[Mkuhlmann06]

Our son T's lifebook was lost during his foster care shuffles. Everyone remembers it existing (including him), but it didn't make it to the last foster parent's home (prior to coming to our home as an adoptive placement). He's 11, so there's 10 years of pictures, stories, etc missing. I have emailed his old agency worker (we're with a different agency) and his county workers (he's from a county 1 1/2 hrs away). They have been (supposedly) trying to track it down, but with no success.

How do I attempt to recreate 10 years of history (with 2 RUs w/bio mom, 1 RU w/bio dad, and 5 foster placements)? Any ideas on how I could try to get some baby, school, and other photos?

Im tempted to try calling his previous FPs, but the agency and county stated they were going to try that. It's been 6 weeks of my asking about the lifebook, and no success on their part. Am I just being too pushy or anxious?

He does have a picture of him and his mom, from their goodbye visit (Apr 07) that I framed and placed on his nightstand, but other than that, all the pics are from when we started doing visits (Jun 07) with him.

He has 2 bio sisters, 1 bio brother, and a half brother... he also talks about his uncle and grandma (both maternal). It would be ashame for him to not have something showing his history/past.

[DianeScraps]

Ugg, that is a shame

I would give them another couple of weeks, and if they don't have it I would ask for contact info to do the work yourself. You should get a 'history' of the child that will give you a pretty good start too.

[Mkuhlmann06]

We do have a good history of all his foster placements. The county told me today not to contact the previous FPs. Im going to try calling his schools and see if they have the name of the photographer (who may have some back pics still). I purchased a lifebook online (one for tweens and fostercare kids). So we will start with that. THe workers did say they would try to contact his siblings placements to see if they would be willing to send anything and that they will try to get biomom to get a few together. Even if we can just get a few, it would be better than nothing.

[DianeS]

WHY should you not contact his former foster parents? That always makes me suspicious.

If they can call about the lifebook, why can't you? It would take work off their plates - they wouldn't have to call, and they wouldn't have you asking them.

[DianeScraps]

Originally Posted by DianeS

WHY should you not contact his former foster parents? That always makes me suspicious.

If they can call about the lifebook, why can't you? It would take work off their plates - they wouldn't have to call, and they wouldn't have you asking them.

I agree, that would really bother me

[Mkuhlmann06]

Im going to give them more time to get pics together (they say they are working it). After finalization, if they couldn't successfully get pics from the previous FPs, I figure I'll call. I offered up doing all the leg work so they wouldn't have to, but they still turned me down. The only ones I won't contact is biomom/biodad. Biodad is a bad person and I don't want him finding us. They told me biomom just had hip replacement surgery again (and she's still parenting an 18 month old half sibling of T) and would look/gather pics of T when she was physically able. Hopefully they'll stay on top of that. She's really our only hope of young/baby pics of T. Biodad is in jail.