[Bnoll]

Warning: This is primarily a post of me venting about our home study agency. You've been warned!

Today I received an email from our SW asking us several more questions before she could finish our home study. What bothers me is (as you can see from my signature) that we've been done with all of our visits and had all of our paperwork turned in for almost a month. At our last visit we asked her how long it would be before we knew something and she told us she would have the report ready by May 25 for her supervisor to approve.

Why is she just now getting around to completing the home study? I feel like these adoption "professionals" love to take our money (thousands of dollars worth), jerk us around, and play with a HUGELY important part of our lives. I believe that every day that passes that they jerk around with our home study is another day we lose with our future child.

I also feel that as PAPs we have to "suffer" in silence for fear that if we ask questions we may not be "approved" or lose our child. It just plain stinks.

Alright, that's enough of my whining. Sorry for the vent!

[brooklyn_girl]

All I can say is I can relate, and I'm sorry you are feeling so frustrated right now. We had to re-submit fingerprints for our homestudy several times due to someone else's mistake, and it just wasn't fair - it delayed us by 6 months or so. Hang in there, the process can be tough but you will get there soon

[DannieAS]

Vent away!

I don't know what all goes on behind the scenes for writing up a homestudy, but it usually takes 3 weeks-a month before the supervisor sees it, my cw was fast, but her supervisor was slow....look at my signature and see from last homestudy to approval.

And yeah when they start writing up the homestudy they call back for questions....happened the same way to me.

I hope that once the supervisor sees it, it gets approved soon! But I had to vent as well at the end of May as well, I had my homestudy in April, waited a month for my proof reading, and then a 3 weeks for approval.

[trixila]

Just wanted to speak up for my SW. She was great for our first adoption, and also for all of the paperwork for several failed matches, etc. When we were adopting our daughter (both kids were born out of our home state) there were huge complications with the paperwork. Every day we stayed in CA was costing us $300. It was a huge surprise when she totally delivered and made sure we were able to leave for home as quickly as possible. We were working with layers of adoption professionals and her work alone was nothing short of amazing dedication.

[DannieAS]

Originally Posted by trixila

Just wanted to speak up for my SW. She was great for our first adoption, and also for all of the paperwork for several failed matches, etc. When we were adopting our daughter (both kids were born out of our home state) there were huge complications with the paperwork. Every day we stayed in CA was costing us $300. It was a huge surprise when she totally delivered and made sure we were able to leave for home as quickly as possible. We were working with layers of adoption professionals and her work alone was nothing short of amazing dedication.

Oh don't get me wrong, I love my sw. Heck if I were to have met her under different circumstances I'd try to foster a friendship...(but obviously we're in a 'working' relationship), she's fast, intelligent, smart, and a great advocate for me so far.

However, I think it's normal to vent when you get to the homestudy part of your journey because I think there are more people (supervisors, whoever approves) involved making it go a little slower than "we'd" like.

[LivingOnFaith]

We just got to start our HS process BUT i've had quite a few bones to pick with our agency. I don't get it, you know. Like you said -- they love to take that money but then we live by their schedule.

We sent in our app fee in Sept 08 and didn't get a letter stating they were waiting till I turned 23 until Christmas! I was FURIOUS. They never even told us that at our meeting --- knowing I was 22 at the time!

Then, after I was 23 they kept saying that placements were slow, be patient .... I flippin told them if they didn't at least start our HS we would find an agency that would. Then they came back saying they could do it. It's BS some of the crap we put up with.

Hopefully they get your stuff sorted out soon!!

[Daisy1339]

Originally Posted by DannieAS

under different circumstances I'd try to foster a friendship...(but obviously we're in a 'working' relationship)

That's right! You are paying them for a service and you have every right to call them out on the carpet. Don't tiptoe around them.

[jp4ga]

Hang in there it could be worse.

Our case worker quit. She told the owner of the agency that all of our paperwork had been filed. Yeah, it was filed in the top drawer of her filing cabinet. We kept calling wanting to know when we would be approved and they kept saying stuff from the state had not come back yet, (fingerprints, backgrounds). When her replacement started 3 months later she found our file and we had to redo several of the forms for it to be processed.

[brooklyn_girl]

Debbie - OMG!!

[Bnoll]

Wow, Debbie! I probably would have lost it if I were you!!

Thank you guys for sharing your stories. It's nice to know we aren't the only ones with issues with home studies!

I feel much better today as the SW emailed me and said she was sending everything off to her supervisor for approval today. And I'm sorry if I offended anyone with the adoption professionals comment. I didn't really mean it as a blanket statement - I was just frustrated!

Thanks for letting me vent!

[DannieAS]

don't worry about venting Bnoll....since you seem to be doing this through a homestudy agency that charges money for these things I would also vent!

I was slightly going insane when it took a while for the whole homestudy process to finish...but I also am going through my/the county which sometimes has a reputation for taking their time.

[DannieAS]

Originally Posted by Daisy1339

That's right! You are paying them for a service and you have every right to call them out on the carpet. Don't tiptoe around them.

actually the OP is which is why she has every right to vent, I'm going through my county not an agency so I'm not paying them for anything. Because I'm staying in-county they wave my fees.

[ChelleBrewer]

Originally Posted by jp4ga

Hang in there it could be worse.

Our case worker quit. She told the owner of the agency that all of our paperwork had been filed. Yeah, it was filed in the top drawer of her filing cabinet.

That's horrible! I'm so sorry that happened to you.