I have decided we are trying to adopt from the foster care system in perhaps the worst.possible.time.ever.
It makes me giggle actually.
It’s like a bad sitcom.
While we were on our summer vacation to paradise this summer, we found out our social worker quit.
Well maybe she didn’t quit….but she moved positions. It felt like quitting. I had this perfect scenario in my mind of us connecting so specially with our social worker. And she would find the perfect little girl for us. And it was right out of a movie script. Ha! Nope….she left the division.
And……alot of social workers are quitting.
It’s my understanding that as of January 1st, all social workers in our area are loosing their jobs to be outsourced to private agencies (no idea the logic behind this).
So, in other words….. MANY social workers right now are jumping ship to try to find other jobs. And I can’t blame them.
In the meantime, we have been made aware of a sibling set that is open for adoption.
Yes, I said siblings set. Not at ALL what we were anticipating that God may ask us to do.
The few details we know of the children has resonated with my husband and I…..so we want to get more information on the kiddos and their situation.
Unfortunately…..the kid’s social worker has quit also. Because she too will be outsourced next month. Hilarious, huh?
And so, we are social-workerless. The kids have a new social worker…..who has just been handed 20+ files to go through. And so….that could take awhile.
Have you ever heard the saying about the military that you “hurry up and wait”? That’s kind of what this feels like. After 27 hours of SPALDING classes and 12 hours of STARS classes and 3 home visits and 57 fingerprinting fiascos and 2 private agencies and 10+ birthmoms reviewing our profile and one near-black-market-baby-selling-scam and now this government process….We continue to wait.
This was one of the pictures my friend Aimee took last year for our Christmas shoot. We were SURE we would have another child before this Christmas.
Ug. Unless God intervenes quickly, this will be the 3rd Christmas that my kids have asked for their little sister.
The waiting is hard for them to understand. I don’t understand red tape and beauracry and government and legal rights…..so how can I expect them to???? In their minds…there are kids needing homes and a family…..and we have a home and a family. So, in their heads “what is the holdup??????”.
I agree kids. The wait is no fun.
And so during the wait, I continue to lay my family at the foot of the cross……and give ourselves to the Lord’s plan. It’s like putting my family in my palms and literally presenting it to the Lord and telling Him on a daily basis “have your way with my family”.
It is a scary and yet ….. perfect place to be.
So, while we continue to wait, I continue to try to prepare MY heart.
I am over trying to rush this.
I will not try to fit a square peg into a round hole.
God’s timing trumps my impatience.
He is rarely early….but always on time. I know that I know this!!!!
I believe God has spoken to us time and time again through confirmation after confirmation after confirmation, that this is right.where.He.wants.our.family.
So, I have given up on trying to be smart enough to figure this out.
I can’t force it.
I can’t manipulate it.
I can’t do anything about it but continue to pray and trust that God is good….all the time.
Thank you all so much for your private emails and Facebook messages!! I look forward to sharing an amazing adoption post with you in the near future.
Either that, or I will be begging Sarah Palin to be her running mate.
And together Sarah and I will change the world.
And this crappy foster to adopt system.
“PalinAllwood2016”.
Catchy, don’t ya think???
6 comments
You are the poster family for ‘hanging in there’. I hope your desires are fulfilled soon.
I went to a Women’s Conference in October, and heard a very touching story… a husband had lost his job, and he was looking for work. month after month they prayed that he would find something… and he kept getting the answer that he needed to be patient.. and that God had something special in mind. After what seemed like forever, they had the opportunity to buy a company from the family of a man who had just died from cancer. After all was said and done, they realized that-while they were praying for something to happen right away, the other man’s family was also praying-for More Time… I certainly hope something happens for you. but I also believe that God does have a great plan for you… it takes a big heart to adopt! Good Luck!
well, i think you would have my vote! other than that i have no words… knowing that there are children available and homes that want them, ug, it seems so easy to match them up. i really don’t see why it has to be so hard.
My heart aches for these children that are waiting, for the social workers and their job dilemmas, for the new workers coming in and for you and your family caught in this maze. God’s timing is always perfect…He has the Master Plan. We just need to “let go” and that’s not always easy. I do know that something wonderful is on it’s (or their) way to you! 🙂
xo
Pat
I’m hoping for a darling Christmas photo with FIVE children in it!
We have the same issues with our Child Welfare system in Wisconsin. It’s just pathetic. How many kids are getting lost in the shuffle, stuck in The System, because of social worker turnover or ‘cuz of highly paid administrators who just can’t get their act together?
there’s got to be a computer programmer out there that can design some kind of algorithem to come up with a formula to match a kid with the right adults. It shouldn’t have to be this hard!
I really admire your spirit though. The fact that you can find the humor in all of this says a lot about you and your family!