[mamallama]

My husband and I started the foster process in Feb. We are hoping to foster a girl under two years old, any race and open to special needs. We are veteran adoptive parents. Our sons, ages 5 and 6, joined our family via private adoption. Our 6 year old was 2 1/2 when he joined our family and our 5 year old was a newborn. We are a biracial family.

We completed all of our training by the middle of March. Unfortunately our first agency denied our application right before they assigned us a social worker because I mentioned on my application that I occasionally had a cigarette (never in the house, around the kids, etc.) and they had a strict no smoking policy that they never mentioned. Oy!

We signed with a new agency In April and completed all new paperwork. We had our last homestudy visit on 6/9. Our homestudy is going to be presented to the panel tomorrow and then we'll officially be licensed.

We are soooo excited but after reading all the posts about it taking to so long to get a placement, I'm a bit discouraged. We are in Region 6. We've been told that there is a great need for foster families willing to take babies, especially newborns. I'm hoping we won't have to wait too long. It's already been 7 months. Can anyone guesstimate how long they think we'll wait for a placement?

[CaddoRose]

I'm in region 3 and we got our license on June 17th. We got our first call around June 25th which we turned down(too many medical issues that I didn't feel qualified to care for) and then we got our next call this past Monday for a 2 yr old girl. Baby brother was victim of abuse and they couldn't find a home to take both.

[embuck]

I am in region 6 and we got a placement 3 weeks after we were licensed for a legal risk 15 month old bi racial girl. My wait was minimum but felt like forever. I can't imagine how you feel!

I think the key is to make as many friends there as you can and when the right child comes around they will remember your name! Make friends with the foster placement workers and anyone in CPS. Attend all family group nights and any other activities your agency might provide. Get your name out there and let people know who you are. Remind your agency advocate your still here and waiting.

GOOD LUCK!

[mamallama]

Thank you! Whew. I'm starting to feel hopeful again.

Embuck, are you working with an agency or CPS directly?

[ms_mckenna]

We are not in Region 6 but are in Region 3. I agree completely about making friends. Mine has been with investigators and placement workers. After you get one they just keep coming lol. We have been in since Oct and orginally did not want a newborn at all. We are now 0 to 6 m only. I have been called since Oct with 7 babies (3 before we even were taking them really). Now all of mine but one have been foster.

Said no to the first one because we did not think we wanted newborns at the time he was CC.

Said yes to the second AA girl she went to another family because it was out of our region she was legal risk .

Said yes to the 3rd who was Princess A and biracial.

Said yes to the 4th who was Little D and was biracial.

Said yes to a 5th but come to find out my placement coordinator should not have called us because our I had not turned 18 m yet ... it was a matter of days.

Said yes to a 6th who is Miss D and is AA.

Said no to a 7th because we were taking Miss D instead she was AA and 7m old and had an older sister who was 4 in another home.

We were told in the beginning there were no babies out there to be found. So not to hope for them espescially babies that were not from Dallas who is almost 2 hours from us. Funny thing is that when regional placement figured out about us as a home and that we take good care of them we had no problem getting infants offered to us at all. We are now being told that it is actually hard to find placement for newborns because A they are a lot of work and almost always are basic level, and B because of the issue with daycare not being offered to anyone younger than 6 weeks old. Another funny thing is that we got into fostering partly because of a letter I got about a year ago about how hard it was for them to find people who would adopt AA children in Texas. When we got in we were told there were a FEW CA babies but that she had never placed an AA infant. Well turns out it was because she had not had a reason to look at them before because she had placed a few now. Also my friend I went through class with has had a baby in her home since Dec. So they are without a doubt out there. But the big thing is making sure your placement coordinator is good at thier job.

[embuck]

with an agency!

[texasmomma]

I am in region 6 with an agency. I called the placement worker last monday and told her we were ready for another newborn and she called within an hour with 3 to choose from. We have a 5 month old cc boy we got at 5 days old and now we have another aa boy that was 4 days old. You shouldn't have any problems.

