[irishluck]

Hi Everybody!
I'm back on the boards now. I just (finally) got my application turned in yesterday. My sw wasn't there but the others helped me. They gave me most of the rest of the paperwork to fill out.
The stack was an inch and a half tall! And there's more to come, she said. I've listed most of the forms and questions in a separate post below in case it will help someone out who doesn't have theirs. By the time I write all these essays and turn it all back in, that stack is going to be over two feet tall, with the scrapbook and everything.

My question is this: Are they actually going to read through this? Or is this mostly their way of testing my committment?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[irishluck]

-Physical form

-General Information form that was 9 pages long. It was for things like name, dob, SSN, and so forth. It also asked for names, etc of anyone else living in the home and for references. There were questions on ‘sensitive’ subjects: how much do you make? Have you ever been abused? Are you an alcoholic? Then there was a list of special projects that have to be done: pictures of yourself, your spouse, house, pets, car (I think), a scrapbook of your family, a letter to your child, and a letter to your child’s birthparents.



-Personal Profile, Family History They want to know who you lived with from 0-5, 6-11, 11-15, 15-18, how they disciplined you, when you left home and why, how your family reacted to it. What were your favorite and least favorite parts of childhood and why. Who you were most/least close to and why. Where is everybody on the list now and how is your relationship with them. Family traditions –what you did then, what you do now, which you carry on and don’t and why. Your biggest loss and disappointment and how you coped. How people in your family expressed different emotions and how you do so. Your school and work history, easy and difficult school subjects, what you’ve liked/disliked about each job. How will adoption/fostering affect your work? There are 14 questions about past romantic relationships and your relationship with your spouse (everything to when and how did you meet to what do you like best). Then there are questions specifically related to children: your thoughts on discipline, particularly spanking. Your expectations for the child’s schooling. What made you want to do this. Have you ever known anyone who was fostered or adopted and how did that impact you. How do you see the differences between foster care and adoption. Why did you choose the route you did. Can you get pregnant or will you (and explanations of a ‘no’ answer to either). What you will like most/least about adopting and parenting. Ages you want and don’t want. Any previous adoption experience. Description of your ‘ideal’ child.



-Single Parent Profile (I imagine they have one for couples as well): How will this affect your lifestyle? Who knows when your feeling (list of emotions here). Do they know about this and how did they react. Positive and negative impacts of this on your life (friends, housekeeping standards, etc.). Who would you turn to for help? How did this person react? Plans for child care. Your religion; how you will raise the child. How you would feel about taking in a child of another race and how you would help him/her maintain ties to his culture of origin. A community description including your relationships with your neighbors and how they reacted. Family rules that can/cannot be broken. Pets, description of. Your family’s privacy/nudity rules. Who visits your house most often, who do you visit most often? What type of house you have and how long you’ve been there, a complete floor plan. Do you have lead paint or well water? Where are your smoke alarms? Do you have car seats and if not, what do you plan to do if you get an infant or toddler? Discussions with relatives and their reactions.

[leaabc123]

That is pretty similar to what we filled out. I know someone read it because they typed up a report and sent it back fo us to double check. They got a few details of us mixed up. For example, they mixed up our educations. One of us has an MS and one has a bachelor's and they reversed it. But overall, it was pretty good.

[NaeNae26]

Yikes!!! My hubby and I are going to our first orientation meeting to become fc parents. That load of paperwork, how long did it take you with a full time job and everything???

[irishluck]

NaeNae,

The application I turned in yesterday was just three pages long (and one page of that was just for signatures). Then they handed me the rest of the paperwork I was talking about. I started it last night, and from the looks of it its going to take me a couple of weeks. I also have to take all the pictures and make the scrapbook. I don't know how long that will take.

[Kate1129]

Congratulations on the first step!!!!