Today Is National Adoption Day
Saturday November 17, 2007
November 17, 2007, marks the 8th year for National Adoption Day. Through the help of adoption professionals, child advocates, judges, and attorneys, thousands of children in foster care will finalize their adoptions and become part of a permanent home and family. The goals for this National Adoption Day include:
- Finalize adoptions from foster care in all 50 states
- Celebrate and honor all families that adopt
- Raise awareness about the 114,000 children in foster care waiting for adoption
- Encourage others to adopt children from foster care
- Build collaboration among local adoption agencies, courts and advocacy organizations
We are a couple that will have been married for 11 years, without children. We have a current homestudy completed and are still waiting a child. Hopefully someone will help us because of National Adoption day is today. Thank you to all whom respond.
What kind of help do you need?
Do you should have a social worker helping you with each step?
Patience is a virtue. Work with your homefinder and know your limits.
We had one worker who was really quite mean to us- nearly demanding we take a blind, deaf, total 24/7 care child because I am a nurse. She insisted that we would never get any precidence for any other child and failed to understand that at the time, my partner & I both had to work for health insurance (no domestic partner benefits at either of our jobs). When I confronted her about this, she recommended I quit my job and go on welfare and Medicaid. Yeah- that would provide security for a child! Any how, we eventually got our worker switched to someone who could really work with us…but it still took time & patience.
My life partner & I were on “the list” with our county social services department for children under 3 years old. We were told by our worker that this was narrowing our search too much and we had no calls in about a year & a half. So we changed our perameters to under 6— then two months later got the call for our eldest daughter (who was 5 days old at the time- she turns 8 in February). And like I say- it took 2 years for us after our home study was completed.
Just because Madonna and Angelina wave their hand and obtain a child for their use (I refuse to call what they are doing parenting) doesn’t mean it will be quick for you. However, you just never know. You could get a call and have a household full tomorrow. It’s just faith and patience!
Diva Jean,
Thank you for sharing your realistic, and uplifting story.
I have said before and I’ll say it again – adoption is a lot of “hurry up and wait.”