[Pursuingmydream]

Originally Posted by ms_mckenna

We are not in Region 6 but are in Region 3. I agree completely about making friends. Mine has been with investigators and placement workers. After you get one they just keep coming lol. We have been in since Oct and orginally did not want a newborn at all. We are now 0 to 6 m only. I have been called since Oct with 7 babies (3 before we even were taking them really). Now all of mine but one have been foster.

Said no to the first one because we did not think we wanted newborns at the time he was CC.

Said yes to the second AA girl she went to another family because it was out of our region she was legal risk .

Said yes to the 3rd who was Princess A and biracial.

Said yes to the 4th who was Little D and was biracial.

Said yes to a 5th but come to find out my placement coordinator should not have called us because our I had not turned 18 m yet ... it was a matter of days.

Said yes to a 6th who is Miss D and is AA.

Said no to a 7th because we were taking Miss D instead she was AA and 7m old and had an older sister who was 4 in another home.

We were told in the beginning there were no babies out there to be found. So not to hope for them espescially babies that were not from Dallas who is almost 2 hours from us. Funny thing is that when regional placement figured out about us as a home and that we take good care of them we had no problem getting infants offered to us at all. We are now being told that it is actually hard to find placement for newborns because A they are a lot of work and almost always are basic level, and B because of the issue with daycare not being offered to anyone younger than 6 weeks old. Another funny thing is that we got into fostering partly because of a letter I got about a year ago about how hard it was for them to find people who would adopt AA children in Texas. When we got in we were told there were a FEW CA babies but that she had never placed an AA infant. Well turns out it was because she had not had a reason to look at them before because she had placed a few now. Also my friend I went through class with has had a baby in her home since Dec. So they are without a doubt out there. But the big thing is making sure your placement coordinator is good at thier job.

reading this made me so envious, I have been licensed for almost two months. I had three placements opportunities before I even had my license. After getting it I have had two placements fall through (i am convinced that the placement worker for this agency calls before she has all of the information from CPS). I am so frustrated that I keep the door to the children's room closed. I almost feel like giving up (although that is not really my nature). I am in North Texas and reading about how quickly it is happening for others is painful. I have no race restrictions and I am willing to take children 4 and under for now.



I feel like giving up

[Pursuingmydream]

I missed out on four day old twins (a boy and a girl). I missed the call and when I called back thirty minutes later they had been placed. Does my life suck or what?

[CaddoRose]

Oh Man. That's just not right. So sorry about that. Hoping your phone rings again soon.

[2BaSFMom_inTX]

I am not currently a Foster Parent, but I do volunteer fot CPS in another region. I was speaking with a SW recently about adoptions and foster placements in Texas. I expressed to her my interest and that I had heard that Texas was in the process of switching to private agencies. She said, it was.... Apparently there have been problems and some agencies are not as strict in foster home certifications as DFPS is, so in the back ground, CPS has been told NOT to make placements through certain agencies. I do not know which ones are involved and do not believe it would be proper/ethical for me to ask. Sorry.

[maya5]

I am not licensed yet, but I am in Region 3. I called and spoke to a private agency today and was told that they were not issuing licenses for 0-5 because they had families waiting for that age. She said the best bet would be to go through the state unless I was looking for a sibling group of 3 or more. Has anyone else heard this?

[potentialsinglemom]

That is so funny how the different regions work. During the CPS informational meeting(region 8), I pulled the presenter aside and asked her, from one state employee to another, which was better to go through and she said "Go private." My friends who are foster parents, have no shortage of children, and have yet to have been without a child since licensed.

[potentialsinglemom]

Originally Posted by Pursuingmydream

I missed out on four day old twins (a boy and a girl). I missed the call and when I called back thirty minutes later they had been placed. Does my life suck or what?

Awww girl. I am sorry to hear that.

[ms_mckenna]

Originally Posted by Pursuingmydream

I missed out on four day old twins (a boy and a girl). I missed the call and when I called back thirty minutes later they had been placed. Does my life suck or what?

Oh hun I am so sorry. We missed out on a few legal risk ones and I was not a happy camper about it at all! I have faith your one ... and mine are out there. Here's hoping they will be here soon! As for the other please don't be discouraged. There is always a reason with CPS to be discouraged even if you have kiddos in your home. Just keep your head up and have the faith that God didn't lead you this far to leave you now.