[embuck]

I am offically "waiting". I was told it could take months. We are foster to adopt legal risk or straight adoption. Is there anyone else waiting to be matched?

Would love some buddies in Texas, even if not in Houston area!

[605orange]

We got matched in Houston. WOW did it take a long time. We got started on the process in August of 2007. Took PRIDE in October 2007. Waited FOREVER to get our homestudy. Homestudy approved beginning of Feb. 2008. Matched beginning of May. Read the file the end of May (It took a month to get the file - urgh!). Meet the kids for the first time mid-June. Placement papers signed on June 30th.

We worked with a private agency in the Houston area. We were open to any race, 1-3 kids, ages 7 and under (our other kids are 9 and 11).

It DID work for us. We are matched with two amazing little people, 3 and 4 years old. What a long draining process, however. We look forward to finalizing by the end of this year.

[embuck]

YAY someone else out there! lol

Texas thread is not too active!

We are working with an agency too! We are actually just located North of Houston but our agency is in Houston. We started our process in end of December of 07 and JUST got licensed last week so have been waiting since. We are legal risk or straight adoption but we did get a matching specialist and they said it could be quite a wait just to get a placement. We are 1-2 kids ages 0-3. But they said if there was any kids even around 3 they would call and see if we were interested. We are open to all races as well....how about you? I wonder if it makes a difference?

I am thinking to open our homes up to emergency placements if nothing happens in 6 months but your wait of 3 months sounds livable. lol

Congrats on your kiddos too!

[Amaurosis]

We're in Houston waiting to be matched, but we're not going through the foster system. Do we count?

[605orange]

The wait is so hard. I made sure to check in with my matching worker weekly. I think it helped. You know what they say, "The squeeky wheel gets the grease." If you just sit around, I believe that they are less likely to work quickly to get you matched. I am sure that she is happy to finally be done with me. :-)

The workers are great and I have so much respect for what they do, but you do have to advocate for yourself. No one else will do it for you! (Politely, of course.)

Just know that your match WILL come along. And when it is right you will KNOW that it is right. Our little people are a great match for our family. What a blessing!

[Psalm27:10]

I am trying to get licensed to foster and foster to adopt. I am finding this process emotionally draining. I really want to do this. I have my home set up to accept 2 infants and 2 toddlers. I have all of the beds, clothes, gear, and toys I could possible need. I have considered all of the emotional stress of having the children and I think that is different. I feel like I am being judged and keep saying what if they don't approve me, what if I never get to adopt...and so on. I have done my classes fingerprints, homestudy, and completely reset my home. How long should it take? I have waited 62 days and still no response. They keep saying to wait one more week....it has been three weeks of that. What do you guys think?

[rk36]

We are in Houston waiting to be matched. We are straight adopt 1-3 kids ages 4-14. Our daughter will be 15 next month. We started trying to adopt Dec. 2006

[embuck]

Amaurosis- OF COURSE YOU COUNT. lol What route are you taking? I am assuming private adoption with an agency? I don't really know much about any other way besides thru CPS. LOL So I prob sound silly. I would love to hear everything with your process though!

605orange- Yes I totally plan on sending weekly emails to our MS just to let them know how we are doing and what books we are educating ourselves on to make us more prepared. They said they liked that sort of thing. May I ask if your matches are CC? I am just wondering all the ins and outs of your 3 month wait and thinking perhaps ours will be shorter. Thanks so much for letting me know whats going on in our area.

Psalm27:10- You are going thru a very stressful stage. We were just there not too long ago, wondering this or that or all this whats and ifs. Its normal and it's okay. You will get thru it. It sounds like your getting yourself well prepared. Your agency takes special note of that and I am sure you will do just fine being approved. Unless I read that wrong. Are you waiting now to be matched or approved?

rk36- WOW you have been in this boat a year longer than we have. When did you get your license and how long has your wait been? I was just told by our MS they are ALWAYS getting calls in for kids 6 and 7 and 12.

Hopefully we won't be waiting much longer. I am glad to see some people in our area. If anyone knows where Humble is, we are closer to that. lol Is everyone else actually in Houston?

