First Home Visit

We just finished up with our first home visit from the licensing caseworker.  She informs us that we will probably be transitioned to a new person before long. But, she did give us all the paperwork that we need to have completed throughout the licensing journey.

Wow, almost an inch of forms and instructions.  Emergency Evacuation Plan, home safety plan, etc.

Some of this is stuff we should have already figured out as a family, and some of it is new.

However, old or new...it's a LOT of paperwork to be completed and submitted.  And some stuff that we need other people to fill out on our behalf.

Keep us in your prayers!

D

Two steps forward...one back

Well, we had our intake interview with AASK last week. I thought it went pretty well, but I'm not the best judge of these types of things.  The interviewer said that the next steps would involve her presenting our file to an internal committee/team to review.  Based on that review, a decision would be made whether or not they would partner with us on the foster care licensing journey.

Well, she called us on Tuesday, and said that the review went well, and they were ready to proceed with our application.  We would be hearing from our assigned Family Specialist regarding home inspections, and other "fun" stuff.

Yesterday we received an email from our assigned Family Specialist, wanting to make an appointment to meet with us at home!  WOOHOO!!!

And then, another email came, from the intake specialist who is setting up everything.  It seems that our old adoption activity is still in the State database, and only our old agency (AzPAC) can access it.  So, we need to sign a document, and then she will forward it to AzPAC for them to sign, releasing our "file" to AASK.  Another delay.

But, at least we're moving in the right direction!!!

Please keep us in your prayers!

Our First Step on the Foster Path

We met with an Intake Specialist at the East Valley AASK office on Thursday.  It was a 2 hour interview, that ended with lots of questions answered, and some new ones to consider.

I had to send her our PS-MAPP completion Certificates from 2008.

She advised that we would not need to take the classes again, but there would be some refresher "homework" for us to do.

The next step is processing the paperwork.  We'll see what happens from here on!

Starting Over

The end of 2010 saw the fading of our hopes for Adoption from the AZ Foster Care system.  It just didn't seem right, and nothing was working out.

So, we put that aside and pushed on with the family that we had, dealing with day-to-day issues.

Well, Matthew is a Senior this year and Isaiah is a Sophomore.

Through recent interactions with a family who has adopted successfully from the Foster Care system, we are looking at the process through different eyes.

At the family's recommendation, we contact AASK (Aid to Adoption of Special Kids), another agency that works with the State of Arizona.

We attended an orientation meeting, and filled out the initial application packet.  Because we completed the PS-MAPP training back in 2008, we do not need to take it again.  But we would need refresher training.

My wife is getting excited again.  Hopefully the results will be different, since we are focusing on Foster Care first, and maybe Adoption if it works out.

Please pray for us!

Thank you

On this day each year, we stop to formally thank those who have stood in the breech and defended this country.

Every Veteran is a hero.  Thank you for your service.


In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

-Lt. Col. John McCrae

And time goes by

I'm sitting at work right now. It's been forever since I even thought about what to write on here.

It seems the adoption process is going exactly nowhere. We thought about becoming a licensed Foster Care family, but that didn't go anywhere either. Missed contacts with the Licensing person resulted in loss of momentum and interest.

Now we look online every so often. It seems that apathy has taken the place of excitement. Maybe work and financial stress has caused us to stop for a while.

The certification is still in place. It will happen when it happens. We just nede to keep our spirits up.

Update

The move to Wordpress has been aborted. Too many settings and setup for a simple blog.

Last week we were involved in a match meeting for a brother/sister sibling group. It didn't work. We were not chosen.

It is so easy and sterile to write a simple two sentence update, but that doesn't come anywhere near to the heartache, hope, fears and prayers that went into this potential match-up.

We are still looking, and will be broadening our search to include younger girls. Hopefully the Lord will show us the right person soon.