[calimomX3]

I am SOOO frusterated with the agency I am with, I do not want to change tho right now. Cause we would have to go through everything all over again and we have been with this agency for 1 1/2 years. Our last placement was in Jan, she left April 1st. Only one other call in June that did not work out for us. Still sitting waiting We changed our placements to 0-2 year girl, instead of 0-6 girl, still nothing, so today I changed back to 0-6 either sex. Just frusterated! We got into this to help a child in need, I know they are out there. BUT where are they??? Our agency told us that the county has cut back and is placing with family cause of the budget cuts. That saddens me, knowing that sometimes the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and these relatives may have similar issue's as the b parents. This is what I have been told, that kids are getting back int he system cause of problems with placing with family.

Does anyone else have this proble m?

[takingtheplunge]

I sent you a PM that should give you some general tips.

[mommytoEli]

Our agency told us that the county has cut back and is placing with family cause of the budget cuts.

this is not true in riverside county. there are SO SO SO many children in care that need foster homes that MANY children are languishing in shelter homes for over 6 months...when this is supposed to be a short term emergency placement. homes are at capacity all over. the shelter home my son was in had FIVE babies....all for over 6 months! she had to hire someone to come in and help her! when i went to my adoption classes...i think it was in may or june......the county workers said they had been "raining babies," and were running out of places to put them, and that there were so many hospital relinquishments lately that they were having trouble finding adoptive families for these kids too! it made me sad to be moving, otherwise i would have started my #6, and last adoption right then. there ARE plenty of children in riverside county who need a home....PLENTY. i know you don't want to switch agencies.....but if you do, you'd probably have a placement, exactly what you are requesting, before the ink was even dry on your license.

a side note....even when they place with family, the county is paying out the same or a very similar amount...that is IF they can find suitable family members willing to take the children.....so this isn't saving them very much money.

[calimomX3]

where are shelter homes and how do you get babies from there? I am waiting for a call from my agency. They are horrible at returning calls.

[mommytoEli]

shelter homes are all over....it is just a foster home where the parents have said they are short term. the same workers that find foster homes for babies from the hospital or after a removal are the same ones that find homes for children in a shelter home. it is less urgent because they know the kids are somewhere they are safe, but their goal is to get the children up and out of the shelter home and into a foster home. any agency or county family could receive a placement of a child in a shelter home....it is just a matter of making contact. also, if you make friends with a shelter family, that may help, as sometimes they can make contact with the worker who can make contact with your agency worker to facilitate a placement. if you are looking to make these kinds of friends then you need to get involved in a foster or adoption group. if your agency doesn't have one, other agencies do and don't always restrict access to their clients, and i believe there are also groups that meet in the county. church is also a great place to meet other foster and shelter parents.


the problem with ffa's sometimes is that the county picks and chooses which ones they want to work with. i'm not suggesting your agency has been blacklisted..lol....i'm just saying they do play favorites.

the bottom line is this.....if you are a licensed home in riv co, there is no reason a child is not in your home. if my agency was not able or willing to help me accomplish this, i'd switch to county or another ffa.

i know it is frustrating.

[Artemis444]

Hi!

My cousin is a Foster mom in Riverside County. Trust me! They have more kids than they know what to so with! mommytoEli has it right!!

My suggestion is that, if you are using a private agency, get out of your agreement with them and get directly involved with the county. They have first contact with and first say in what happens with every child that enters the system.

Typically, from what I understand, the county does everything they can to place and sends only the hardest to place cases to agencies. So, the agencies have access to fewer children, with more "problems", which makes matching less likely.

I know that often agencies pay a higher subsidy for each child, than the county, but if that is not a consideration for you try contacting the county and see what you can do to switch.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[calimomX3]

Thanks Girls, this is all making my head spin. I called my agency today and like usual they have yet to call me back. Just the thought of having to go through all the head ache again of classes is what makes me nuts. The outcome is great it's just all of the extra driving, finding time when my hubby is off and finding a sitter for my other 3 bio-children, while attending classes. I know in the end I will be happier it is just taking that plunge. And I think if we do go that way, which we have been looking into. We will go with an agency that is local that works with adoption and foster/adopt only. I like this other local agency as well, just like I stated before lots of extra stressors to deal with. BUT I do feel this local Christian based agency does what is right for the kids as well. I will let you know what we decide. I think I will start the paper work tonite for the other agency and get that ball rolling. Thanks for all the info.

[mrsjoisley]

My husband and I have just moved from San Bern to Riverside County and we are starting the process with the county foster/adoption placement. I feel your pain, it stinks having to re-do all of the classes and the homestudy and all of the drama. Hang in there.

[calimomX3]

OMG can you believe I have not heard back from my agency. How tacky is that? With out us Foster Families these places would be nothing. I can not believe this. The other agency we wanted to go with doesn't look like it will work out, cause they require a pastors letter and we are just starting to attend a church. Man this is starting to wear on me. I thought their was a demand for foster families. Now I feel like a burden when i call my agency.

[mrsjoisley]

just curious... why don't you just do the county thing? I think the private things are too much effort.

[mommytoEli]

seriously....pm me more about county. it really is a viable option. did i already say it is typically less hours and less paperwork than an ffa? it is. seriously. pm me anytime.

[calimomX3]

I PMed you!

[Artemis444]

Hi again!

FYI, we have friends who had a homestudy done for private adoption but then decided to go the Fost/adopt route in O.C.. They did have to take the PRIDE class and have a home inspection but their case was expedited because the county accepted their other home study.

So, if you switch to county, you might not be starting from square 1.

[mommytoEli]

Originally Posted by Artemis444

Hi again!

FYI, we have friends who had a homestudy done for private adoption but then decided to go the Fost/adopt route in O.C.. They did have to take the PRIDE class and have a home inspection but their case was expedited because the county accepted their other home study.

So, if you switch to county, you might not be starting from square 1.

i think you are right...for us they did more of an abbreviated homestudy bc we had a current one from our last adoption. we took the adoption classes, had our house walked through, and then they only talked to us for maybe an hour to fill in some gaps...but it was not from scratch. we did have to do new physicals...but only because ours had expired, new prints, bc they don't transfer over...but it was painless, and a new tb test, but again, only bc it was outdated.

[calimomX3]

Thank again for the emails and info...I STILL have not gotten a call back from the agency and have left 2 messages. I don't get it. I will keep u updated.