[Amaurosis]

Yep, we're going through an agency. We've been waiting about 6 weeks or so, and I'm so impatient! Our process hasn't been too bad...really just the homestudy, the profiles, and a ton of paperwork.

[605orange]

We were matched with two AA kiddos. We were open to any race and these two became available. (They had actually been legally free for over a year - GO CPS!) We're just glad to have them with us.

I was told that if you specified CC only, you could expect to wait significantly longer. Three months seemed like forever, but I guess it is a pretty short wait comparitively. FYI - my hubby and I are both teachers and specifically requested the they find us some kiddos THIS SUMMER. It would have been really dumb for them to match us with kids in late-August after we just had 10 weeks off as a family.

Fortunately, it worked out. We got the kids permanently June 30th and will have a long time to bond before heading back to school.

[embuck]

WOW that's so awesome! I can't wait! Were these kiddos your first call as well?

How are they transitioning if you don't mind me asking. I am so curious of how this will all pan out and would love to get an idea. Being 3 and 4 with our ages of 0-3 I am curious of the older child of our age range accepting their new role in our family. KWIM? I don't word well.
Why did CPS take so long to find a home? I was thinking about all this kiddos with TPR and how they boadcast those out again for adopted homes.

[embuck]

Amaurosis- Yes I would have to agree the homestudy was the worst part of this whole licenseing process. The stress and cleaning...uhhh i had a headache all week. lol

Im impatient too! Once I get my mind on something I want I go full force for it. And when there are things like waiting involved I just have to fill my hands with something else to do. I try to think of it more like I am proactive. lol

So how does your adoption work? You pick an agency, do all the paperwork and get approved, wait for an infant and then the bio mom picks you?

There is another thread on board about nesting. Its so true, I went thru a whole phase of just BABY...kind of still in it. Me and my dh can't have any children of our own so this will be the first for me. I am deff all about it. It drives me crazy I don't know if I will get a newborn or 1 2 or 3 year old so I can't really buy alot of clothes yet. I do however have some of all sizes. lol

[rk36]

We got our license April 28, 2008 and our MS on May 13, 2008. We were in the top three for a boy and girl ages 11 & 12. Another family was picked the first of June. We are now trying for a brother and sister agees 12 & 14. We met the girl at an adoption party and are praying we get chosen.

[embuck]

Oh wow we were actually just emailed about a 14 month old baby boy! He is already TPR and looking for adoptive homes! OMG I can't believe we got the email already! They just submitted our homestudy! Here's praying to us getting picked!

rk36- I hope you get picked this time! That's so awesome that you were able to meet one of the children! How long typically is the waiting time to choose a family? I have heard a month, is this true?

[605orange]

The kids seem to be doing quite well. Every now and then the three year old says, "I want to go home." We say, "I know, but you now have a new home with Mommy, Daddy, sisters, brother, dog, etc." That seems to help him to understand.

The older one, 4 years old, is doing pretty well, too. He seems to "get" that this is his new home and hasn't asked about his other home as much. He still does occasionally but we tell him the same thing.

The are getting along great with our older kids who are 9 and 11. It is really helping that both parents are home full-time right now in order to ensure that we are quickly meeting their needs.

If they are hungry, we get food. If they are thirsty, we get them a drink. If they need a cuddle, we are right there. I have read that especially with kids who have bounced around the system it is particularly important to meet those needs quickly in order to build that trust and begin attachment.

They are awfully sweet kiddos. We have not seen anything that I would not characterize as typical three and four-year-old behaviors. They go to bed easily at night and go to time out without a fight.....usually. We have had a few instances of defiance, but who hasn't with kids of that age.

Many posters on this board have had heartwrenching experiences. I have been reading for months preparing to welcome our kids into our family. Fortunately all is well right now. I am sure that their young age is a contributing factor; however, I realize that we are still in the honeymoon period. (I'll take it while it lasts.)

God Bless everyone of their adoptive journey. The wait really is worth it! We have been blessed beyond our wildest imaginations! ALL PRAISE TO GOD!