[VChelle]

I am a new lister to this group and my husband and I just completed our homestudy last month. Now, we're waiting. I'm not sure what we're waiting for at this point. I think we're supposed to get a letter stating that we've finished this process.

Right now, we're attempting to adopt from the Department of Human Services in Mississippi. My husband and I are interested in AA or biracial children. I'm black and my husband is caucasian. He has children from a prevous marriage.

For us sibling groups are okay --> up to 3, and we're interested in infants up to the age of 10. The upper age changes as I get older each year.



Mississippi is currently forcing all potential adoptive parents to become foster-adopt. I'm not certain about all of the ramifications of this, but our sw mentioned that one was that if they placed foster children with you, when a child became available to adopt, they would NOT suggest your home as a possible match, because they would not remove one child from a home, for another one.

I thought about private agencies, but the costs have been outrageous.

I didn't realize that even special needs adoptions could be so expensive. And, if there are more reasonable alternativesm, I haven't seen them.

Good luck to everyone.

[mcnh63]

Two things-
1. Call your agency and keep asking if there are any children to be placed and if they have been thinking about you . Keep your name in their heads!!

2. I suggest you go over to the foster support boards. I think that you could have many of your questions answered there. Good luck.

My husband and I have just started the process and have been getting some great advice and info over there on those boards. It's different when you are doing a foster to adopt. so that might be more helpful to you at this point.

[Howdy]

I am doing the Legal Risk (foster-to-adopt) option in Colorado, and the week before my first placement the child's case changed (the dad got an early release from prison and started meeting the caseplan) and adoption didn't look as certain as it had when the match was made. But since the child had already had visits at my home and was eager to come (and had asked me if her coming could be 'canceled' which at the time I'd assured her it wouldn't be) I went ahead with it even though I knew it would mean I wouldn't be matched with any other child until the first one left.
It worked out great, once she was with me, I had no desire (or time or energy) to think about any other children. A few months after she left I was matched with my next child, and the adoption will be finalized in a few months. If I hadn't had the first child, I would probably not have been available when the second child came into the system. This second child is a great match for me (the first one was good too).
I don't think you need to worry about missing out on other children while you are fostering a different sibling set. You'll be too attached and hopeful that the ones with you will become available and the idea of having them removed to make space for a group you are not already attached too will seem nutty to you. (Unless you get some really bad kids, but then you should have them removed from your home anyway.)

[amom2benok]

Make sure that Foster-Adopt is really what you want first of all. If you really want to just adopt you can adopt a waiting child from another state and there are ways to keep it from being expensive. We started this process two years ago and finished our homestudy in August 2005. We have been waiting for the right match for a year. We had some people from the state try to tell us that we had to do Fost-adopt. I didn't feel like I could handle a foster care situation, so I called around and found a place that doesn't charge a dime. If you adopt a child out of the foster care system the state pays for your adoption .or reimburses you for your expence.
Check out all your options I am sure you have more than one if you are not sure about the fost-adopt.

Just a suggestion. Hope you find what you are looking for. and May God bless you all in you journey to become a family.

[djsmommy]

Hi,
we just completed our homestudy in july 2005. We started the process one year ago and are now searchimg for a our child or children boy or girl ages 0 to 8 up two in a sibling group that is what we are approved for we are going through ohio childrens services because of money issues and we are 21 years old but it is so hard the waiting you get your hopes up when you find a child on photolistings and you do all the work getting all the information on that child ready for your worker and then nothing you here nothing at alll !! no phone just telling you you were not choosen or even a letter nope nothing ! This is driving me crazy! We have a 2 year old little boy named Dj that gets me through each day but, We really want another child but I am unable to get pregnant I have poloy cystic ovaries and was just told i have something wrong with my lining in my uterus we have suffered through three misscarries all this at the age of 21 ! My doctor has mentioned taking my uterus! if anyone can give me hope because right now I just think adoption is dream that will never come true and how much does a domestic adoption cost when is is all said and done!

[christy78]

DH and I actually start our homestudy tomorrow. We are really looking forward to completing the paperwork. WE already have most of the documents turned in, now we have the actual home visit. We have met with our social worker several times already. WOO HOO Lets get things going............