[shmily612]

Hello Just wanted people that foster to adopt to know it can and will happen if the children become available. We have fostered a sibling group of five ranging from 6 months to 6 years for the last year. Almost 1 year to the date of placement, the parents rights have been terminated and we are able to apply for adoption of this beautiful bi-racial group of children. We have 2 bio-sons still at home, so we will have a total of seven. I would urge all of foster parents to get licensed for foster to adopt in case you might have the chance to keep the children you love forever in your home. I will miss fostering though, since we will have a house full after this adoption is completed. We really enjoyed fostering and helping children in need during a difficult in their lives...not fault of their own. I would like to hear from any other foster parents that have adopted a large sibling group. Thanks and God Bless you all for your hard work and support.

[riley6]

We have fostered a sibling group of four and five (at different times). We were placed with two sibling groups of two at almost the same time as each other. We've had both groups for over three years and adopted them this past spring. These kids are siblings as much as if they were biologically born. My younger kids don't even realize that their older siblings aren't blood, since they were so young when they came to us.

Adopting has been very rewarding to us, as is fostering, which we continue to do.

[mj77]

Congratulations! What an exciting time for you and your family .

[shmily612]

Thanks! We are looking forward to the finalization of this process. I hope more people wanting to adopt, know that there are lots of children waiting for a HOME and don't just wait for the infants to come available. Children grow up so fast and the infants will be the age of these children available before you know it.

[momto9]

I just saw this thread.

Congratulations! We have adopted 6 kids. 4 of which are a sibling group that we fostered for 8 months before they were legally free and we were chosen to keep them forever. Now they are 10 yo to almost 5 yo, 3 g, 1 b. We finalized May 2004. We also have two other dd adopted. Each as individuals. One we got as newborn, she is now 18 months old. We finalized her in May 2004. Same date as other 4. First dd adopted we finalized May 2003.

We have 3 bio children too. In their 20's, all married and all with babies and expecting. Grandbabies #7 and 8 due 2005.

We also have 3 fc at this time. Custody hearing is Jan 16, 2005. We won't apply to keep these. Not saying we are done yet but...

We also homeschool. So we keep pretty busy most days.

Vickie

[susanlowman]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! That is fantastic!!!! Good luck with ALL 7 of your kids....

[shmily612]

Congratulations goes to you also!Glad to hear about your growing family. I would say you are awesome to adopt and be able to homeschool and foster still. Did you adopt through fostering? My husband also has three grown daughters from a previous marriage and we have four grandchildren. It sure is fun when we all get together. We have a house full and dont have to invite anyone else. I wish we could still foster, but I would have to do some remodeling and we will be around retirement age once the youngest graduates from school. Our caseworker of course would like to clone us instead of lose us.
Thanks for the encouragement and God Bless.
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Originally Posted by momto9

I just saw this thread.

Congratulations! We have adopted 6 kids. 4 of which are a sibling group that we fostered for 8 months before they were legally free and we were chosen to keep them forever. Now they are 10 yo to almost 5 yo, 3 g, 1 b. We finalized May 2004. We also have two other dd adopted. Each as individuals. One we got as newborn, she is now 18 months old. We finalized her in May 2004. Same date as other 4. First dd adopted we finalized May 2003.

We have 3 bio children too. In their 20's, all married and all with babies and expecting. Grandbabies #7 and 8 due 2005.

We also have 3 fc at this time. Custody hearing is Jan 16, 2005. We won't apply to keep these. Not saying we are done yet but...

We also homeschool. So we keep pretty busy most days.

Vickie

[yanknrebel]

Momto9,

Are you allowed by your state to homeschool your foster children as well as your birth children? I am planning on homeschooling my daughter (she was our fd but finalized on Dec. 28, 2004) . She will b e three on Feb 1. We were always told we couldn't homeschool foster children, so I am glad the adoption is finally over so that I can get started.

[proverbialwoman]

IT A BOY!
We've had him since he was about 2weeks old and now he's "legally" on of us!

YEAH!

[momto9]

yanknrebel - No we are not allowed to homeschool fc in our state unless the home they were removed from were homeschooling them. If adopting them, we can homeschool after finalization. Our oldest began looking thru the homeschooling catalog the very next day after we got word that we were chosen to keep them for the books she wanted.

shmily612 - Yes and no about adopting through foster care. Our first adopted dd we adopted from the CO foster system. We never fostered her becuz she was legally free when we brought her home. Our youngest dd we got from birth. She was unwanted by bp becuz she has Downs (very high functioning) and we were chosen before she went into foster care. Our other 4 (sibling group) were our fc for about 8 months when they became legally free and we were asked if we wanted to apply to keep them.

I will be 60 by the time our youngest will graduate from high school too but we figured, what the hay, what would we be doing for the next 20 years anyway? Since we already had an empty nest and feeling lonely and we are far from being able to afford to retire then we decided to fill our days and time with kids.

I don't regret any of it, at least most days .