[trvl_girl]

I wanted to ask your advice. I am a foster parent in NJ (Hunterdon)

I got involved for a relative care situation. That is now long resolved and I am still a foster parent, with hopes to adopt one day.

I contacted them to see if I could get copy of my homestudy, because I found a waiting child in another state. When I called to ask, they advised they didn't want to give to me, that they could, but they would "black out" any important infomation they would need.

So basically, they said "Um, No. sorry"

Even though they paid for everything and I have been begging for a placement from them and recieved nothing, is it right that they will not give me a copy of my homestudy?

[DianeS]

That's pretty typical. You are right in that THEY paid for everything - meaning they want their money to go toward getting children in their state off their caseloads, rather than getting children in another state off someone else's caseload.

That said, there are sometimes ways around it. Have the caseworker of the child you're interested in call and ask for your homestudy. Sometimes that works.

Another thing is asking how much it would cost you to buy your homestudy from them. Costs vary, from the reasonable to the rediculous. (Remember, you essentially have to reimburse your state for the time, workers, experience, classes, etc that it took to create and produce your homestudy.) But if you successfully use your homestudy to adopt a child, that child might be eligable for "non recurring adoption expenses" which basically means they'd reimburse you the cost of your homestudy, up to a certain amount. So if you're really looking for another child, this might be the way to go.

And, of course, there's always speaking with a supervisor. Sometimes what the worker says isn't the way it's supposed to be. The homestudy is worthless wtih things blacked out, so the answer can't be worse than what you already have.

Good luck!

[trvl_girl]

Thanks for the reply. The thing is... I AM trying to foster, foster adopt from the state and am NOT getting calls. I don't understand it. I guess Hunterdon just isn't that busy, who knows.... The facilitator who was there and we spoke weekly, left for a new position on Friday.

If I don't get a placment this year. I am closing my door. Tired of waiting and getting nothing. I do my classes on line, have my home inspections annually and nothing still.

It truly is sad.

[craftingmama]

a friend of mine was told that here in Ga it's not allowed for them to hand you a copy of your own homestudy but that another agency can request it from them

[chickie1221]

In NJ, homestudies expire after 18 months, so if was done a while ago, it may need to be redone anyway. In some states, a homestudy expires after only one year. At the very least, your homestudy would need to be updated by a licensed Social worker, because your circumstances have changed. Afraid you just have to suck it up and pay a private agency to do another homestudy. The redundancy in the whole adoption process can drive you mad! When we were first starting out on this Long Strange Trip, we had a homestudy done for about $1K by a small private agency in Westfield. PM me if you are interested.

[mamala]

We're in the same office as you (Hunt-Somers-Warren) and we had it out with them this summer over this and their unwillingness to answer questions from other states in regards to us as potential adoptive parents for kids in foster care of other states.

We won. They have to answer questions. I pushed it all the way up to Trenton. They will also supply a copy of the homestudy--redacted (which is what they call it when they don't give the supporting information). I have a copy of it and truly, it has way more info that you realize and well enough for another caseworker to make informed judgment on. IF they need more, you can deal with it then. But like you, I was now looking at having a private agency do a homestudy that might've never resulted in a placement.

Hunterdon is seriously low on placements. The concept of children suffering abuse there is new and the mindset that it doesn't exist there is still strong.

AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THE FACILITATOR IS GONE ALREADY???? Didn't she JUST get there???