[Archive]

Originally Posted By Carol

I'm wondering if anyone else is finding that Washington DSHS is really dysfunctional right now. We were foster-care licensed, specified fost-adopt back in August. We have never been told about a single child (except for ones I found myself on the Northwest Adoption Exchange Web site, but none proved to be right for our family). We have said we are willing to take as many as two in a sibling group, 0-3 and 0-5. I was told this would make the process go very fast... hah, hah!
This month, we have switched from being represented directly by DSHS to being represented by Adoption Advocates International in Port Angeles. They seem much more on the ball, and placed about 20 kids out of care last month alone.
I'm just wondering if anyone else has any tips for me on how to move this process along. We have an 8 year old bio-son and are all really anxious to wrap this process up and bring a child or children into our home already! I would really like to adopt through DSHS and not end up going international. What I've learned is the fost-adopt families are treated like they don't exist. They don't want us around because they don't want to hear that these kids need adopting -- they want to reunite them.

I'd appreciate hearing some Washington success stories, particularly of adopting younger kids -- if there are any out there.

Carol

[Archive]

Originally Posted By Nellie

Carol, I was wondering if you live close to the Port Angeles anrea? We live close by and love the work that adoption advocates do. They help with our private adoption in doing our postplacment report. Gay and Kathy are very kind ladies and will use them again here soon (our son is 2). I would love to talk to you some more about your adoption with them and am wondering if maybe you already have a success story to tell? I thin kyou and i could go on all day with our stories about cps. So email me :0) nellieb@olypen.com

[Archive]

Originally Posted By Vicki

Hi, Carol,
Here's a late reply . . . We foster adopted through DSHS and it has gone very well. Our son was placed 3 weeks after we were licensed, our daughter a year later, he was 2and a half, she 10 months. We had to live through the emotional limbo of waiting for terminaton of parental rights, but survived by concentrating on what was best for the kids. I am sure that it all depends on which social worker you have, ours always treated us well except for one who was simply not well trained, but did her best. I have never heard that they don't want to admit that kids need adoption; sounds like you have been talking to some bitter people. We, on the other hand, had problems with AAI, who dumped us abruptly because they couldn't provide an interpreter for my husband, who spoke little English. It all depends . . .

[Archive]

Originally Posted By Veronika...

I have a wonderful Washington DSHS sucess story. Be patient good things come to those that wait. We are also a Foster Adopt family, our daughter was placed with us at 19 months of age. She had 5 placements prior to our home. We adopted her at the age of three, she is now 5 in Kindergarten and is a God send. Don't give up on the system they just want to make sure that the child that is placed with you is a permanent placement. We also had a child prior to our beautiful daughter. She was placed with us just a few days short of 6 months and was then placed with her brother. This was very difficult for our family. Please be patient and good things will happen.

[Archive]

Originally Posted By Lee

Hi Carol, we adopted 4 siblings almost 5 yrs ago. We
are really wanting to adopt agian, and are thinking of
turning our licence over to Adoption Advocated also,
they did our home study, and I really like them. Now
I need to update my homestudy. We are hoping to adopt
a child or sib group 5 and under, any race.

[Archive]

Originally Posted By Cindy

Carol, I was wondering if you have been successful now in adopting? We are with AAI now and we are hoping that it will not take too long either. We have everything ready just waiting for a phone call! Hope everything has gone well for you after the long wait.
Cindy

[ivorysoul]

I don't live in Washington. But we are signed up at the state office. We have waited over a year. We live in a small comunity and we still have no children threw the state. So I wish I could her somthing also on how to speed up this process. TY ivorysoul