[5starday]

After 21 LONG months of waiting for a finalization date, we were finally given one.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am ecstatic that a date has finally been set! BUT, our Little A was abandoned. There has been NO contact since 10/04. TPR was finally done in 01/06. It took us 8 months to get an adoption worker assigned. Last month, the judge wanted to see her adoption through and specifically requested that her petition be sent to him so he could finalize it in his court. He set the case in his "tickler file" as pending for 12/01/06 and told everyone in court to have it back to him by that date so he could schedule the date himself. He addressed me and my DH and told us he'd be giving us a nice Christmas present.

Here's my issues:

The petition came back with another judge's name on it. AND the hearing isn't set until January 2007. Last I checked, Christmas was 12/25! And the judge who has presided over EVERY single hearing for the last 2 years won't even be a part of the finalization!

Little A will have been in our home for nearly 23 months by January. We have continually been told this was a "no brainer" case, so WHY does this continue to happen and delay things even more?

Has anyone else had this happen?

[mrsred]

You have my full empathy. We are waiting for our finalization date too. it was supposed to have happened before school started but we moved and that held everythingup. But everything has been in place since the 2nd week of January, including a signed adoption support contract. I couldn't figure out what the hold up was, why I wasn't getting any date, and finally got an answer last week. Seems our state case worker either quit or was transferred. Bottom line, new caseworker! I am so frustrated with the whole system. So, I pray for you, you pray for me... we will both pray for all the children out there and their moms and dads that need to have that final piece in place so their forever families are indeed forever.

[Kelly Rae]

I don't get how this happens, but the same thing happened with us. Our second to youngest was abandoned and he was close to 2 when we finalized. He also took forever to get an adoption worker. Our youngest son has had an adoption worker since 6 months even before they stopped reunification on parents. I don't think I will ever get the system and this is our 4th adoption .

I would ask your child's attorney why you aren't going through the original judge and why it can't happen in December. Any day is to long for your child not to share your last name!

[5starday]

Our attorney called me the day after my last post. He was so mad at the way the court clerks handled the schedule. He called the judge's clerk to inquire about the change of judge and the delay in scheduling the finalization hearing. She remembered our case and knew that judge wanted to take care of this case personally.

She is going to be calling back with a revised date with the right judge and BEFORE Christmas.

Being the eternal pessimist, I will believe it when I see it in writing!

[5starday]

I haven't actually seen the revised date IN WRITING, but we were told it was supposed to be 12/06/06!!!!!

Now the adoption worker is under the gun to get the reports necessary completed for the courts in time to not delay the proceedings!

We'll see what happens!

[mrsred]

WE HAVE A FINALIZATION DATE! We go in to the lawyer's office next Tuesday to sign the petition, and our date is December 1! That is just two weeks from today!

[AmahMama]

The Lord and his shepards work in wondrous ways. Happy Thanksgiving!!

[DianeScraps]

Congrats to you and your family!

And Happy Holidays!