[JackieN]

I am a single woman hoping to adopt a child through the foster care system in the age range 0 - 3, any race, any gender. I know that any child in that age range will likely be concurrent planning or fost/adopt, however I would like to keep the legal risk level as low as possible.

Can anyone recommend to me a good agency to use in Sacramento County? I am already in the process of being licensed with one agency, but after talking to my sister who adopted through them 12 years ago, I am considering switching (her experiences were very bad - I signed up with them on accident because I got them confused with another agency with a similar name).

I realize you can't post agency recommendations on the boards, but if anyone could PM me their experiences with Sacramento agencies (good or bad), I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

[amelie38]

Hello. I live half an hour south of you, in S.J. county. Have you considered going through your county? A private agency here referred me to them because we have the same age range as you do. They told me that because of the nature of foster-adoption, the county gets the children first and the agency second. Further, the children they do get are mostly older.
(please forgive me if I worded anything 'wrong' I am new to this, so no flaming)

[JackieN]

Amelie, thanks for your response. No flames here, I appreciate ANY information I can get. This is all so confusing and I feel like I'm making the most important decision of my life!!!

I have considered the county for just the reason you mentioned, however, when I tried to call to get information they were less than helpful. I had trouble getting anyone to answer my questions and from the information that I did get, it seems that the whole process will take alot longer than with the agencies. I know when my sister was going through the process 12 years ago, Sacramento county had so many cases (and so few SWs) that the children just got passed through to the agencies anyway. I'm hoping that's still true today.

I will be having an orientation meeting with an agency that only does fost/adopt (no straight fostering) that was recommended to me my another member here. I am very excited about that because the single biggest complaint my sister had with her agency was that they would be less-than-honest with her about the potential adoptability of a child just to get her to take the placement (i.e. tell her the child was headed for adoption, only to find out later that they knew all along it was a short-term placement). Going with an agency that only does fost/adopt would at least eliminate that potential problem.

Thanks again for your response and I wish you the best of luck in finding your child!

[amelie38]

S.J. County has been VERY helpful. Isn't it funny how different counties can be? The next town north of me is in Sac. county.
Due to the economy, it could take us a few months longer than previously (so far no hold ups). But I am okay with that. It would have been faster with a private agency, but they were up front enough to tell me that they could not help match us with a child under 3.
First thing to find out is when, if at all, do they have orientations up there. Keep calling until someone calls you back. Here it usually takes them a day or two to get back to me.
We are halfway through our PRIDE classes and we just got fingerprinted today. Whoo hoo!
I am sorry your sister had an agency that was less than honest. So far, the county seems like they will be pretty honest. We are open to high risk children though.
Good luck with whatever you decide. I believe we will all end up with the family that we are meant to have, however they are made.