The difference in a homestudy for adoption and the homestudy for fostering.
@girlgonefishing (2174)
United States
February 27, 2008 12:41pm CST
Well, stage one of our homestudy is complete. It was worse than I had anticipated. We had a homestudy before we adopted our boys and other than the personal questions they ask you, it went pretty well. The homestudy for fostering was a lot more detailed and they are even coming again!
Mary walked in the door and sat at the table and asked us all of the required questions for 3 and a half hours. After she got done with that, she started looking around the house. She looked in every room and every closet. Then she asked why I was having a homestudy for fostering babies and toddlers when I had no place to put them. I told her that Sherri at the foster agency told me not to buy anything becuase they are a church and things would be donated. Mary said "Well you can't depend on that. I suggest you get your stuff together if you plan on having babies"
She told us that since our office (the room is 10 X 10) that is located off our bedroom would become the nursery that we would need to seal off the entrance to the room from our room and knock a whole in the wall in the dining room so that a door with private access could be put in. FOR A BABY! I told her that the only reason I had chosen the office is becuase I would have quicker access to the baby if it were crying.
Anyway, there were tons of other things that she left for us to do before we can get approved. We told her that we are willing to do all of them in order to foster to adopt.
That was on Thursday. On Friday, she called me and told me that I could keep the room the way it was and I would be just fine. She had talked to Sherri and was told that the room could stay with open access to our bedroom as long as we only have babies. Whew!
Now I just have to do the other things like getting tot-loks for ALL of the cabinets in the house, take a water safety course, build a fenced in area for a playground (because of the pond), have my water tested, get a TB test, get a physical, get thermometors for the fridge and both freezers, make sure the water isn't over a certain degree when it is hot, write a letter to the potential child's Mom, write a letter to the potential child, start a scrap book with pictures and stories about our family, make sure all of my pets shots are up to date, buy a crib and other baby furniture and the list goes on!
Would you go through all of this to foster a child?
1 person likes this
5 responses
@loved1 (5328)
• United States
27 Feb 08
Wow Girl! That is a lot of hoops to jump through! I can understand why they want things to be safe and comfortable for a foster/adopted child, but sometimes I think they go too far. When a teenager comes into a hospital and delivers a baby I am sure the staff asks them a few questions about their home. They do not come in and go through the house with a fine tooth comb and ask the parents to create scrapbooks, get TB tests, etc! There are so many children sitting in foster care or waiting to be adopted! I think more people would be willing to provide safe, happy, stable, loving homes for these children if it was not such an ordeal to qualify. That is not even taking into consideration what the cost of adoption fees would be! Let me make myself clear, I am glad they check people out before handing them a child(especially a child who has perhaps already had a hard life)but I think they could make the process easier. Hats off to you for being willing to go through all this! The world needs more people who are willing to reach out to children in need. I hope you have a sweet baby to love soon.
1 person likes this
@girlgonefishing (2174)
• United States
27 Feb 08
Awe. Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement. Yes my husband and I are willing to do whatever it takes. My boys are 12 and 16. We adopted them a year and a half ago. They even offered to share a room so that the babies could have one of their rooms. They are just as commited to helping others as we are.
@AICIRT81 (847)
• United States
28 Feb 08
Has anybody actually had the hospital ask them about their home at the birth of a child? When my son was born they did not ask anything (except for address) about our house and their only concern was that we left with our son in a car seat. But then again I was 25 and not a teen. HMMM????
@castratton (139)
• United States
28 Feb 08
I have two children and my fridge has no thermometer, I haven't had a physical in 12 years etc. etc. I'm glad that they make sure these children go to good and loving homes but this sounds a bit extreme to me. Especially since I just responded to a post where a couple left there 5 month old in his carseat for 8 days without food and water. Why can't there be things like this for natural children?
1 person likes this
@sizzle3000 (3036)
• United States
28 Feb 08
I personally would not go through all this but I don't want another child either. I have one child and that is more than enough for me. She is seventeen and almost out of the house. I can't wait to have some time to myself.
I do however, with you all the luck in the world. You seem to really want another baby in the house and that is wonderful. I too thought the room with the access from your bedroom was a good idea. I think it is a lot of work. I can understand all the precautions they are taking to make sure you are a fit parent for these babies. I think some of what they want is a little strange. The water being tested and the thermometors. I guess that is ok but I do not understand. Do you have problems with the water in your area? Well I wish you lots and lots of luck.
@girlgonefishing (2174)
• United States
28 Feb 08
I totally understand your need to have time to yourself. Before we adopted the boys, I had lots of time to myself and got bored really quick. I guess it's just in my nature to be a Mom. :-)
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
27 Feb 08
Actually, since you ask, no, I would not, but it is wonderful that you are willing to go through all of that. It is hard to imagine with all the red tape you have to cut through how there can be foster children in the terrible situations we hear about all of the time. Maybe the pencil pushers are attending to too many tiny details and not enough big ones, such as do you love children!? If I were the homestudy worker I would follow you around on myLot for a while before "inspecting" your home. I would be interested in character, not a scrapbook. Some of the requirements do make good sense, though, such as up to date pet shots and your TB test. Get a physical? Excuse me?
Congratulations on passing one more hurdle.
1 person likes this
@girlgonefishing (2174)
• United States
27 Feb 08
Exactly! Here sits two little boys, who were "horrible kids with bad attitudes and never smiles" according to the department of children and families, smiling their little heads off and happy as cats covering you know what. You can tell just by looking at them that they are so loved it's not even funny. You would think I would get a break of some sort! Anyway, we still have the health department coming out and then after I get everything done on the list from the home study and everything done on the list from the health department.......we get to have phase two of the homestudy. Whew. I can't wait till all of this is overwith and we finally get a baby!
@girlgonefishing (2174)
• United States
28 Feb 08
That's what I'm going to do. What ever it takes. Thank you so much for your response and your encouragement.
