[bigkids]

I'm looking for other families in Arizona that have gone thru, or are going thru the process of adoption. For people that are thinking about adopting DES children in Arizona, PM me. I have a lot of info that may or may not be helpful to you.

[HappyMom29]

I thought no one would ever post to the AZ area! My husband I were certified around Thanksgiving last year. Looking to adopt a newborn. We have a 5 yr old bio child who only came to us after IF tx. #2 completely eluded us after 3 yrs of medical intervention. We have our profile on file with 6-7 attys around AZ and our profile is being given to a particular birthmom in a couple days.. We're hoping she likes us --at least enough to want to meet us!

Have you adopted before?

[bigkids]

Hi! Looks like we'll have to keep this thread going and hope for others to jump in

We hope the birthmom picks you, that would be great!!!! Let us know how it goes.

We don't have any children yet but are keeping in close contact with a sibling group of 3. Their parental rights haven't been terminated yet, but we know a lot of history regarding their situation and pray that we'll be able to adopt them. They are wonderful kids and have bonded with us to some extent already. We're sure things will change in a hurry around our house with these 3 little ones ripping around

[lovestory]

Hi there! We live here in AZ! We have been recertified for almost a year now. We have one adopted son...who is a joy!

Best to the two of you in your individual situations!

We are hoping to do what is called a designated adoption. With our agency there is usually a pretty long wait, unless we are able to network and find our birthmother, through family and friends, and our profile on line...and then our agency will help us to facilitate the adoption.

Take care,
Stephanie

[HappyMom29]

I love adoption stories! Everyone has a unique story to tell but they all (hopefully) end with the same beautiful miracle of parenthood! Good luck you all of you!

We have more news...(still waiting to hear if the local birthmom liked our profile)......Another call received today from one of the attorneys who has our profile....and out of state birthmom and her husband are looking for an out of state family to adopt their child due in July. Their 3 child --unfortunately they are unable to financially support another child (bparents ages are mid 20's). No drugs or alcohol --and they are looking for a closed adoption. Can't believe we have 2 potential situations on our platter! I'm floored!

Carlynn

[Happybusybee]

Hi,

We've just gone through an adoption with an out of state birthmother. So if you have any questions. . . shoot!

We're still in the finalization process on our most recent adoption. AZ is quite a bit different in that the courts are so much more involved in everything. Most states give the right to "certify" families for adoption to the agency or professional that performs their homestudy, but AZ requires that the courts do this so certification can take longer here.

It's also very nice that the Maricopa County Attorney's office performs the finalization of uncontested adoptions free of charge. Now if we could just reduce the turn around time! LOL

Holly

[bigkids]

We were looking at doing an out-of-state adoption because we weren't being told about any of the 6500 DES kids in AZ. We have found 4 different sibling groups throughout the US that looked like a good match for us. Our case worker keeps telling us that "kids on the internet are the difficult ones to place and there are extra fees involved." We just recently pulled out of a staffing for an 8 & 6 year old sibling group because our agency will charge us $10,500 for an out-of-state adoption. Hello?! These are DES KIDS, not infants

[HappyMom29]

Gee--does anyone out there have the needs of those children as a first priority. Government!


Well, I'm THRILLED to report that the birthmom we've been waiting to hear from for 4 wks now --CHOSE US today. She's due in about 3 mths. There are a lot of unanswered ?'s that we need some resolution to before we agree to proceed however. But so far --it's looking great. We have been SO lucky to get to this point in only in less than 3 mths of searching. Somebody pinch us! Don't know what sex the child is...but it doesn't matter! Either one --as long as healthy ---would be fine by us. Now the big breath holding until relinquishment.

[shanzelka]

We have our sixth and last class with Arise on Thursday. We have two boys, ages 20 and 22, and hope to adopt a girl between the ages of 4 and 10. Has anyone out there worked with Arise? Any advice? We're very excited and hope the process doesn't take too horribly long.

[HappyMom29]

Just found out that a sonogram a couple days ago revealed bmom is having a BOY!! And her due date got moved up earlier a week or so. Things going well so far. She doesn't want to meet us at this point.. apparantly she didn't meet the aparents of the last child she placed either. We respect her feelings!

How is everyone else doing?

[zeke]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arizonaadoptiveparents

[lovestory]

This is great news! Happymom29. Best to you, your family, and the birthfamily in the next coming months!

Did you work with an agency? Private? Just wondering...we have been certified here in AZ for almost a year now. We are working with an agency...their placement time is usually pretty l-o-n-g.

Best wishes,
Stephanie

[Udon]

Does any one know what the procedures and lenght of time it takes for placement of children that are waiting for foster/adopt after the homestudy is approved? Do you bring the children home with you soon thereafter if they are in a group home?

[Pigglystix]

Hi everyone, I'm Michelle and I live in Arizona too!

We are just starting to look into adoption and will be attending some orientation sessions to try and get more information.

I was feeling pretty good until I started reading these boards! Now I'm feeling more and more discouraged every day.

Any info anyone has I'd love to hear it. We are looking into all avenues including Foster-To-Adopt.

Michelle

[shnoogiepoo]

Back in January I had a young girl contact me (I was doing home daycare) she said she had no money but was going to be giving her baby up for adoptiong but wanted to try and give it a couple more months to be sure (we weren't looking to adopt at the time) so I told her she could start brining him to me and pay me if and when she could (I felt it was a horrible decision to have to make because of money) Well within a week I found out she just wanted to be the little party girl with no parental responsabilites and viewed him as a piece of property, not a child. The few times she did take him home he showed up in the same diaper he left in soaked through and a rash. So... from the middle of january until just after easter he lived with us and we bought his special formula and medication and diapers and wipies and clothes and and and (doing all that parent stuff and not minding one bit) Well just after easter she shows up out of the blue... We figure, well since she's around we'll have her sign the paperwork while we still know where she is... She had a fit that we would even think that she'd give him up for adoption ??? Hello? Did I miss something? and walked out the door with him right then and there. We haven't seen him. We've heard he's gone back to having asthma attacks daily (he had absolutly no problems in our house and needed no meication because neither of us smoke and so he had no asthma problems) he developed an ear infection that from what we have heard (through other people) is so bad they can't get rid of it and it's gonna cause permanent hearing loss in that ear. We also found out that the only reason she wanted him back is because her current "boyfriend" insisted she have her child with her for him to be with her but he gets ignored and neglected and left with friends and at daycare (who she's getting for free, probably with the same BS story) and CPS won't do a thing about the neglect... ohh yeah and even though it's against medical orders she has him on whole milk instead of the special formula cause she just cant afford it though she can afford to go party every weekend and can buy a pack of cigarettes every day.

I am so lost and so frustrated and I miss him so much I feel my heart has been ripped out. I get up sometiems in the morning and walk into the nursery, HIS room, half asleep and panic for a second cause he's not in his crib and then remember he's gone. It feels like he's been kidnapped.

I just want my baby back, not because he's proprty cause he's not, hes a living human being. I want him back cause I want him safe and happy, and I know he isn't...