[2boysandgrowing]

My husband and I just completed our last homestudy to become foster parents and I was reading several threads about fosterparents with several small children and was wondering how long you fostered before getting infants or toddlers.We have two wonderful little boys of our on but now are hoping add a little girl to our family through fostering.I want to be a blessing in childrens lives.We live close to Jackson Tn and not to far from Memphis Tn.

[wish41more]

It took 2 weeks for us but we are lisenced through the county, no private agency.

[shycar]

Welcome! It all depends on the state, but here in CO we get babies all the time. My first foster adopt was a 15 month old boy. He is still with us after 2 years and we hope to adopt him by the end of this year. Our second legal risk placement we got a 2 yr old girl and a 2 week old girl. They were with us for 3 month then they went with relative. My third fost adopt is here. We have a almost 5 yr old girl and we are getting her almost 2 yr old sister next week. We might also get their 9 month old sister. With just foster we have had over 10 children ages 2 and under and we have had over 10 ages 3-7. It seems to me that the younger they are the faster they go home. Our longest foster under 2 was with us for a year.

Good luck in finding your girl.
Shycar

[2boysandgrowing]

We our going through the department of childrens services Thanks for any infomation

[kikibrando]

If your are open to fostering minority children, such as African-American or biracial, then it may not take long at all. Our foster-to-adopt son, B, came to us within three months of licensing. We learned about his pending TRP during our first PRIDE class in September, '04. We met him in March, and he came home forever June 3rd. We brought his sister, S, home from the hospital in April. The goal for her is reunification, but we hope she will be adoptable someday. Both the children are biracial, and in our area, we were told many families wouldn't take minority children. It made me sad to hear this, but I'm blessed for my little ones and so happy they are here.

[tlc4kidz]

We got our first placement (a 2 day old baby girl) less than 2 weeks after we got our license. We also have 2 bio-sons and now a WONDERFUL adopted daughter and son....they are full siblings. She also came at 2 days of age and her brother joined us 14 months later, at 3 days of age. Miracles DO happen!!

[IowaGirl515]

We got our 6 yr old and 34 month old the day we were licensed. It was actually the same phone call.. "congrats you're licesnsed.. want to take two girls??" lol

About two weeks ago we got a call for an almost 3 wk old biracial boy who has siblings that have been TPRd and none of the families with the sibs have room for him. I'd love to have taken him, but we are still having some issues with our two and they need to get settled in b4 taking in a 3rd.

I was also told the same thing.. if you're open to AA or Biracial, the wait is NOT very long.

[Mishagreen]

We had our first infant placement as soon as the ink dried on our foster care agreement. He was 10 months old then. When I sent word that we were ready for one more, a little 4 month old girl was dropped off at our house 2 days later. One of the baby's is anglo and the other is multiracial.
We're in South Texas, going through a private agency.
I've been told that most infant placements usually go back home or to a suitable relative.
We aren't a foster to adopt family, but here we are, in process of adopting our little boy now. Things just worked out that way, so it was meant to be. The baby girl isn't available. We'll be transitioning her to go live with a relative before too long.

[yanknrebel]

twoboysandgrowing,

My husband and I are foster to adopt parents and live very close to you. We live in Tipton county. We waited 4 months and our very first placemet was eventually adopted by us. SHe was a 2 day old Anglo baby girl. Perfectly healthy and so beautiful. SHe has some Spanish in her , so she has the biggest brown eyes , long golden brown hair with ringlets and dimples. SHe is totally spoiled, but loved oh so much. LOL We have also gotten a set of twins, blonde haired, blue eyed boy and girl. We got them 12 months ago at 5 months of age. They are now 17 months and we are going to tpr very shortly. We will be adopting them as well. It is possible. Esp. in our counties. I think we have a better chance , as do you, in smaller counties than if you lived in Shelby county (memphis). We live just over the SHelby county line and are so very glad. PM me and let's talk.

[Mummy_Big_Bird]

Congradulations on finishing your homestudy!

I am a baby-only home. It took 6 months before I got my 1st placement, after all the paperwork was done. I was called after 2 months, but that case turned out to be a false aligation, and the child was never removed. Then I got my 3 month old baby D after waiting 6 months. I had him for 8 days, and DSS settled on one of the relatives who wanted to take him (they were 2 family members who wanted him). A week after he left (this was 2 weeks ago) I got a call from DSS. They said there were two babies in intake! They were ready to pull baby 1, and I said I would take her. It turned out there was a grandmother who was basically taking care of her most of the time anyways, so they let her keep her (mom was in jail). I am still waiting to hear about baby 2. From what I understand, he is still in the hospital. My SW said I probably won't get him, because he may need to go to a "special needs home". She also said you never know, so I am waiting to hear about an update.

I think it depends a lot on the area you live in, and how many homes are open in your office. I believe I am the only open baby home for regular placements in my office, so that's why I get all the calls, regardless of the turnout. I also live near a major city, but I think my office turns away out of office placements, because they want to keep me to themselves!

[teachtofost]

Hi! I'm in CO too and I've had two placements. The first was a sibling group of a 3 month old and 21 month old. The second is a baby boy that I took home from the hospital. For both placements I waited about a month. Here they seem to be taking in a lot of kids - many babies. The only thing you have to keep in mind is that while you may be a fost-adopt home, the situation is most likely only foster. Here they try to put the babies in fost-adopt homes from the start even before they know where the case is going. As the foster parent you have to keep that in mind.

[bjhv5]

We got our first placement 2 days after liscened.They were 3 & 5 then 4 weeks later got a 20 month old he is still with us the other 2 went to grandma'a and are now back in care.About 1 month later we got a 12 month old he has been with us for 2 months and the 20 month old for 4 months now.We just picked up the 12 month olds baby sister from the hosptil on 8/1/05.The goal is to be retruned back to biomom&dad for all but non of the parents are doing a very good job working on it so we are PRAYING for a TPR on all 3. All are healthy and anglo(not that it matters we are a mixed family any ways) one has blonde hair big blue eyes,the other 2 have brown hair and eyes.

We have only been in fostering since April!
We were told the best chance to adopt a baby is to foster them first.

Good Luck
Deb

[PAmomof1]

I got my license July of 04 and didn't have a placement until Frebruary 05. I actually wanted to foster children between the ages of 3-8. They called me for a 2 month old baby girl with special needs. It just felt right so I took her in. It's been almost 7 months and I am really hoping to keep her forever.


At the end of June I got a call for another baby girl. She was 4 months old. I had her for a little over a month and she ended up going to a relative. She was so precious.

So here I am, not even set up to take infants at first because I wanted older children and have had to babies!

Also, I just did respite this weekend! A 4 month old special needs baby boy!

I am really enjoying foster parenting