be made regarding each and every child that you send a homestudy out to you will be trying to adopt for a decade or two. I guess this is the adoptive parents form of concurrent planning!

Don't drop your interest in this little girl. Play it through. I know it is hard right now, but this is the part of the process where you really need to have more patience than you ever thought you'd need. I do speak from the heart here, and from experience. IT ISN'T EASY, but keep running the race.

Also, don't neglect to keep in touch with the social workers who will be letting you know when you will be interviewed by phone, or whomever is giving you the information. DO NOT just wait for them to call. Don't bug then incessantly, necessarily, but don't forget to keep in touch on a regular schedule. The schedule isn't one I share with the SW's, it's one I adhere to for myself and my sanity, and so that I'm not calling willy nilly whenever the feeling moves me (which is way too often, I'm sure, so I make myself wait!)

When I've had to keep track of an on-going issue with one (or more!) child I ask the pertinent person how often I should check back with them. Do I need to talk to them once a week? Every other day? It just depends on the situation, so use your discretion. Most of the stuff I've waited on has been waiting for mail to go through and then be processed, so I usually set up a schedule of every other week. If things are hotting up I call once a week. I talk to MY caseworker once each week.

Don't give up. This is like labor for adoptive parents. I've never gone through labor, but it seems to fit from some discriptive stories friends have shared. LOL! And this may be false labor. Whichever it is, try to be patient with yourself, with others and go forward with the process.

Keep us posted!! Sorry for the long post, but it's the only kind I know how to do! LOL!!