I ended Adoption part one with Joel and I selecting to restart our Adoption with Gladney. Gladney has long been offering to help families through the gift of adoption. They help unwed mothers with support and counseling to help them make the best decision for their unborn babies. Gladney just recently started a Program known as New Beginnings. New Beginnings aids couples with adopting through Foster Care but does not have a Foster Care department. The lack of being a foster care provider means to us that Gladney is in it to help kids get adopted not to make money. The only cost to the adoptive families is the $1500 in lawyer fees (which most likely will be taken care of by the Texas Department of Family Protective Services). This was a huge bonus to us.
We got all our initial paperwork and interviews completed so that in January of 2013 we were able to immediately take the training courses and get our adoption on the way. This meant even more loads of paperwork, doctor visits, finger printing and more interviews. Ahh it was FUN! Just kidding. This phase took us months. From January until Summer. FInally we were done. Our file need a full review by a separate department. At some point our case worked had her vacation, which i of course was totally understanding about. Finally August 16th, 2013 we were an approved adoptive placement home! YAY! Now to wait some more…
I immediately emailed our worked several sibling groups that I found online- Please Submit us for these kids. Then on September 16th, 2013 along with several other sibling groups we were submitted for our boys. It took a long while, then we hear that there will be a Selection Staffing to choose the right family for the boys. Then the CALL. "You have been selected!"
"WAHOO! So when can I pick them up?" I asked. It isn't that easy. The CPS case worker requested that we speak with the current foster parents(this is not typical). We had the call and immediately let all parties know that we were still ready to go forward. Really? They were concerned. You do realize these boys are both Specialized levels of care. Meaning you have to supervise them 24 hours a day!?! Yes, we did, and yet we think that we are ready for the challenge. Now CPS wants us to observe the boys so that we can see for ourselves what we are really getting into.
So during Christmas vacation we took Ross, Edith, Sofia and Brendan and headed into Dallas to meet the foster family at a park and observe the boys. As I was standing there and my mother spoke with the foster dad, my soon to be middle son, came up to me and says, "I got to tell you something."
"oh yeah? What?" was my friendly reply. Did CPS really expect me to ignore this child- not going to happen.
He proceeded to tell me about his first mom. It was not easy to hear. The kids were hungry and the foster family had plans to go to McDonalds so we asked if we could join them to get some more insight.
Upon arrival at the McDonalds by the Dallas Zoo we met up in the playroom. The kids all went about eating and when my middle son finished, he came up to me again. This time he had millions of questions about my camera. I let him take a few photos and he requested I take some of him teaching me to surf on the alligator. My heart was BURSTING! It was so hard not to pack him up into my car and take him home.
As all parties were dispersing I noticed that Ross and Brendan had been playing with Caleb. I had not told Ross what we were doing for fear he would say something to the boys(the boys were not yet told about us). I asked Ross with whom he was playing? When I asked, "Do you think that was your brother Caleb?" His reply was priceless, "I was playing with my brother and I didn't even know it!?!" Adorable, absolutely adorable. I asked if Caleb had been nice, what they had played and if he still wanted him for a brother. Ross told me I didn't have a choice, it IS his brother.
The hard part was not just having to leave the boys, but seeing how so heavily medicated they were. I didn't even know these children and I could see it so clearly. How my heart ached. This threw me from rushed to panicked mode. I needed my boys home- NOW.
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1 comment:
You are amazing
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