[NICKI4NYC]

O.k I have a question. I was wondering if any of you that has gotten called on for infants, were any of them open for adoptions. I am just wondering what my chances are for that happening. I was wondering if calls for newborns is going to always short term and not adoptable. Please share.

[NICKI4NYC]

What are you saying that most likely I will not have cases with babies that may become adoptable. Or that I have a good chance which one? Thanks

[hope4kids]

I can speak only of my experience. I am adopting the second newborn placed in my home. When the case fiorst opened they were certain she would be home over a year ago, but that just didn't happen. I have had 2 other newborns. One was a temporary baby until her private adoption parents were chosen by bmom. The other was an emergency placement who arrived in my home New Year's Eve and stayed only for the holidays because she put my home above capacity. Knowing a bit of her history, it is unlikely that she will go home.

[jodyk]

When I got my fs at 7 months old, the cw expected him to be a permanent court ward & adoptable shortly thereafter. (His mother was very young & had previously had 2 other children adopted.) The plan then changed to reunification, and he was sent home to his biomother, her boyfriend & their then 3 month old baby. He came back into my care at 20 months old, & the 1/2 sister followed shortly thereafter. (She's in a different home, as I couldn't handle 2 toddlers.)

At first, the plan this time seemed to be reunification, but the last time I talked to my cw about it, she was planning to file PCW status some time this month. Needless to say, I'm no holding my breath. The other thing is, she said once PCW is filed, it will take about 2 years before everything's said & done, so my fs will be about 4 by then. (Which is okay by me, if it happens this way because I really need the day care to be paid for by the state & supplemented with the foster parent pay that I get.)

No matter what you're told, you have to be prepared for anything to happen, as the whole situation can change at any moment, and seemingly for any reason.

[mckenna]

i agree with jody, be prepared for the unexpected. my son arrived in my home at 3 months and he was only supposed to be there 3-4 months that was 2 1/2 years ago and his adoption will be final in 3 weeks. my foster daughter arrived at 9 months and was supposed to go to tpr rather quickly. that was 7 months ago and now the plan is reunification and that should be accomplished early next year. each case is unique and sw can't always predict the outcome.

[DianeS]

In most cases, newborns enter the system with everyone expecting that he/she will be reunited with bio family. Then the child waits in foster care until their parents either pass or fail the caseplan. Only if the parents fail the caseplan will the child be freed for adoption. Caseplans can take 6 to 18 months (on average) before the outcome is determined. Therefore most infants are not free for adoption while they're infants - they may come into care while they're infants, but the person accepting them takes a risk with an outcome that won't be known for a year or so, usually.

Some agencies/officers/social workers are good at predicting which ones will pass and which will fail, and some are bad at it.

A friend of mine is on her 6th and 7th placements that were supposed to be freed for adoption while they were in her care. Numbers 1-5 went home already. This sib pair (one infant and one toddler) still might, but the longer the case drags on the more likely they'll stay with her. It can be heartbreaking if you're not prepared for it.

[mommyb]

We had a baby with us from the time he was 7 weeks old till he was 9 months old. Than one day an aunt came forward and wanted him so they pulled him from us and placed him with the aunt. Hard lesson but just to let you know Family always comes first. We are still feeling the hurt from that one and it has been 5 months since he has been gone. The aunt keeps us informed how he is doing but hasn't let us babysit yet. I think she feels to insecure, like he might want to stay or something. I don't think that would happen because he is too friendly and outgoing he smiles at everyone and will go to anyone. So just beware of other family members coming forward it can happen.


Good Luck to You

[BRITT]

MY HUSBAND AND I BECAME FOSTER PARENTS IN SEPTEMBER OF 2002. WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY CALLS UNTIL THE FIRST OF NOVEMBER. THIS CALL WAS FOR A 3 DAY OLD LITTLE GIRL. WE JUST HELPED HER CELEBRATE HER 1ST BIRTHDAY. THE CASE WORKER IS NOW TELLING US THAT SHE WILL BECOME ADOPTABLE IT IS JUST A MATTER OF WAITING OUT THE TIME AND GETTING ALL THE PAPERWORK PROCESSED THRU THE COURT SYSTEMS.

BUT WHEN WE TOOK HER WE WERE ONLY SUPPOSE TO HAVE HER FOR A WEEK AND THEN IT WAS GOING TO BE 1 MONTH BECAUSE THEY TOLD US SHE WOULD GO HOME.

HANG IN THERE IT WILL HAPPEN.

