We are getting to the point in our foster to adopt process where everything is starting to feel more real to me. Tonight we have the very last pre-application class that we are required to take, which means that we will officially have our application in by the end of this week! (At least that is my personal deadline, so please, someone hold me accountable to that.)
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| Just some of the application paperwork! |
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After we turn in our application, we will begin the home study process. For those of you who don't know what that is, I will do my best to describe it. Despite what the name implies, it doesn't have too much to do with our actual place of living. They do come into our home to make sure that it is in good living condition, and that we have their many requirements in place, like baby proofing doors, having all medication locked up, and even stuff like having an emergency escape ladder. Our case worker will do many interviews with Cody and I. There will be one interview for a few hours with both of us together, and then we have to do at least one (maybe two, I don't remember for sure) interviews separately that will be for 3 hours. The home study will end up being a binder that is 2-3 inches thick of everything about us. They will ask up questions about pretty much every aspect of our lives, like how we grew up, how our relationship is, etc. The home study is the last piece before we get officially certified to receive children into our house as foster children. We are praying that the home study is approved, (which I've heard that unless there is something crazy going on most are approved) because if it isn't then the process would basically be over. I think also included in the home study are letters of recommendation from a few close people in our lives. I might be wrong on that. I will have a way better idea of everything that is entailed after we turn in this application and are able to meet with our case worker again. Because of the program that we are going through, I was told by our case worker that the time between the day that we turn in our application and the day that we are approved to take children in will be between 45-90 days, so basically 3 months at the most!! That's so crazy!
Something super fun that is making this feel even more real to me is that we have been trying to collect a few essentials so that we aren't running around as much like a crazy person when we get placed. I bought a convertible crib off of Craigslist recently, which was actually owned by someone who grew up in the foster care system and she shared some of her experience with me, and I also got a stroller from a garage sale about a month ago. During our last trip to KS, one of our super amazing friends gave us a really cute car seat/stroller set with two car seat bases for the car. It was such a sweet thing for her to do, and we were very humbled by it. We definitely were not expecting anything like that! I feel so much more comfortable knowing that we have those few things already. We have also collected a few toys and some non-perishable snack things as well, and a few clothing items for girls (my friends are dripping with estrogen filled toddlers, lol).
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| Thanks Ryanne! |
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| Thanks Emily! |
I'm getting excited, but I am also getting nervous, which I'm sure is natural for any huge life change like this. If you are a praying person, I'd like to ask you to pray that our home study goes smoothly and quickly, that I would be thinking of less "what-ifs" and be able to be more comfortable with going with the flow of this process, and that Cody and I would be able to support each other well through this process. I'm hoping to be updating here more often with how things are going and other stuff you can do to pray. I appreciate you all!
