[RNK]

Hi we are new at this. We began the process of becoming approved for fostering through Dekalb County in the Summer of 2003. Last October we had our home visit. We still have not heard anything. Is this normal? Or we just being impatient. Phone calls have not been returned from the county to let us know what is going on. Is this what I can expect in the future? We are beginning to rethink this.....

[gclvaruba]

That is a pretty unreasonable amount of time to be put on hold. Whenever we have been frustrated with local resources we have gone straight to the top. Give a call to the GA. State Office of Adoptions 1-877-210-KIDS. There is a regional adoption coordinator for your area and they should be able to assist you in getting back on track.

Please, do not give up on this, there are too many children out there without families and too few workers to assist in placing them.

[RNK]

Thanks for the reply. What is relationship between the county DFAC and the GA State Office of Adoptions? There are so many offices and departments--we have a lot to learn.
I will give them a call.

[gclvaruba]

RNK,

Just hang in there. I told dh your plight last night and he just shook his head. You must positively absolutely be persistent. I swear we were matched with a foster to adopt dd only because they didn't want my husband calling them every other day bugging them

We have been through the system full cycle between the state of GA, 2 different county DFCS and a private adoption agency.

Trying to make a long story short, our homestudy was done by a private agency which had a state contract. We were identified and had begun visitation with our prospective daughter, thus had many dealings with DFCS in her county.

That situation was terminated just prior to her moving in with us. At the same time our agency lost their state contract. Not having anyone to turn to, we had our homestudy transferred to our county DFCS here in Forsyth County.

We have had nothing but a positive experience with Forsyth Cty. Though they too are short on staff, they have their act together thank goodness.

To put the relationship between state and county into a simple perspective, the county handles the foster children and prospective adoption children belong to the state office of adoptions, but day to day all children are overseen by the county.

The state has broken Georgia into regions. Your best bet may be to get the name and number of the adoption coordinator for your region.

If you have any other specific questions, pls feel free to pm.