Search Results for: blog communicating with your case worker

Each Case is So Different

One of the most frustrating things I’d hear after asking how long it takes to adopt was, “It depends; each case is so different.” I didn’t get why this answer kept getting thrown at me since I knew a bit about the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (ASFA) which provides somewhat of a time line for cases to be processed. I knew each case was different, but I’d hoped to hear more about deadlines and statistics for adoptions in our state. Since 2001 I have been involved with a few different state adoption support groups. I find myself … Continue reading →

Preparing for Your Home Study

Don’t panic! Though there are many things to do, there is no reason to become overly stressed about your home study. First, emotionally prepare yourself that home studies can take quite some time to complete. Keep in mind, if there are other adults living in your home, they too will likely have to complete parts of the home study process in order for your family to be approved. There are typically many steps to a home study, some of which may in include (in no particular order): Completed applications for adoption: In addition to being asked for basic information about … Continue reading →

The Case File

When the state has chosen you to adopt a child, one of the things you should be receiving is a case file on them. Though state or county laws vary, typically you should receive any information pertaining to the child that your state’s children’s services has. Some things that might be included in this are: • Copy of the birth certificate (often a photo copy) • Social Security card • Social services case narrative • Case summaries to the judge • Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) document • Proof of reasonable efforts to provide birth parents with services • Court … Continue reading →

Communicating With Your Case Worker

Posted on by

You may recall me talking about that awful “hurry up and wait” game. You might even be playing it now. If you are, I’m sure you have discovered, the state does not work on our time! Often times, case workers are very over loaded with each case being unique. Whether you are working with an adoption worker or a child worker, there are some general things you may want to keep in mind. Child workers can be hard to reach at their desk. They are often called to court, or home visits. There is usually a lot of paperwork and … Continue reading →

Avoiding an Adoption Nightmare

My last blog talked about the nightmare scenario of the Baby Jessica case in the early 1990s in which courts ruled that a 2 ½ year old child would leave the parents who had raised her for 2 ½ years and go to her biological father. This case had many unusual aspects, but the media did not always make clear that the adoption was never completed—the birth father asked for custody as soon as the mother told him about the child, when the baby was under a month old. Steps to take to avoid an adoption nightmare include: • Choose … Continue reading →

4 Things You Probably Shouldn’t Talk About at Work

Posted on by

I realize that every office is different and some are more casual than others. However, every job that you ever have should be viewed, at the very least, as a networking opportunity, if not a rung in the ladder. Perhaps you have landed your dream job and have no intentions of ever advancing–but that doesn’t mean that a professional reputation isn’t something to strive for. With that said, here are a few things that are better left discussed after office hours. Other People Nothing speaks more poorly about you than when you dish the goods on someone else. Yet, almost … Continue reading →

Thinking of the Other Parent as a Business Partner

One of the best morsels of advice I received when I was going through my divorce was to learn how to think of my ex-husband and my children’s partner as a co-parent or business partner in the task of raising our children. It freed me up to reorganize my thinking and focus on the fact that we would remain connected in the process of raising the children (even if on some levels, I would rather that weren’t the case). Thinking of the Ex as a “coworker” is a great way to create a functional working relationship while sharing in the … Continue reading →

Christians and Adoption

Posted on by

Have you noticed how common adoption is among Christians? While meeting our first case worker, this topic came up and got me thinking about why Christians might feel so drawn to this path to parenthood. Initially I thought Christian families might have a heart to adopt mainly so they could be a light to children who’ve been wounded in the past, using adoption as sort of a ministry opportunity. I think there is more to it than that though. While it’s true many Christians do have quite a heart to help others, I believe the Spirit of the Lord is … Continue reading →

Adopting the Second Time Around

Our first adoption brought us so much joy. It was our son who provided us with the honorary title of “Mom and Dad”. During that drawn out journey for our family, it was truly about helping us achieve our dream of parenthood. When we began to long for a second child, we noticed it felt much different than it did with our first child. This time around adoption wasn’t about making my husband and me parents; it was about making our son a big brother and growing our family. Unlike with our first son, there wasn’t the desperation or the … Continue reading →

Making Contact: Finding My Child’s Adopted Siblings

After three years of playing amateur private investigator, I finally found the rest of my son’s birth siblings’ adoptive families. I desperately wanted more information on my son’s family medical background than I was given by our state. I wanted to know if the other families got more information on my son’s birth parents character as well. Here is the story on how we made contact. For easier reference and safety purposes, I will refer to my son’s birth siblings by their maternal birth order rather than their names. My son is the 6th child of 8 by his birthmother. … Continue reading →