[RAS]

What rights do adopting parents have during the HS? We have had two visits from our SW and there is an obvious personality conflict between her and us, PM for more indepth. We are trying to adopt international. Because of a hearing 16 years ago she says that the adoption will not float, even though I have shown her the court records that the judge exonerated me and found my x-wife in contempt for "playing games with the court". What do we do now?
Any help would be greatly appreciated as both of us are on pins and needles thinking this is the end of our dreams!!!!!

[HappyMomAnna]

My only advice is to seek a different place to have your homestudy done with. I know that with a State Adoption there is an appeal process for these kinds of issue but I do believe if you are working with any kind of private agancy thier workers have the right to say that they are not going to make the effort on a case they do not feel they will be able to get a match for....Even the state workers can be right up front and say they do not feel they will be able to complete a homestudy and that doing so will not result in a placement....but because the State is a Public agency the appeal process is in place--I have however heard of no one personally who went to an appeal on a Homestudy issue.

Sometimes there is conflict with one worker and sometimes it is simply a personality issue--You might first attempt to ask your agency to have your worker changed because you felt there was a personality issue--and nothing personal but you would feel better with a different worker---If that does not work then I would advise a new agancy.

Also I do know that in some foreign countries they do not care about the OUTCOME of a legal matter--and will consider only that the legal matter came up in the first place...Other countries have no obligation to give you the rights we have in the US...so if the worker says they do not think the issue you have is going to make it in the courts of another country they may be right to advise you up front so that you can make a different plan before you spend a bunch of money.

[RAS]

More problems - we received a copy of the letter that the SW sent to our adoption agency and told them that the reason she will not do our HS is because of problems with me. She did not tell the whole truth that we had a serious trust problem with her. What can we do? Can we file a complaint with the state or what? Any suggestions.?????
Thanks.

[mcdandw]

First, I agree with the above reply post that if the Social Worker if the worker says they do not think the issue you have is going to make it in the courts of another country they may be right to advise you up front so that you can make a different plan before you spend a bunch of money.

Second, in taking action either contact her Licensing Division to conduct an investigation, or the State Department of Consumer Affairs or Attorney General.

[RAS]

Just to clarify one point, the incident that happened 16 years ago was proven by the investigator and courts that it was a false allegation from my soon-to-be x-wife, so the problem that we are having with our social worker is a personality problem. Plus we talked with our adoption agency director, who was a lawyer in our assigned region, that it would NOT be a problem with the court in Russia.
Does any one know which state department handles these kind of complaints?

[mcdandw]

State Licensing Division