[HappyMomAnna]

Does California tell you what the cost is to 'update' your homestudy? It souldn't be very much for Pete's sake! Oregon does require an updated homestudy annually and generally it consists of a recheck on criminal history and notes of any changes in your family.

You might call your worker there and ask what this update will actually cost? How much do they want from Oregon to cover it and decide if you can afford to go ahead an pay for it..... Keep track of all the costs you pay for during the transistion too.....

Also call the childs worker and find out if Oregon is offering to provide "paid services" if they are then you may be able to get this cost refunded after the adoption is final---Also ask the attorney if this child is qualified for the special needs subsidy? And how that might work across the state lines?

If all else fails you would have the Tax credits for next year and can claim any fees you might pay for the tax credit.

It seems to me you are a few hundred dollars away from this being resolved at most! The criminal history checks are not all that expensive especially if they are only looking at the last year or so!

I am so happy for you---this really does sound like it is almost over! It sounds like she is being placed as a relative placement which was what I honestly expected--I never could figure out why they wanted a committee---except that maybe the Foster family was interested in adopting too?

Good luck--it shouldn't be too long now.

[Searching_03256]

Originally posted by lojenn
Oregon is requesting an updated version. But in CA it is current for two years. So CA said that until an ICPC is opened up and (I'm guessing here) OR pays for it, they will not update a perfectly good homestudy. OR is saying that they won't open the ICPC without an updated home study. Is this crazy or what???

ICPC is simple to open up - it is one form (a 100a) that is filled out and filed with/by the sending state. Actually it is a bit more complicated because you have to send other paperwork with it, but the 100a is what OPENS the file. There is no cost involved to open an ICPC.

That said, it requires someone WANTING to fill it out and if the sending state - Oregon - feels that something is lacking in the placement (a current homestudy) - they are not going to start the process.

As Anna suggested, you might be far better off to talk to whoever did your homestudy and find out what it will cost you personally to update it rather than going through the state. Note that there are only certain agencies that Oregon will accept to do ICPC homestudies in California. I have a list (about 2 years old) that I could send you in .pdf if you send me an email. Go to my website and use the address listed there (this avoids me getting spamed by posting it here...)

I am somewhat surprised at running into this "hitch" and it sounds like Left hand and Right hand not talking to each other. Why does anything surprise me anymore? If you can get all of the parties on the phone at the same time you might just get this ironed out pretty easily.

-Scott

[lojenn]

Yeah, this is getting crazier and crazier. But I have some satisfaction in knowing that I have finally succeeded in getting all parties stirred up.

My CA adoption worker has now been trying to get a hold of the OR worker for two days and the OR worker has not (of course) gotten back to her. So my worker is now in contact with the baby's lawyer. Then out of the blue the OR worker finally emails me back telling me that "after I receive the homestudy I schedule an adoption committtee in my office. ... They approve the placement, then ICPC says that we can place the child in your home and then we can place. ...Could you light a fire under your adoption worker?"

Sooo, yes, the left hand has no idea that the right hand is even attached to the body. Hopefully someone will get the OR case worker live on the phone. (The baby's lawyer said that she hasn't been able to talk live on the phone with her either) And I am sure that the reason I finally got an email is that the lawyer said that she would leave a voice mail for the OR worker and try and get things going.

My CA worker said that she agreed to send a letter confirming that our homestudy was current and up to date to OR standards but that the actual home study itself could not be sent. If this is a problem is there a way that we can sign something to allow them to send it? I mean, at this point they can move in with us and see what we eat on a daily basis if it'll break this stalemate!

Thank you for the info. Now I can ask specifically if a 100a has been filed or if everything is held up because of ICPC rules. And next time I am speaking to my worker I'll ask her how much the darn thing will cost. Well, of course, she has already up dated it. I'm afraid if we go with another agency it's going to slow everything down. It is so frustrating when a perfectly good homestudy is just sitting there.

[MamaJem]

A possible bit of insight here, if the OR worker is anywhere near Salem or Portland, they have been shoved behind because of the snowstorms and ice that hit the first several days of the year. They are struggling with catching up because even though they couldn't get to work, the work didn't stop piling up. I know its tough but hang in there. We (those of us pursuing and Oregon aodotion) are all in the same boat right now. Its taken us all a long time to get answers. But the answers will come.

