A few of the topics focused on in this module was the whole child, special needs/services etc, sexuality issues, discipline, respite services, getting permission to travel out of state with the child, a few other things. We also had to draw out our schedule in a unique way which showed our current lifestyle from day to day and how having a new little one in the house will play into that schedule. It is interesting to see how busy our lives can get, however, you will learn to adjust to change in your home.
One of the SW's wanted the class to know that there is a sometimes a stigma with adopting from the state and she wanted us to know that they receive a lot of healthy babies and children and it is not all drug or sickly children as a lot of people assume. While I knew that, many others still have a picture in their mind of the type of children that are in the state's care. She gave an example of an email that she received earlier that day regarding a healthy toddler that was available for adoption.
The regional director and a few other administrators dropped into our class as well and introduced themselves. Many of them will be coming back next week to our last class serving on a panel to answer any of the questions that we may have. There happened to be a foster parent association meeting the same night next door to our meeting room. The group meets monthly and they are also resources to one another as well.
The 3 different types of parents:
One thing that the SW's and administrators wanted us to make a final decision on was what type of parent we wanted to be in regards to with the program. There are 3 different categories of parents with the program. The first is a Partnership parent which is a parent or families who desire to foster only. The second type of parent is a Resource parent which is a parent who will take a baby, toddler, or older child into their home for care and may be willing to adopt the child if reunification is not successful. The last parent is an Adoptive parent. The Adoptive parent is a parent/family who pretty much wants a child that is free for adoption or will be free for adoption as the TPR will be worked on.
One of the advantages of being a Resource parents is that it is more likely that you will get an infant if an infant is your desire as a Resource parent. However, that infant can remain in care for 12-13 months until TPR's are taken care of. So, there is a legal risk, however, if adoption is the desire, then the hopes are that your CW will try to place you with more favorable cases towards adoption. However, it is a risk.
We initially stated that we wanted to only be an Adoptive family and open to birth to 2 years old. However, since we have been in the class and have had the opportunity to ask plenty of questions. We may be open to being a Resource parent. There are legal risks with this one, however, we did ask if a family is a Resource family and their ultimate goal is adoption, does the adoption case worker consider the type of placement placed into the home. That is something that the workers consider. I believe that the key is for the families to be very forthcoming with their caseworkers to state what their expectations are and their ultimate goal in the program.
We are going to pray over making the decision to become a Resource Parent versus solely adoption over the next week while we are ending the class and finalizing our process. Once you make a decision to become one type of parent, you can change your mind, however, it can not be while you have a child in your home in care. It must be after that particular child. In other words, they do not want you going back and forth constantly while you have a child or children in your home in care. Which is understandable.
New changes:
Some of the changes that took place in my state with adoption are the following:
- If a child has been in care less than 24 months you will have to pay for the adoption finalization
- Past subsidy's may not be granted after the adoption due to the child not being in care for 24 months
- Once adopted, Medicaid may not be given unless the child has a documented condition and was receiving services while in foster care, hence no health insurance coverage for
Due to state budget issues, these new adoption changes are major because many families who were fostering before may not be able to afford to pay for the adoption of the children they are fostering. In the past, the state paid for everything and now there is set criteria. While this does not impact my household's adoption plans because we were going to have to pay for finalization with a private agency before and many other fees.
We were not expecting any sort of subsidy or adoption assistance anyway. We were expecting the child to have to be put on our private insurance and we were expecting to pay for everything else as with any other adoption. While this was not significant to us, it has been a heated topic for many foster families already in the system who may not be able to afford to keep a child due to not receiving assistance, health insurance or having to pay for the adoption finalization.
Each night I learn more and more and we are able to try to come closer to a decision of what we are leaning towards with the program. I am excited about having a panel at our classes next week. We will be able to get direct answers from the people who are actually in the field with the placements. I do believe that more and more people will be adopting from the state once the word gets out that it is a smooth process and they are able to meet the demands for adopting.
5 comments:
Kristy that may mean your state will have more children eligible for adoption now. I hope all of these children are able to be placed with people who are capable of meeting their needs as in your case.