[NICKI4NYC]

If it happens for us then we will be happy. But we will not put all our hopes on permanancy. We will take it one day at a time and treat each child with love and compassion and if we get to keep the child than GREAT!!! Thanks all. I wish you all and your families good things.

[ivorysoul]

We are a family of three. We signed up over a year ago and we have no placements for adoption. We are still waiting and there has been nothing. I call on a monthly basis and still nothing. I am very frustrated. I have also started a diffrent route due to the fact I am a register Native American.
I hope you have better luck that we are. Good Luck ivorysoul

[leaabc123]

We are currently on our 2nd infant placement. Both looked like they would be long term/ adopt situations.
The first infant was sent to a kinship placement after a month.

We currently have an almost 7 month old who has been here for 4 months. Mom has not really tried to get him back and the relatives who had him, gave him up (long story) saying they didn't want to do this again. His siblings are spread out among family members.
However, 2 weeks ago, they changed their minds and have filed for custody. The first hearing is next week and case worker thinks he will be sent back, despite the family members seeing him less than 5 times during this whole thing when there were 2 scheduled visits a week.
The relatives also have old CPS cases but caseworker thinks they are too old to matter (over ten years).
The courts definitely favor relatives, regardless of their backgrounds unless there is something glaring like present drug use.
So, we are just waiting till next week and figuring we will be saying goodbye.
After this, we are meeting with our recert worker and planning to switch to straight adoption.

[jodybird511]

My daughter was 4 months old when she was placed with us. At that time, it looked like she would probably be available for adoption. TPR was 3 months after she was placed with us, and we adopted her five months later. It does happen!

[kjlongshore]

My husband and I are newly becoming foster-to-adopt parents. We won't have our license for another week or so. I am so excited and nervous about all of this! I just can't wait for our first placement!! It is nice to hear all of your stories of success and heartbreak! ... You know, when you first decide to become a foster parent, you have an idea in your head of how you will react or feel, and how well you THINK you will handle giving a child back to his/her parents? I know my head sais that I'll do just fine, but my heart is trembling with nerves!! lol To keep ourselves in the right state of mind, my husband and I posted a neatly typed paper on our refrigerator that states, "For every child's life that we touch, we will be making a positive difference!"

How long did it take most of you to get your first placement? Did you start off feeling as I? Talk to me...

Thanks!

[Love_um_all]

I just wanted to share. I have been fostering 4 years. I just adopted my little girl this week. We started out wanting to adopt. I had 4 newborns. Two were allegedly "sure things". One only stayed 2 weeks and went to family who were ready and waiting for him and the last newborn I received, after being torn up by losing the two boys, DH said, love her no matter what, just enjoy her for her being a baby, and just wait it out. well, it has been a long 17 months, filing an intervention and winning, we finally are a family. It just take time. I believe that if you really want one, you will get one. I also have a 13mo boy, we got when he was 5 months, (it is like twins right now) He is getting TPR in a few months, pre trial is the end of the month. So, we are getting two babies in a row.
In time you just learn the ropes, learn to be patient. and just see what happens. No matter how much you ask the cw's what will happen, they don't know the future. What are your chances? I would think pretty good, if you are willing to work through the good bad and ugly. But, there really is more smiles then tears, fostering sharpens your parenting skills bc you have to learn to parent so many different kinds of children.
I would not trade my path. I loved all those babies, but, I was just there to help them, and if they would have stayed, I would not have my little girl and soon to be little boy.
It is hard to give a baby back after those protective maternal instinsts kick in. But, it is worth it, to get your forever children. And you are also more grateful, more thankful, and more protective when it does work.

[pugsooie]

I got a new born at 7 days old and she is now 2 month's old. Her cw said that she doubts the baby will go back to her bioparents, but they are trying to put her with other family, which is really hard as we are in this to adopt as well and it is absolutely killing us.
Just hang in there everyone keeps telling us, but that's easier said then done. It will be worth it they all say, but I don't want to go through 10 more children that I fall in love with before it's worth it.
However, it has really been a wonderful experience having this baby in our home. We also have two other toddlers and we want all of them. We are possiblty getting the chance to adopt one of them and were also told that the adoption could take up to 2 years, but we also said that it was fine as long as we knew that he was staying with us and we were the one's trying to adopt him.
This is the first newborn I have been called with, but I changed my specification's recently. There are ton's of newborns born everyday and I would encourage you to take any one that comes your way because you never know. It may be the one that you get to adopt. Everything happens for a reason right?