[JadedSaint]

Just a mini-vent! We are adopting through the state but we were required 2 sets of finger prints each. One for the state, one for the county DES office. We reside in another county though.

We got our county prints returned to us saying they are hte "wrong" print card. But the state is keeping their set. Ugh!! This is ridiculuous! I've mentioned this to other foster/adoptive parents, and all of them seem to have fingerprint horror stories to share. They were lost, never processed, expired, etc.

Any of you have fingerprinting stories?

[blessedmom]

We didn't quite have the same problem with fingerprinting but background checks. We had done all our paperwork and completed our home study and had it approved. When we matched with a birthmother who was expecting our daughter in April, we called the agency who did our home study to make sure it was up to date. they said it would be fine because it had been approved in May ( 11 months earlier) and fell under the year deadline.

All seemed fine and dandy until our other agency filed the ICPC paperwork and we tried to leave our daughter's birth state and come home. The home study was okay but the component of background checks had been completed and handed in to the social worker a month or two before her final report. It was over a year old. We couldn't bring our daughter home. We were trapped in limbo- Calling, faxing, crying and pleading to get a new check done immediately so we could all come home. Luckily we found one very kind person at the state level that was willing to go the extra mile for us and have it done within that week.

Just add the paperwork as a "Labor" pain of adoption.

[mellosS]

My husband and I have also had a bit of the riff-raff with our prints. My husband works with his hands and as a result they are very rough. We have had to redo his prints three times. They seem to not be able to get a good set that has all fingers printed clearly. Our social worker says that it is normal to have to resubmit our prints. I have got my husband to agree to use lotions at night and to wear gloves more, but who knows if this will help.
I am glad to hear that everything worked out for you. I also truly understand the hassle that printing can cause. All I have to say is what a mess!

[mj77]

I had mine sent back 3 times! appearently my prints aren't very defined. Finally, after delaying our search for a child several months, our state waved it for me.

[spaypets]

It was annoying enough that because we'd gotten our federal fingerprints done first thing for the agency formerly known as INS, we had to do them a second time because it took more than 15 months to get our daughter from India. The INS office is 90 minutes from us, so it was a pain to go down there twice.

But...as we approached our finalization date 6 months after we came home, we discovered that we had to be fingerprinted a third time--this time to fulfill the state background check. What's really appalling is that the state doesn't feel it's necessary to check fingerprints until you finalize, when by definition the child has been in your custody 6 months. Furthermore, apparently foster parents don't have to be fingerprinted at all. What's more outrageous is that if you work for a school, you do have to be fingerprinted. How's that for messed up?

[USE-Inc]

we offer electronic fingerprinting to users in Florida and the people usually recieve thier results in less than two days. We have heard numerous stories about lost prints, rejected prints, etc. It shouldn't be this difficult when we have the technology to do it better

[lisa in venice]

We did finger prints the "old fashioned way with our second and third adoptions. With #2 it took FOUR MONTHS to clear them because they kept loosing them. With #3 it took six weeks and it was only that fast because we were already in the system.

With baby #4 we did "Live Scan" the electronic scan. I highly recommend this method. It is expensive ($85 each scan) but they get a good set of prints BEFORE you leave because the machine will only except good quality prints so the tech has to keep trying until the machine excepts them. When they are excepted they are good enough for the FBI. The other advantage is that they clear so fast. OUrs cleared in 48 hours and even though we did the wrong card we went back in (for free) and they cleared in 24 hours because we were in the system. There is a place to do Live Scan nearly every where but you have to request it.

lisa

[USE-Inc]

lisa, who do you need to request it with?

[lisa in venice]

I asked the SW where was the closest place that offered it. It took her a couple of days but she got us a list of places all over the county.

lisa