[Luvie]

I have been watching a few Foster/Adoption sites in Missouri for children. I have sent in responses for 2 children. I waited over a month to hear back on the first one and now am waiting for ever on the second one. Im sure it has been atleast a month. I remember 2 years ago responding to two diffrent sibbling groups and got a response within a week. I don't understand why it would take so long for a SW to contact back on a home for a child. I am very discouraged about the whole situation and will think twice about doing it again. I don't want to have to contact my worker for every child I might be interested in. The least they can do is tell me if they are still available or not. Im just wondering how they find homes for these poor kids if they never contact anyone back.

Maybe if they let a Foster Parent update the sites and take the emails more children will find homes.

[akcskye]

I can certainly understand the frustration.

Consider that it may be the worker's vacation time, the worker for the children might have changed...or, if it's like Oklahoma...they try to get all placements they can done in June/July, the start of their new fiscal year.

It almost feels like a sick joke...keep the kids in care as long as you can for the most federal funding and then place the 'old ones' right away at the start of the new fiscal...then start again.

[MilehighDad]

We waited for at least a month for a response to our inquiry. That was in November of '07. The process has been very slow since then, and now the staffing meeting is not going to be until September. I hope that this is not normal, but we are not going to give up.

[Luvie]

It seems to be the norm to me. I have sent in for two children with two diffrent SWs. The first I tried through 3 diffrent links to get in touch with someone. Finally got a response back about a month ago after two months. The second one I sent a letter in the start of June and am still waiting to hear. If it really is going to take so long I start to wonder how long each step will take. Then I start to wonder if it may be best just to foster to adoption. Although I did reply to a child in another state and heard back within 15 days. Seems to me to be easier to go out of state then to stay in Missouri. Makes me feel sad for the Missouri waiting children. My problem is I can not wait for a SW to decide to finally get back to me. I am to impatient and my hopes sky rocket. So at this point I think I will be keeping my rocket on the ground and will continue to foster and then maybe down the road try out of state adoption.