Well, we finished the last licensing class on February 25th....or so we thought. After keeping up with the accelerated class schedule every Saturday in February (usually an 8 -12 week class) we were exhausted by the pace, overwhelmed by the expectations, and a little annoyed to find out there were two more required classes in March that we needed to complete...but so goes the process.
We are still quite bewildered about what to expect. We received a lot of conflicting information regarding the whens and hows of the process and there is a big blurry line between what is considered "adoption licensing" and "foster licensing" that nobody could seem to define. Over the last 3 weeks we have turned in mountains of paperwork, read through a 3 inch binder full of legal jargon, endured a vibrantly liberal government course, asked a million questions, purchased and installed fire extinguishers, safety locks, and outlet covers, drawn up an emergency exit map in case of a disaster, created a lifebook of our family, purchased bed frames from complete strangers on Craiglist, cleaned out closets, rearranged furniture, and prayed prayed prayed.
As far as we (vaguely) understand the next step in the process is receiving a letter from our social worker listing any possible missing paperwork (like the fingerprinting we haven't had time to do yet because Charlie is working 50-60 hour weeks), make sure everything is turned in, and attend the two remaining classes. From there we are supposed to schedule the home visit ( a 3-5 hour visit where the social worker comes to your home and does a fire inspection as well as group and individual interviews with everyone in the family). From the information gathered at the homevisit, the social worker will compile our case file and send it to her supervisor who will determine whether we are approved or denied....After that it is a big giant question mark.
The government, as expected has been unorganized, unsupportive, and uninformative. Our family and friends, on the other hand, have been a wonderful blessing. We have had no shortage of encouragement, prayers, and offers to watch Tess during classes, be a sounding board and prayer partner, or even lend their car for the morning so I can make a grocery run. We are so grateful that the Lord has surrounded us with this support system. You are all a blessing. THANK YOU!!!!
We hope to have more updates soon. We ask for your prayers as we tie up the loose ends, experience our home visit/inspection/interrogation, and approach the big question mark.
In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. ~Proverbs 3:6
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