[Andra8]

We are currently trying to adopt through CPS and are unhappy with our caseworker. We get emails saying that we need to send our home study after he supposedly sent it, and we have had caseworkers say that they never received our home study. He was supposed to send us some paperwork in May (paperwork that he could email or fax us) and it is now July and he won't return emails or phone calls about the missing paperwork. We don't want to get on the wrong side of CPS, so we are considering switching to an agency rather than talking to his supervisor.

We originally chose to go directly to CPS because we thought it would be better to cut out the middleman. However, we have heard that it is better to go through an agency. It would be nice to have some more support and services.

We are wondering how difficult it is to switch from CPS to an agency. We are ok with having to do another home study as there were mistakes that we aren't sure our caseworker corrected. Is there an etiquette to switching?

Also, we are looking for information on private agencies that partner with CPS. When we went to an adoption meeting in Austin, we were told by a CPS worker that she could not even speak to people who were using certain agencies (she did not name the agencies).

We are looking for an agency in the Austin/San Antonio area. Some agencies we are looking into are Pathways, The Children's Shelter, The Settlement Home, Lutheran Social Services, and Methodist Mission Home. We are looking to adopt (not foster) a child or sibling group, 0-10 years of age, up to 3 children, any sex, any race, up to moderate levels of special needs.

Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated.

[HONUVALEBEL]

We are going through CPS in Region 3 and we have had a great experience. We got licensed in january, and after submitting a few homestudies got matched and are meeting a sibling group for placement visits later this month. We are straight adoption. I would see if you could switch caseworkers???? I went to a meeting this last week and all of the foster / adopt people seemed to be happy with their workers. Sounds like you definitely got a lemon!

[tctahoe]

What you need to do is contact your worker's supervisor. It shouldn't be too difficult to find this out. You won't get on the bad side of CPS by doing this, but you need to get their attention that this isn't right. Don't just give up and waste more time by switching to an agency. At least try and talk to the cw's supervisor and they will be able to handle it or even switch you to a better caseworker. Some caseworkers are lemons and some have larger caseloads than they can handle and obviously you have been put on the backburner. JMO