[Lisa0512]

Okay, I am trying to be understanding about this but I am getting a little peeved...Okay, here is what happened...

When I began the foster-to-adopt process, I told my agency, which will remain unnamed, that I planned on going on vacation right smack in the middle of the mandatory PRIDE (MAPP); my recruiter informed me that that would be no problem and that they would provide one-on-one classes for the classes that I am missing. Since I was told this, I went ahead and took six of the ten classes, completed and submitted my homestudy paperwork and completed all class homework and classwork in a timely manner.

Well I started looking for children based on this and have found a child, older child in the foster care system of the District of Columbia. I have conversed via email with her social worker and have been getting warm and coozy feelings. About a month ago, I was told that the person made a mistake, there is no one-on-one classes and that my last four classes will not be available until March or April. Since I felt that it would be best to be honest, I told the child's social worker who told me that the child may not be available. I have contacted my agency and basically they have really been no help. I have been told that this should not have happened and that someone will look into it but this is affecting my ability to adopt this wondeful child.

CAN ANYONE TELL ME HOW TO RECTIFY THIS SITUATION???

[Lisa0512]

Kelli,

The recruiter works for the adoption agency which has a contract with the District of Columbia's Child and Family Services department. How foster-to-adopt works is that you are required to complete the classes BEFORE a child can be placed with you. Apparently the recruiter was completely wrong about her own agency's policies. That is why I think that her agency should be more willing to work with me since their agent provided the erroneous information. I mean I understand that everyone makes a mistake, but this is a H-U-G-E mistake for the adoption recruiter to have made. I think that the agency should, in good faith, find some vessel, even if it is unconventional, to allow me to complete the remainder of my classes prior to March/April.

In my case, the recruiter told me on multiple occasions that I would be able to complete one-on-one classes for the missing classes. After I have started the homestudy paperwork, taken several of the classes and was simply verifying that I would start the remainder of the classes (the one-on-one) classes after vacation, I was told by someone else that they did not do one-on-one classes.

The agency has gotten back to me and the only response is that I have to take the 30 hours of class; I have explained to the agency AGAIN that I am not trying to get out of completing the classes but I do not feel that it is right for them to make me wait to take the remainder of the classes in March or April because one of their workers provided incorrect information.

I guess what really really really burns my butt about this is this is an OLDER, AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILD seeking adoption; she is ten years old. There are soooo many of them in the system that it simply seems nonsensical for the agency not to work with me to get the child instead of working against me. The funny part is that the child's social worker and I are really really cool; she works with me on everything and it is more than evident that she feels that the child and I may be a good match. Since my agency is contracted to the DC Dept of Child and Family Services, it is not going to look very good to CFS, which the child and her social worker are members of, for my agency not to be more than willing to work with me.

Sorry about the rant...

[Lisa0512]

Well, I think that I have good news on this. I usaed the line of logic that if my agency was wrong about the one-on-one classes perhaps they may be wrong in their statement that there will be no bi-weekly classes available in January. I looked on the website for the consortium that will teach the classes and found that they will be teaching bi-weekly classes starting in January which will allow me to finish my classes nearly a month and half earlier. All that my agency had to do was find out this information for me which would have showed that they felt some responsiblity for their error instead I had to find it out on my own. Good thing is that I am now registered for the new classes. I think that I may look for another adoption agency.