Monday, March 07, 2011

Foster Parent Friday - How Long Does It Take to Get Kids?

You'll remember last week I promised to answer this question. 

How apropos.  We just received a new placement late last night. (ahem...I did write this on Friday, just forgot to post)

This was one of the most challenging thing for us as we first became licensed.  The reality is that you could get a call at any minute, but you may not get a call for weeks or months.  In our experience, it has really been varied.  Here's how it worked:
  • Placement 1 - 1 week after we were licensed.
  • Placement 2 - 12 days, but we started getting calls 5 days after we had an opening.
  • Placement 3 - 6 weeks after placement 2, but we did have 2 opportunities that didn't work out between that time.
  • Placement 4 - 26 days
So, there you have it.  It generally doesn't take very long once you have an opening before you get kiddos.  It literally could be a matter of hours, days, or months.  You can also choose, if you wish, to not put yourself on the list right away if you need a bit of a break.  I'd recommend that if you felt like you needed one because it is highly possible you could get a call right away and there's nothing wrong with taking a break.

2 comments:

Dana said...

In a future post, can you address how long it has taken you before the decision to move forward with adoption has taken place and also how long an adoption might take? BTW what you're doing is amazing and I am constantly blessed and encouraged by your experiences. I know you've had your share of struggles, but your story is working to bless and impact so many others. I look forward to the day when we can foster and/or adopt and I know the first person I'm going to call for advice :)

Mie said...

What a great question Dana! I will answer both of those questions. We just got word that this Friday we should hear back on one of the cases, so I'll update on that which would be an answer to your question. Thanks so much for your encouragement!