Hanging on with you...

[HappyMomAnna]

also.....please keep in mind that during the holidays more children are in crisis--more families fall apart--more children need to be placed in safe homes.....and on top of it our strom was very stressful for even the best--most healthy families. We nearly dies of cabin fever and ran low on supplies. Salem was HIT very very hard by the storm our Caplital was even shut down! Portalnd Airport was closed for three days and even today at my house we still have snow on our ground!

Since you are working with a 'child' worker and not an adoption specialist--that worker might still be dealing with the vast number of new children in crisis and needing safe homes---this will always matter more then the transisiton to adoption--if a child is safe they can wait--if not they cannot! And SuperBowl Sunday is coming--it is the NUMBER one day of the year for domestic violenece! This week alone in the Portland area TWO woman have been murdered by an Ex! And they both have children!

I do hope that some understanding of the load your childs worker might be under can be found. Usually in Oregon the child has his own worker and the adoptive family has theirs....WE NEVER had very much contact with the kids worker! All of our help was from our own adoption worker so in a way you are missing a vital part of the Oregon methods for transistion. I thinkwe talked to the kids worker three times from start to finish!

These workers who are in charge of the child are used to the adoption workers doing a lot of the needed steps to get to transition! They don't often have to handle both sides of the issue unless the Foster Family is accepting the adoption placement and then the worker has a relationship with that family from the contact during the Foster Placement.....

I am sorry for all of your delays--please trust the fact that if you have been told that you wil be the placement the people here are doing what the can! PM me and let me know what county you are dealing with here in Oregon?

[MamaJem]

Yoohoo...lojenn??? Whats going on? Anything new? Have you heard from anyone or are you too busy loving on the little munchkin to talk to us?

[aspenhall]

WOW, I'm beginning to feel better about my cw not being able to contact the kids' cw. She keeps saying she's really busy, but I can't seem to get any idea of a time frame. I guess I'm happy just to be in the same boat with y'all!

[lojenn]

Hiya,

I would love to tell you all that our little one has finally made it home, but, no, not yet. Fourtunatly, I hope it will be in the next two weeks. The homestudy was finally freakin' sent on Monday. Well, I had actually sent our copy (which our adopt. worker gave us on the side) but the OR worker said that she could not except one from anyone other than the agency. Very frustrating! But ICPC finally started working and now we are just waiting for the adoptions committee to be scheduled. Both the foster parents and we are going to be calling the OR worker to make sure that she doesn't let this slide.

Other good news is that the parental right relinquishment papers have been received and the biomom should be signing them either today or yesterday. I'm waiting for a call to let us know.

Soooo, if the OR worker sets up the meeting within the week she promised and then we wait the 7 day review period we really hope to have her by mid month! Yay!

That's all I got for now
Thank you for all your help and concern. I hope to report good news soon.

[HappyMomAnna]

Well at least something is starting to happen! Gee it seems like this is taking forever!

I am still a little confused why they are calling a committee? Is this because someone else is interested in adopting--or is this a matter of formality?

Anyway---I did talk to some of the peopel I know in the office that this little one is in--They can;t tell me anything--or even that I know who I am talking about but I have told them that this is really silly to be taking so long on a sibling placement and that you have had a lot of support from other Oregon families here online!

Don't know if me being a bug in their ear has helpped--I like to think it has

Hopefully you will be here soon letting us all know the baby is home and your life is completely stressed out now--with two!!!!

[lojenn]

Thank you for "being a bug in their ear" for me. Even if it caused just a little talk around the water cooler, it has been extremely helpful! Thank you for all your support!

In regards to the commitee, the worker did say it was going to be an informal meeting. I'm not exactly sure what that means or in what way it will be different. We haven't been told or hinted to that there are any other families petitioning for the baby. Maybe it means that we will be the only family presented and she just needs to have it ok'd by someone other than her. I'm not sure. I just hope that the she really follows through with her "within the week" promise.

