August - I am adopting/fostering or I want to adopt/foster

britters314

Are you thinking about adopting / fostering? Are you in the process of adopting/fostering? If so, please tell us more about yourself and your experiences so far.
 
-What route (Foster Care adoption, domestic, international)?

-Where are you in the process right now (just thinking, home study, waiting for match, etc.)

-How are you feeling about the process right now?

-Any questions?

-Any tips for the steps you’ve passed?

-Anything else to add?

britters314

-What route (Foster Care adoption, domestic, international)? Foster Care

-Where are you in the process right now (just thinking, home study, waiting for match, etc.) Waiting for a placement

-How are you feeling about the process right now? I'm okay right now. Waiting is definitely the worst part of this, but we were told that less children enter foster care in the summer because they aren't in school so teachers aren't calling cases in (just another reason year-round schooling would be better...). Once we get into the fall, waiting will be harder because I won't be able to tell myself that.

-Any questions? Nope

-Any tips for the steps you’ve passed? Nothing I haven't said in previous posts

-Anything else to add? ETA: My sister had announced her first-month-trying pregnancy in December, so ever since then I was hoping we would finish the process and have a placement before she had her baby because that would make seeing her baby much easier for me. But, alas, that didn't happen. I am going out to see them this weekend so maybe I'll still get a call before then, FX!

emilyanne829

What route: Foster to Adopt

Where are you in the process right now? We are in the training classes

How are you feeling about the process right now? Anxious, the more we learn and stories we hear in the classes, the more my eyes are opened to the terrible things these kids go through. I also worry about how they will interact with the two children we already have. My husband wants us to wait even longer when we get the training done until our kids are older, so there's that too...

Any questions? Just wondering about other foster parents experiences with birth children and foster children and how well they get along, if there's ever any issues, etc.

Any tips? Not yet

Anything else to add? Not at this moment

britters314

@emilyanne829  How old are your bio children? I've heard that it works out best if your foster child is the youngest. In my classes the teachers said birth children often help the foster children out by reminding them the rules of the house (like "hey, make sure you hang your coat up or mom'll get mad"). Of course, they might not get along and there might be arguments or fighting, but that's normal even between biological siblings.

AnnieR81

What route: Domeeting Adoption

Where are you in the process right now: we have an approved Home Study and have partnered with an agency. Now working the agency to create marketing materials for them to use with potential birth mother's.

How are you feeling about the process right now? Flustered. The adoption agency thinks I should market myself one way and the marketing agency who is doing the work wants a different narrative. I had to put my foot down and say "Do what the adoption agency wants." Means we've had to start over on some materials but hoping this week to get most of it completed and turned in to my social worker.

Any questions? Just wondering if there are any others going down my path and what their experience has been.

Anything else to add? Just looking forward to becoming a mom for the first time.