I've always wondered why were domestic state dervived adopted children given medicaid and etc. after the adoption, especially if the child was healthy and the homestudy required parents to have a stable steady income and health insurance. States are becoming fiscally responsible and it's well over due.
Angela,
Yes, the claim that there are many children available. I will know a little more as this week is the last week for our classes and we will have a full panel to answer specific questions during our classes. I will definitely keep you updated and post updates.
I agree with you 100% regarding having parents that can afford to parent and not rely on a monthly stipend to get by. That is a whole other post for later! In some ways, I believe that the state and other agencies in the past have perpetuated poverty by leaving children in homes to be adopted by foster parents who did not have the financial means to care for the children, however, with the subsidies, they are able to get by. It is sad, and many agree that this has been an issue. With our current economic status, it is going to be a lot of changes.
There are so many parents and families out there now who would like to give the state an opportunity because there are so many children that are given to the system that will not be reunified with their families. The families that we have met thus definitely have the love in their heart and means to adopt without a doubt.
Many people are choosing not to pay some of the outrageous fees here for domestic adoption, although they can afford to, as we have as well. Especially, when you want to have several children.
I thought the same thing as you. When we go through all of this home study business as do other adoptive parents. How is it that the household finances are not looked at carefully by some?
It is more to just feeding and housing a child. If you are just getting your basic needs taken care of and are struggling to do that, I personally do not feel that it is a great thing to adopt many more children, if a person is relying on subsidies to take care of them or to get them through and barely have what it takes to keep their household up.
What many people fail to realize is that when you adopt these children, they become your own and you should not be "robbing Peter to pay Paul" as a way of life, just because you love kids. Children should be afforded to experience things growing up and not just constantly go to everything that is free. Some things cost, it is a part of life. Period.
I have heard of so many different situations and it is bothersome. While many are great foster parents or would be great foster parents, that is the route that they may need to stay with since a person is paid to foster and it would not cause a financial strain.
It is important for me to make sure that of course our children get what they need and some if not many of their wants and to be able to explore. Piano lessons, Ballet, soccer, dance, swimming and tumbling lessons all have a price.
That is apart of exposing your children and allowing them to find their gift and talent and while exposing them to extra curricular activities, which is just one part of raising them, should not be a burden. I definitely do not want them to constantly see struggle their entire life. That doesn't necessarily make a strong child either.
continued....
As an AA, I definitely think impressing upon the value of saving, investing, owning a business and owning a home or several homes should be prime as well as we look back at our deep history. I know that everything takes time, however, children definitely learn from their environment and that is what separates the dreamers.
Yes, we want to raise God fearing, God loving children and we want them to understand what having an excellent character is and possess integrity while remaining humble. However, God also gives us all common sense and gifts and talents. We are definitely not placed here to always be in a begging state of mind or constantly need hand outs. I would think as a Christian that it would be in my best interest to strive to be a lender, as we have been taught.
It is important for children to appreciate what they are blessed with and teach them to bless others. However, we also want to raise children that understand hard work, the value of education, home ownership and understand fiscal responsibility, as well as experience traveling to other places to experience other cultures beyond their home city or home state.
Again, this takes financial resources. I want my children to experience life beyond the internet and books. While those are great resources, I want to expose my children to more and that is why we make some of the choices that we make to ensure that.
Nothing has come easy for either one of us and we work very hard and I definitely have/had praying parents, grandparents and great grandparents that prayed for the generations to come in our family so that we would not constantly have to struggle. It is still up to that individual to make it happen! Nothing is just given. That is the bottom line! Thanks for stopping by and posting!
Okay Kristy...you needed to do a new post! I am SOOO happy that things are moving along for you all...just waiting to get the text/call with the news.
And I could write an entire page about the medicaid and stipend discussion...but there is no need to rehash that here :) Love ya!
Hi Nak!
Yes, you and I have had those discussions. Feel free to rehash those here. The blog is here for information purposes to others as well who may not understand and know this side of adoption. You know, you and I discuss quite often that things aren't as pretty as people think all the way through.
Feel free to Rehash all you want here! It is a sore spot with me with some things that are allowed to take place, so I kind of lose it a little when certain topics come up. I have learned even more going through this process.
Post a Comment