And don't worry, I'll let you know the second we know when she is coming. And there won't be a bigger smile on a person's face while changing a diaper or washing twice as many clothes

[MamaJem]

Its very possible that the committee is a not a traditional adoption committee, if that makes sense. DHS needs to be able to confirm that more than one person made the decision on what is right for the child. Otherwise, you would leave the decision up to emotions of one or maybe two people. This is why adoptive families are not allowed to be at the meeting. They don't want to deal with the emotional factor. Even though Oregon's system isn't perfect, I see some great advantages for the children of our state.

Thanks for keeping us posted! I know I enjoy the excitement!

[lojenn]

Well, the ball has been dropped yet again. I am so frustrated I am going to cry (again)!

The homestudy never got through. That whole week our adoptions worker tried faxing it but it wouldn't go through due to a problem on the OR end. Of course, the OR worker never bothered to let me know that she never recieved it. Also, the relinquishment papers that were supposed to have been signed, haven't been. The biomom's lawyer never showed up and is no where to be found.

I had to call repeatedly before I got a response from the OR worker. I kept calling to find out when the committe meeting was schelduled for and finally she tells me that she never got that horrid home study. What do I have to do, courrier it up to her myself? No, she probably wouldn't except it from anyone other than an official person from CA...

Anyways, the homestudy is now in the mail. It could have been sent last week if she would have bothered to contact me and let me know that she never got it. Now, I am just hoping that the stupid thing can find her mail box.

In regards to the relinquishment papers, I just know that they will be the next stumbling block because how can she adopt out a child that still has a legal parent, right? So, I am already ahead of her (because I am sure she's not thinking of that) and have already contacted the baby's lawyer to see if she can do something. It turns out that at a hearing in early January the baby's lawyer actually asked for a decree to move things along but the OR case worker made the judge think that the baby would be with us in a week or so. So, now the baby's lawyer is going to force the biomom's lawyer to show up by calling a hearing. If that doesn't work she is going to request that the biomom be given a new lawyer. Either way, we are looking at more and more delays.

On top of all this, we are getting emails from the baby's foster parents telling us how wonderful she is and about all the things we are missing. Her first tooth, the first time she identified her eyes, her singing. She's almost ready to walk and speak her first legible words. We've been waiting a year now for her! She's not gonna want to leave her home. She's so attached to the foster parents and they love her so much I almost wish that they wanted to keep her and just put me out of my misery.

Sorry to rant, but I'm on a bad dip on this nasty roller coaster.

[MamaJem]

In regards to the relinquishment papers, I just know that they will be the next stumbling block because how can she adopt out a child that still has a legal parent, right?

Actually, in Oregon you can place a child as a legal risk. You have to be pretty darn sure that parental rights are and will be terminated but it is truly a risk.

Does that answer it for you? So, did the CW ever get the HS? Any more news?

[lojenn]

I called the OR worker everday last week to find out if she received the homestudy. She never called back. I have already started calling her this week, this morning, and still nothing. I will now be calling her twice a day. All I want to know is if she got the the homestudy or not. If I ever get her on the phone or speak to the baby's lawyer again I'll ask about that legal risk thing. Thanks for that info.


What happened at yout committee meeting? I hope everything went well for you. I sent all my good thoughts out to you and yours. I hope it helped!

[HappyMomAnna]

logenn--the only thing I can do is what I have done--I sent off an email to my contact in the office where your little one should be being processed. I just said--hey someone is waiting for a call back and has been for over a week???? any ideas when she will get a call?

I am trying to make noise for you too--wish i could help more!

As for the "legal risk" issue a very large number of children in Oregon are placed long before the TPR is done and sometimes before it has even been started. I am not sure how that would work across state lines and it could be some of the slow down if they are waiting for all the TPR stuff....It took our case an additional 8 months after the TRP hearing for all the paper work to catch up and the petition for adoption to be made. So if the case is held up for this reason I can see why it might be dragging out---some of the issues that needed to be done with our kid's file had nothing to do with DHS--and had to do with other agencies doing their work. If we had to wait for all of the paperwork to get done we would have not had the children placed until last Novemeber! Nearly a year after the process started......I am thinking they may have to have all the TPR stuff done before they can move the case acress state lines.