https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 29 Apr 2026 02:21:48 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/adoption-through-foster-care#post-2737903 Fri, 19 May 2017 15:46:48 +0000 tlynne 2737903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaBear87: It's actually what was suggested to us by a great social worker in our fostering classes - I wish I could take credit : ).</p> <p>In my area, there isn't a foster-to-adopt program for children under age 8 (sometimes even age 10), so in order to adopt, we had to get our foster care license and hope for either a quick reunification or adoption. Being excited/overwhelmed will definitely ebb and flow...and sometimes - at least for me - over the weirdest things. As crazy as it sounds, I wasn't even remotely concerned about bringing home DS2 as a newborn baby with special needs...with NO BABY GEAR at home and only a few hours' notice (I was really excited, though!). Of course, I might have freaked out at least a little if I'd ever actually even held a newborn (DS1 was adopted internationally as a toddler)...but I definitely nearly lost my mind other times that seem pretty inconsequential now. </p> <p>I was always weirdly calm and efficient at the time of placement...and usually spent the next few days so busy, I didn't have time to worry. By the end of the first week or two, there would almost always be something that I was overwhelmed with/worried about. Sometimes these things were serious (like when we discovered one of our fosters - at age 3.5 was almost completely deaf from what turned out to be sensory-neural hearing loss and had vision problems that required surgical correction - and his family hadn't NOTICED), sometimes it was not life-alteringly serious at all (like the child we had who had never played with toys that weren't cars). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/adoption-through-foster-care#post-2737873 Fri, 19 May 2017 14:16:15 +0000 MamaBear87 2737873@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@tlynne: such a great way of explaining. I hadn't considered that route at all.<br /> I'm really excited and also overwhelmed. Which I'm guessing will ebb and flow as we go along.<br /> And sad at times that I won't get to experience pregnancy again. But I feel pulled to adopt so we're jumping in :grin: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/adoption-through-foster-care#post-2737857 Fri, 19 May 2017 13:56:04 +0000 tlynne 2737857@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaBear87: with DS1, we just explained that so-and-so was coming to visit with us for a few months. We told him that so-and-so's family was having a hard time, and we were going to take care of him/her. After our first three placements (one of whom is DS2!), DS1 was familiar enough with what was going on that we ask for his opinion (and take it with a grain of salt!) when we receive/d calls for placement. </p> <p>At first DS1 really just rolled with the punches, but the last child that we fostered left us all needing a longer break. Once DS2 is a year or three older, I think we might try again.</p> <p>Although we had some amazingly good experiences...we also had some amazingly terrible experiences. It's not for the faint of heart! We've our share of struggles...and are ready for a period of time when we have a break! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/adoption-through-foster-care#post-2737773 Fri, 19 May 2017 11:05:53 +0000 MamaBear87 2737773@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@tlynne: How has your experience been? I'm most concerned about how my little will adjust since she will likely be too young to understand why if we have a placement go home </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/adoption-through-foster-care#post-2737762 Fri, 19 May 2017 10:34:43 +0000 tlynne 2737762@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Am in the process now with DS2. He's been with us for two years, as of next week. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/adoption-through-foster-care#post-2737603 Thu, 18 May 2017 18:47:21 +0000 MamaBear87 2737603@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Turtle: :) cool! I will send you an email tomorrow. Today has been hectic </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/adoption-through-foster-care#post-2737586 Thu, 18 May 2017 16:52:17 +0000 Mrs. Turtle 2737586@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaBear87: Absolutely. I'll wall you my email. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/adoption-through-foster-care#post-2737560 Thu, 18 May 2017 14:25:40 +0000 MamaBear87 2737560@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Turtle: we are beginning our foster journey. Would you be up for chatting privately? :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/adoption-through-foster-care#post-2664621 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 09:28:24 +0000 bubblegum 2664621@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Turtle: that would be great!! I'll send you my e-mail now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/adoption-through-foster-care#post-2664464 Mon, 12 Dec 2016 18:41:12 +0000 Mrs. Turtle 2664464@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We haven't adopted yet, but I'd be happy to chat with you about our experience privately. You can post your email on my wall if you want and I'll get back to you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/adoption-through-foster-care#post-2664435 Mon, 12 Dec 2016 16:33:25 +0000 bubblegum 2664435@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Train: @ShootingStar: Thank you ladies. I think I really want to look into it so when the time comes we are prepared and have all the questions answered ya know. In PA you can adopt without being a foster parent. That much I do know. We actually are interested in a child 3-10 but we'll take whatever God gives us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/adoption-through-foster-care#post-2664389 Mon, 12 Dec 2016 15:38:48 +0000 ShootingStar 2664389@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We went down this road and were about to be certified when I got pregnant and we ended the process. One thing to keep in mind, at least here in MA the social workers really like for the kids placed with you to be the youngest. And babies can be the hardest to get placed with. Most babies aren't immediately freed for adoption, so they go to a regular foster home until the parental rights can be sorted out. </p> <p>I don't think every state offers this, but ours has a class that was required in order to become a foster parent. You could start looking into that to see if it's right for you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/adoption-through-foster-care#post-2664380 Mon, 12 Dec 2016 15:30:15 +0000 Mrs. Train 2664380@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you truly feel compelled and you and your husband are on board I would look into it. Go into the gathering information stage! Some agencies won't do placements while your pregnant but some will. I remember talking to a social worker with a Foster care agency and he told me that sometimes the answer ins't No it's just Not now. It stuck with me because I really want to do a foster adoption as well but at the time we didn't have enough rooms in our house. So I have kept that mantra in my head. It's just not now but it doesn't mean never.</p> <p>Look into your state programs and agencies that work with your state. There are a lot of options out there for foster care and good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/adoption-through-foster-care#post-2664336 Mon, 12 Dec 2016 14:46:33 +0000 bubblegum 2664336@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have mentioned before on this site that DH and I really would love to adopt through foster care in the future. I think it is a beautiful thing to give a child the love and care they deserve and I would love to be able to do so. It has always been something we said we would like to do when our children are older. DS is 2 and a half and I'm currently pregnant. But for some reason I feel pulled to do something now, start the process. Am I crazy?! </p> <p>I just want to know if anyone here has gone through the process and can shed some light on it. I really appreciate it. </p>