[cindylouwho68]

Hello everyone....I have been enjoying the hope and inspiration you provide on this board. DH and I are concurrently finishing up our MAPP classes and Licensing right now. We have been married 10 years (on Feb 19) and have two bio boys...due to unexplained secondary infertility....probably because we are as old as the hills (35 and 45 We found God leading us to adoption to expand our family. We are praying for a baby girl 0-2 (any ethnicity, special needs okay) but are being told that the wait could be years.....has this been your experience? We are in LA county. I wanted to foster as a means of circumventing the wait time...but now that the two branches (fostercare and adoption) Of DCFS are merging, I have no idea how that affects my plans. Any thoughts?

[jewell2blue]

Hi,

I have afriend here in Riverside who was just offered a newborn aa boy as a straight adopt...she is a foster/adopt parent through a Christian foster agency...once you're in the system all kinds of opportunities arise...bless you in your desire to adopt...we are 49 and 45 respectively and have an adopted 4 yr old from Malawi, Africa and are now preparing to adopt from Africa again

Blessings,

Julie

[lela]

We are licenced for fost/adopt. Was that an option for you? Supposedly, the wait is shorter but the risk is bigger because the children are not legally free. (I say supposedly because we still don't have a placement).
Another thing I'd suggest is to get to know foster moms. I know of several people who were able to adopt because the foster mom knew them and put in a good word for them with the sw. Of course, this won't always help since foster parents have very little say in what happens with their foster kids, but it may get your homestudy looked at before everyone elses.
btw...I'm 34. I guess we're climbing those same hills
Let us know how it goes. I'm waiting on God's perfect timing too. Oh how I love waiting...
lela

[cindylouwho68]

We are going the Fost/adopt route as well, but I am wondering if opening the home to straight "foster" wouldn't prove more fruitful. I realize we would help reunite several babies before "ours" finally finds her way, but I think it might be easier than sitting here staring at the unused baby furniture day after day. The boys (12 and 9) and hubby are eager as well and are willing to experience some temporary situations while we wait.
I hope your angel finds his way home soon!
Cindy

[lela]

Cindy,
Its so funny you posted this today. My husband and I had that exact same conversation this weekend. When our sw calls back I am going to tell her that we want to try emergency care for infants. I have heard people say that this is a good way to get babies in your home and 'do something useful' while you wait. The odds (in our county at least) are not that great for any individual child to be reunited with their bparents. Most kids do go on to be adopted.
We are a little nervous...are you?
Let me know how it goes.
lela

[cindylouwho68]

Hi Lela,
I think I am more excited than nervous. I feel like this has been so long in coming. We have been experiencing secondary infertility for almost 8 years now and I feel like she was born in my heart years ago. What county are you in? We are in LA County. I do think that if we are willing to be "frontline" foster care, we will indeed see much more action...of course there will be that much risk as well, but we are willing and able.....so here we are!
Cindy

[lela]

cindy,
We are in the bay area. We've actually been licensed for fost/adopt since Nov., but we've had no calls. Our first sw retired 2 weeks ago. I don't think she really did that much for us...she seemed burnt out. (understandable). Our new sw seems great.
I'm a little nervous at the prospect of loving a baby and then returning him or her. I think I could handle it, but I'm not sure how it will affect the kids. I believe they will be fine if we explain it properly to them, but this is one of those things you don't know for sure until you try. I'm really really praying for God's direction on this one.
lela

[cindylouwho68]

I agree, it will be very hard to let them go back, but I believe God has His hand on this....we won't know if we can do it unless we try . We have already explained to the boys that the first babies we get might not be the ones we are meant to keep in our family, but that we are providing a safe, loving home for them while their parents get well and that if a mommy or daddy is able to get well....then those babies SHOULD be with them. I also told them that I know our baby IS coming, I can feel it in my heart. We just have to be patient and have faith in God's perfect timing, He will be faithful to this burden He has put on my heart and we will know for sure when our sw calls and says "okay the child you have in your home is adoptable" we'll know she is meant to be ours. Meanwhile, like I said...to hold and smell and kiss a new baby again mmmmmmmmm.........its been too long!
Cindy