I need to do an adoption update, since there hasn't been one for awhile......so here goes!
In October, Matt and I reached a really great frustration time and went in to visit with our Caseworker, Josh, at LDS Family Services to vent for a few minutes and share with him some of our frustrations. I need to clarify, though, that the frustrations were not necessarily with him..........just in general.
Anyway, we met with Josh on October 16, 2009 and had a good chat with him. We were able to voice our frustrations and concerns, etc, about the whole adoption process and basically just tell him........This waiting period SUCKS!! LOL Thankfully, Josh is a great Caseworker who actually does know and understand our frustrations and the things that we are going through since he and his wife have gone through their own frustrations, etc, with starting their own family.
Through the course of our conversation with him, we told him that we had started taking the classes months ago with Utah Foster Care....but that we had stopped about halfway through because of some serious reservations and concerns that we had. He felt that we had very valid reservations and concerns, but he also very strongly encouraged us to go back and finish those classes. He helped us to realize that there are a lot of children who become 'legally free for adoption' through the state. He suggested that maybe, because of our reservations and concerns, we might not be interested in actually doing foster care at the moment.....but maybe in persuing a child who has become legally free for adoption and there is no hope of reconciliation with the birth family. He reminded us that, if that were to become the case, we can't pursue anything or even be approached and considered for anything if we haven't completed the classes and become licensed through the State. As a result, he advised us to go back and finish the classes so that we can become licensed and can be put into the Foster Care system so that we may be contacted in circumstances like this.
After our conversation with Josh, we felt better and ready to be more patient again in the waiting process. We also decided that we would take his suggestions and move forward with finishing the Foster Care classes and get licensed through the State. That very next Tuesday, October 20 was the very next class that we needed to take........so we went! And we went again on Thursday, October 22 and Tuesday, October 27. Then there was a break for about 2 weeks as we had already taken those classes and were waiting for the final classes we needed to take to complete them. We were able to take the final 2 classes on Tuesday, November 10 and Thursday, November 12.
We've since received our Certificate of Completion and are now working to finish up the last of the paperwork that has to be completed and turned in........and then we wait for approval for the licensing. So that's basically where we're at right now.
Oh yeah! I should also probably mention that, due to some things that have happened for both Matt and I over the last couple of months.....we've also adjusted our thinking a bit too in what we are looking for in our children. Meaning, we are not focusing quite as much on just newborn. We are actually thinking that maybe there is an older child or 2 who is supposed to be in our home as well. So we're now broadening our search to about 7 or 8 years old through newborn.
Wish us luck!! We're looking forward to 2010 and trying to think positive thoughts that maybe this will finally be our year? :)
