We are still trying to make it through this process more than a year after having brought our grandchild home after she went into protective custody. It has been unbelievably frustrating. There is an almost complete lack of communication and a lot of what feels like excuses blaming an over-burdened system. If you can let me know what to expect with a timeframe upfront, you don't have to work so hard to ignore my persistent emails and messages. Help me to understand the process the slightest bit. For instance, why is the background check we did in order to bring her home being is redone and with such demand for documentation of things that are not such that would be concern for the care of a child in addition to being more than 20 years old. Had we known this was coming, we could have been prepared and would not be just plain mad. Being told this is just the way it is and if we don't want to she will have to go back into the foster system is unacceptable and infuriating. The funny part is, we were willing to get licensed and take in at least one more child as much as six months into this. At this point, as the person conducting the background check pointed out, we have to complete this process to adopt, we don't have to be foster parents...and with this experience, we aren't feeling overly interested in fostering. Surviving the adoption process will likely be all we can take.
Sorry to hear that it has been such a hard struggle for you. There are liaisons statewide that are there to help and answer questions. If you would like me to connect you with one in your area let me know. Shala-Crow@olivecrest.org
DLR is the Division of Licensed Resources, a part of Children's Administration. The Department of Licensing is the state agency that issues driver's licenses.
We finally gave up. We passed our home study, background checks, did the training, applied for the license, and had a bad experience with the licensor. We fought (unsucessfully) to get her the supports from the Braam case for visitations, We fought for an IEP at school and (unsucessfully) tried to get the school to follw the IEP. We have raised our grandaughter for three years. She was a level 5 when we got her. She is probably a level one or two now. She is way behind in school. We tried for over 6 months for a night of respite. We can no longer afford the financial requirements to give her permanancy. The state ate us up, and now has decided to spit us out. For the ones that can hang in there, My advice is to throw out your heart when you start, or the state will do it for you,
This is very troubling to read, being a GP just starting this process. You would think that having loving relatives to care for the children would be the best alternative other than a burden and emotional struggle for all. I sure hope your granddaughter continues to improve and the situation for you too!
Having just started out this process of becoming Licensed Foster parents, I think such as in our case, we have a relative placed and background/fingerprinting done already for the placement. We shouldn't have to do the exact same process only 2 months later to become licensed. It makes no sense this can't be unified in specific relative placements within the DSHS CPS/foster departments.
We are still trying to make it through this process more than a year after having brought our grandchild home after she went into protective custody. It has been unbelievably frustrating. There is an almost complete lack of communication and a lot of what feels like excuses blaming an over-burdened system. If you can let me know what to expect with a timeframe upfront, you don't have to work so hard to ignore my persistent emails and messages. Help me to understand the process the slightest bit. For instance, why is the background check we did in order to bring her home being is redone and with such demand for documentation of things that are not such that would be concern for the care of a child in addition to being more than 20 years old. Had we known this was coming, we could have been prepared and would not be just plain mad. Being told this is just the way it is and if we don't want to she will have to go back into the foster system is unacceptable and infuriating.
ReplyDeleteThe funny part is, we were willing to get licensed and take in at least one more child as much as six months into this. At this point, as the person conducting the background check pointed out, we have to complete this process to adopt, we don't have to be foster parents...and with this experience, we aren't feeling overly interested in fostering. Surviving the adoption process will likely be all we can take.
Sorry to hear that it has been such a hard struggle for you. There are liaisons statewide that are there to help and answer questions. If you would like me to connect you with one in your area let me know. Shala-Crow@olivecrest.org
ReplyDeleteDLR is the Division of Licensed Resources, a part of Children's Administration. The Department of Licensing is the state agency that issues driver's licenses.
ReplyDeleteWe finally gave up. We passed our home study, background checks, did the training, applied for the license, and had a bad experience with the licensor. We fought (unsucessfully) to get her the supports from the Braam case for visitations, We fought for an IEP at school and (unsucessfully) tried to get the school to follw the IEP. We have raised our grandaughter for three years. She was a level 5 when we got her. She is probably a level one or two now. She is way behind in school. We tried for over 6 months for a night of respite. We can no longer afford the financial requirements to give her permanancy. The state ate us up, and now has decided to spit us out.
ReplyDeleteFor the ones that can hang in there, My advice is to throw out your heart when you start, or the state will do it for you,
This is very troubling to read, being a GP just starting this process. You would think that having loving relatives to care for the children would be the best alternative other than a burden and emotional struggle for all. I sure hope your granddaughter continues to improve and the situation for you too!
DeleteHaving just started out this process of becoming Licensed Foster parents, I think such as in our case, we have a relative placed and background/fingerprinting done already for the placement. We shouldn't have to do the exact same process only 2 months later to become licensed. It makes no sense this can't be unified in specific relative placements within the DSHS CPS/foster departments.
ReplyDelete