[IowaGirl515]

Originally Posted by fosterma

L,

Iowagirl,
That pizza place might come in handy when the calls start rolling in . I've always dreamed of owning my own business. If your organized enough to do that you're going to be great at all the paperwork part of fostering.

Well thankfully that &)*&%$# business is being sold! LOL I'm so sick of the pizza business after being in it for ten years. I actually now sell advertising, as well as design and other various advertising related projects. I feel I was always meant to do advertising... just took the path to it from the pizza business. But yes, I'm used to LOTS and LOTS of paperwork!!

[IowaGirl515]

Originally Posted by mayamoo

Hi....I have been lurking here for several months and finally decided to register. I live in Washington County (Riverside.) I started visiting this board because my hubby and I are in the process of trying to adopt my 9 mo. old cousin who has been in foster care in Oregon since birth. I am also thinking about becoming a foster parent someday myself.....but first we have to think about my baby cousin and what she needs. Nice meeting all of you.
Carrie

What a small world!! :-) We actually decided to look into fostering when a 6 month baby who's gma is friends with my mom will become available for adoption but we'd have to foster her first. Since we weren't licensed, we couldn't foster her and it is looking like her foster parents are going to adopt her.

I was discussing it with the social worker and she told me that a lot of year and under children come into foster care. Some are reunified, some are not. But, eventually, we should be able to adopt. We were looking at international adoption but it's SO EXPENSIVE.

Sooooo we're going to do foster to adopt and see how that goes. The only thing that concerns me is that I know it's going to be really really hard if a child I'm fostering is reunified. Buuuut if I have to go thru heartbreak to find my forever child, it's well worth it!

[tlc4kidz]

You are SO RIGHT it's worth it!! That is too funny....we got into it for a specific child (cousin's grandaughter) and weren't able to foster or adopt her either. Now we're glad because I think the whole family thing would've been hard, not to mention that we have the most wonderful 2 little people I know .

Are you open to sibs? I think it also increases your chances. For sure consider taking a future sib if one should be born. We were SOOOO against the idea (despite what God had planned ) but it's been great having both of them and knowing they'll grow up with a bio-relative. Alot of what I've read on this forum and through books has taught me how important that is.

I hope your forever children find you guys VERY soon!!! You sound like such nice women, but of course, you're from IOWA

[IowaGirl515]

Originally Posted by fosterma

Are you open to sibs? I think it also increases your chances. For sure consider taking a future sib if one should be born. We were SOOOO against the idea (despite what God had planned ) but it's been great having both of them and knowing they'll grow up with a bio-relative. Alot of what I've read on this forum and through books has taught me how important that is.

My DH and I are absolutely open to sibs. We were hoping to limit kids number to two, but it really depends on the ages. My ideal would be a two to four year old and an under 18 month old, but I'm really not that specific. I know I'll "feel" when it's right. My gut usually steers me in the right direction.

I still have one main concern that hopefully won't disqualify us from fostering. Both DH and I are self employed so I'm not sure how they handle this since we're not exactly W2 income earners and our jobs are somewhat new (last 6 mos) even though very secure. So we'll see.. if anything disqualifies us it will be that.

That being said, both of the companies we contact our work are willing to do letters and everything needed for us so hopefully it's a go... this whole process is so unknown it somewhat unnerves me!! But, isn't that the very definition of having children?!? LOL

[mayamoo]

I am also self employed.....I do home daycare. And our homestudy was approved....no problems at all. i am sure yours will be approved, also.

[westernmom]

My dh is a self-employed consultant (owns a software development company) and I'm a SAHM, so his income is it. His current contract is 9 months old and we had no problems getting approved. (Found out today we are approved!) We just submitted 2 years of tax returns for his business plus 1 or 2 years worth of personal tax returns (I forget). I'm sure if your contract bosses are willing to right a letter it should be no problem.

What an exciting time for you! I wish you the best.

Jennifer