[Kitty_O_Shea]

So, we thought our home study was completed, but come to find out, our case worker did not make the corrections she should of to submit to her supervisor for approval. This caused a delay of a couple months (and still counting.....)

Case worker still has our file will not return the supervisors calls to finish this up.

We were promised by the agency that infant adoption, from start to finish can take up to 18 months.

Do I even "rock the boat" at this point or wait it out? All our fees were paid after we were told the home study was completed, but apparently not "approved".

Has anyone else had this problem before? As of right now, we have a completed nursery, but no baby to place in it.

[katieb55]

Sometimes it can go that way. Can you call the case worker yourself? She/he is probably overloaded and behind. It's possible that they are just negligent. If it were me, I would try and contact the case worker myself and politely ask when it will be complete and express your frustration (nicely) that you and your husband are anxious and do not want it to take longer than it has to. If you do not get a positive response, I would go to that person's boss and ask that you have another case worker assigned to you and tell them the whole story. A reputable agency will work with you and definitely return your calls, etc. Good luck! Katie

[april2580]

Kitty, I am just as frustrated as you are. We signed the contract for our home study on 12/1, completed interview on 12/29. Our social worker keeps giving me excuses like her children were sick, she had to complete her business taxes and whatever else. The other couples that are working with her started after we signed the contract and both have received a draft for their review. Why is she stalling on us? Why can't she just give us a date and stick with it? If she's overloaded then hire someone else to type it up? Seriously it's not that hard. Finally the longer she takes the less I have of adopting a baby from Hawaii. I'm so angry!

[Kitty_O_Shea]

April, our home study was finished in July/August 2011 and that's the last we heard anything. I am glad I did call the agency because it seems like they forgot about us. I just feel so sorry for all the kids/infants in the adoption system that are just waiting...and waiting...waiting.

Case worker will not return my calls, texts or e-mails. Supervisor stopped calling me and returning e-mails.

[Miss.M]

Your case workers are running a business and getting paid to provide you with a service. Why are you so worried about making her do her job that you paid her to do? Insist on a professional, timely service. People can only do to you what you allow them to do.

[Beth.]

Hmmm, you paid your money and now they won't finish your homestudy. If it were me, I would demand my money back and start over with a different agency. If this is how they operate, I would not trust them and would fear I would never be placed with a baby. You can read the horror stories in the old threads here about families that are stuck with an agency financially and the agencies are obviously not working for them. You are paying for a service -- a homestudy, to be "active" in their program, to hopefully match/place with a child eventually, etc. If they are blowing you off this early in the process, I say run fast from this agency. JMO.

[NSB]

Oy! The process!! Isn't it grand to be at everyone else's mercy! When we went to the first visit with our SW (the first homestudy visit was at her office) I had with me EVERY piece of paper work under my control finished (criminal record check, HS paperwork, agency related paper work...) and the SW just said "Wow. You're on top of it. I hope you don't think that *I* will be able to be as timely with your homestudy. These things take time. It will take at least 5 months for me to get in visits and type up the report, and I'm going to Mexico in 6weeks for a vacation. Plus, after the report is done you are going to have a looong wait before being chosen by birth parents." WTF????? Long story short (too late!) we had a baby waiting for us to be "approved" and the SW had to fast track our home study so the baby could come home! LOL In your FACE SW!!!!

[alys1]

I think "Beth." has the 100% correct advice. Get the check and RUN -- and then, IMO, report them to some oversight agency. There's one or more for every business. State atty general, Better business bureau, and adoption oversight agencies, which I'm sure exist.

[Nevada Jen]

I agree. Find a new agency immediately. They have been holding your money and you are not even active? Money that was due when the homestudy was completed? And it turns out its not really completed? That's not a relationship you are going to be able to fix. I would agressively end it now.

[Kitty_O_Shea]

I spoke with the adoption supervisor. She said it can take up to 5 years for an infant. Oy vey! I wish we were told this in the beginning. Seems that the incorrect information we were provided was from our case worker, who was contract for the agency.

Good news (or is it) that we are already down one year and only a couple more to go.

My husband and I are just putting our trust in our faith and will pray that good things come our way!

[DrAmanda]

Wow. That is not at all how our process went. If it is at all possible, I would get my money back and go elsewhere.

[eagleswings216]

5 years?!? That is crazy! I don't know what agency you are using, but I would look elsewhere. Our whole process, including home study was less than a year from the start to when our kids were placed with us (as infants).

[jcm]

That is insane. I have never heard of a five YEAR wait. I agree with other posters, get your money back and find another agency. What this agency has done is beyond the pale, not normal in any way shape or form!

[Leeah]

I agree that if they're not working to complete your home study you should go elsewhere.

The wait CAN be long. There's no way to know how long the wait for a placement can be. It's the expectant mom's choice and no one can really tell you how long it will take to get chosen.

People on these boards will tell you what a short wait they had and talk about how they were placed 2 days after their home study was finished. Hopefully, that will be your story, too. Just prepare to be proactive.

I've waited 2 1/2 years now. I've tried 2 agencies, a few facilitators, and several "matching services". Don't tie yourself to one agency. Many agencies are now saying a 4 to 5 year wait for an infant.

[GATI]

Our start to finish time was 8 months. The wait to match once our profile was active was 2 months. I understand agencies vary, but yours seems like a gross outlier.