Progress!

On Monday, the 12th the new social worker came to our house.  Since then we have been busy.
I have...

• scheduled a doctor's appointment for myself
• dropped off the authorization at my doctor's office to release information about me to the social worker
• scheduled vet appointments for the cats
• got my FBI Channelers fingerprints and already got the results
• readied the documents for my child abuse clearances, sent in my PA clearance
• gotten the money orders for my child abuse clearances (now they just need to be notarized)
• sent out my "Assumption of Guardianship" form to my sister, in case something happens to both of us, she'll adopt our kids
• we've signed so much paper work and filled out countless forms- our current financial status, fire safety, copied birth certificates, our marriage license, pay stub

We still have a lot to do, but at least we can see the progress.   I am going to the bank tomorrow to get my personal forms notarized, but we need to be together for some of them.  So, I think we'll know the notary who's available on Saturdays at Citibank by the end of all this. 
It takes 30 days for some of these clearances, so its best to get them out ASAP.

Here's the new door and radiator cover in the child's room.  This door connects the first child's room to the second child's room. 

New Social Worker

Since my last post, so much has happened, and so quickly.  After the first social worker cancelled the meeting which she chose the date and time, we called her supervisor.  Apparently she hasn't been forthright with her supervisor.  We have a new social worker.  Within 24 hours of being assigned to us, the new social worker had called me and sent me documents we need to fill out.
She is coming over Monday for the first home visit!  This weekend has been a busy one.  We had a lot to do to get ready.
Here's an overview
- Chris put up the new house numbers, we took the old yucky ones off the transom and Chris put new ones on the front porch
-Chris hung the trip around the bathroom door and discovered the top piece was damaged

- Chris had some one haul the old heating oil tank from under our porch and cleaned up under there and put down ground cover plants
-I set up the new dining room table (we haven't gotten the chairs yet)

-We finished the basement door.  Chris cut a hole so the cats can get to their litter box, put a new lock on it and fixed it so it fit and closed properly.

- Chris's 30th birthday present was delivered!

-I painted the new radiator cover the for the child's room and put it in there.  We have hot water radiators which aren't as hot as steam, but I still wanted a cover for the child's room.
- Chris put a lock on the linen closet and I moved all the cleaning supplies and medications in there.
For the homestudy, we are now working on
-medical clearances, we scheduled doctor's appointments
-taking the cats to the vet next week to update everything for them
-FBI clearance
-Police and child abuse clearances for every state and country we have lived or worked in since we've turned 18. 
-We have to write up a discipline policy
-Get copies of our W-2s, last year's taxes, marriage license, birth certificates, etc
-3 friends are writing letters of recommendation that need to be notarized

I was able to talk with the new social worker over the phone and get some questions answered.  We don't need to have the child's room and playroom set up.  We don't need baby gates and cabinet locks yet.  I was glad to hear it, because its hard to set up for a child you don't know anything about.  Age, gender, needs and abilities, all of these will determine how we prepare. 

Home Study Update

On Monday, 5 weeks after we submitted our preliminary homestudy application, we had planned on terminated our agreement with that agency.  But they were not answering their phones.  Not really something new for our social worker, she had yet to return a phone call or e-mail, but managed to find time to cash our check. 
I tried calling the main office phone, but no one picked up.  I started digging around on their website, and sent an e-mail to the director of adoptions and home studies.  It bounced back that he was no longer working there, but including 2 other names with e-mails and phone numbers.  I called both, and managed to get someone on the phone.  She said she would talk to our social worker, and call us right back.  She never called back, but the other supervisor did. 
After twisting this initial social worker's arm, she did finally send an e-mail (although she told her supervisor she called us).  Her excuse: she doesn't go into the office much and she was out of town for a few days. 
Oh, that explains it.  So she hasn't been to the office for 5 weeks and she can't check her voicemail from another phone?  Also, since, as most workplaces, they use Microsoft Outlook, she could set up an out of office reply.  I was planning on demonstrating this incredibly complicated and technologically advanced uses of telephone and computing technology at the meeting which she scheduled for this evening.  But then she cancelled at 12:35.  The meeting date and time she choose.  Which was short notice.  We rearranged our schedules for it. 
With steaming spewing from my ears, I decided to have a calm chat with her supervisor.  We have a new social worker. 
We have lost another week, but hopefully have made some progress. 

New Homestudy Agency

This is our first adoption, so we're not always sure what to expect.  But our home study application was sent in the first week of February, and we have yet to hear back from them.  2 and 1/2 weeks later the check was cashed, but still no contact from them.  I didn't want to seem pushy, so I called them once a week.  I have called 4 times and e-mailed twice and nothing.  I can't think of a job where you can wait 3 weeks to call a client back.  So with much regret and trepidation, we are looking for a new home study agency. 
We spoke with our main adoption agency, and they said get out -a slow/ bad social worker can ruin everything.  (By the way, when we send checks to them, we get an e-mailed receipt before the check even clears our bank).
I'm upset because I can't believe the social worker could be so heartless.  A lot of people adopting already have the child lined up- could be a niece, nephew, cousin and that child is stuck in foster care because the social worker can't get her act together.  I just can't understand why she is so selfish.  Just return a phone call, its your job. 
I'm frustrated because there are so few agencies that operate in our state.  If you look on the State Department, Health and Human Services or our State CPS website, they all have only 2 agencies listed- but each site has 2 different agencies.  I wish people would review home study agencies on yelp or google, but I can't find any comprehensive list and so few are even reviewed.  I tried joining a local list serv (yahoo group) for international adoptive parents, but still haven't gotten approved. 
So, we are back in square one, minus $250 because of the initial fee paid to the Lutherans, maybe unless the check was cashed by some one else- but how could we know because they don't take phone calls or respond to e-mails or send receipts.  
Funny, we can't even get a hold of them to say- forget it, we're using another home study agency.

Any tips for tracking down a good agency?