Since our family is going through the home study process ourselves right now, I thought I’d share exactly what’s going on, not just a theoretical version.

We received our application packet from the adoption agency that is doing the home study. It is full of paperwork to be filled out, releases to sign, and other information that we need to provide.

Here is what we have to fill out: The adoption application itself – This asks for general information about residents of the household, contact information, education,... more

Our family is in a similar situation as some of your reading this blog. We are starting our home study process to finalize Hannah’s adoption. Ours will progress slightly differently than yours will, since hers is considered a private adoption, but most of it will be the same.

For us, the first hurdle was finding an agency that is willing to do our home study. Because of the complexities of our case, I sent out e-mails to every licensed adoption agency within a 200 mile radius. Here is what I wrote:

We are trying to get some information... more

Before you take placement of a child, for either foster care or adoption, you must attend training classes to help you prepare for situations you might face. There is no way these classes cam completely prepare you, but they are a start.

There are several different classes, and the classes required vary by state. Your worker will tell you where the classes are held, how many hours you are required to attend and other pertinent information.

Some of the class names are:

Parents as Tender Healers (PATH)

Model Approach to Partnerships in... more

This article out of Maine has stirred up a fury.

It appears that the Department of Health and Human Services is short of money, so they will be cutting funds to foster parents. Currently foster parents receive a maximum of $70 per day and that will be cut to $52 a day. I would be thrilled to be receiving either $52 a day or $70 a day. We fall far short of that.

As usual, when it comes to paying foster parents to care for kids people fall into one camp or the other. Either foster parents are extremely... more

I have had this question come up several times in the last few weeks.

Mostly people want to know how much they should say, what they should disclose, etc. My answer is – everything!

The reality is, with background checks, criminal finger printing, and various other reports and checks that the agency runs, they’re going to find out anyway, so be up front. If it appears that you are trying to hide something it could go badly for you.

I am very open about the fact that we have been through an ... more

There are some myths about foster care adoption. Let’s look at the reality of these myths.

Only older children or teens are available for adoption – Really there are children of all ages who are waiting for homes. Older children and teens are higher in number than younger children. The average age of a child waiting for adoption is about eight years old, but that is the average. That means there are children on either side of that age that are available. If you are looking to adopt a younger child you may have to wait longer for a placement,... more

I have seen several different posts on several different groups lately. Some want to know what the “politically correct” terminology for certain aspects of adoption are, and others have had someone say something very offensive to them.

Here are some very common ones:

Johnny was placed for adoption. Not given up or given away. Another way to word this would be Johnny’s birthmother made an adoption plan.

I have three children. Not I have two real children (or children of my own, birth children, biological children) and one adopted child.

Suzy... more

Reading several other things go to me to thinking about this topic. Faith has written great blogs about the right reasons to adopt a child, and how to determine if you’re ready.

Making the decision whether or not to adopt is difficult on its own. Deciding whether or not to adopt a special needs or older child is doubly difficult. In some ways it may be easier, because you know the issues you will be facing ahead of time (provided you get proper disclosure that is).

Here are some horrible reasons... more

In most states, your home has to pass a “home inspection” in order to qualify for adoption. The guidelines for this are usually the same as for licensing a foster home.

Here are some things that you can do to get ready for your inspection and save some time during your home study.

Fire plan – Do you have a written fire evacuation plan? Most of us don’t, even those of us married to firefighters. Draw up a simple diagram of the floor plan of your home. Indicate exit paths for your home, and where your central meeting area would be. Keep... more

Who would have thought pouring concrete would lead to blog material?

It’s a happy day at our house. The concrete people are here doing the base for our new garage. We are putting in a new driveway and garage in an attempt to make our house more appealing to buyers. We have had a shared driveway and garage with my dad for 10 years. It works for us, however other buyers are not so willing to sign onto this. The sole reason we are selling our house is that my mother lives two houses away from us. If you read this... more