Final Post-Placement Visit
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Today was our last visit with Wide Horizons For Children. Our last post-placement visit. Wow. It was so anti-climactic. We've been working on this adoption for YEARS now... and to have our involvement with our agency be finally... well... over seems weird. Who will check in on us? Who will ask us about his development, what we are doing to remember his culture, how parenting is going? Crazy.
We went through several social workers while working with WHFC. Their NJ office has been in a transition period with a couple of long-time adoption social workers going off to do other things. But, we loved Laura Stevens who did our initial homestudy and really, I think, influenced who we are as adoptive parents. She asked the hard questions. Made us do some really challenging role playing about how we would deal with the 'race' issue. And, always followed up to see how we were doing. And, our post-placement social worker--Betty. We love her. She came soon after The Sickness (salmonella) and remembers Adu at his tiniest. She is Ethiopian herself and could sympathize with the long plane ride and has first hand info about the best Ethiopian restaurants and Orthodox services. She also knows about what is going on in Ethiopia right now including famine and genocide in the southeast region. We will miss her. I am hoping to do some volunteer work at her office as she'll be doing it all on her own for WHFC in NJ for a little while!
Here are some pictures of Emadu with her today:
Don't think, though, that we are completely done with the adoption rigamarole...We are now tackling the re-adoption in NJ court. More on that later.
We went through several social workers while working with WHFC. Their NJ office has been in a transition period with a couple of long-time adoption social workers going off to do other things. But, we loved Laura Stevens who did our initial homestudy and really, I think, influenced who we are as adoptive parents. She asked the hard questions. Made us do some really challenging role playing about how we would deal with the 'race' issue. And, always followed up to see how we were doing. And, our post-placement social worker--Betty. We love her. She came soon after The Sickness (salmonella) and remembers Adu at his tiniest. She is Ethiopian herself and could sympathize with the long plane ride and has first hand info about the best Ethiopian restaurants and Orthodox services. She also knows about what is going on in Ethiopia right now including famine and genocide in the southeast region. We will miss her. I am hoping to do some volunteer work at her office as she'll be doing it all on her own for WHFC in NJ for a little while!
Here are some pictures of Emadu with her today:
Don't think, though, that we are completely done with the adoption rigamarole...We are now tackling the re-adoption in NJ court. More on that later.
6 comments:
I love the latest pics of Em. He looks like he is much loved and is quite the handsome young man!
We had our last post-placement visit last week, too! Totally anti-climactic. Dreading the re-adoption paperwork in NY - we filled out the initial set of forms but now have to chase down all of our clearances (criminal, child abuse, etc) and make sure they haven't expired. We did this all without a lawyer and so far it's going fine. If you get adoptive families magazine there was a nice guide to the process, including the forms needed to obtain all of your child's original documents - the title is in quotes below from the magazine's website but the content is protected.
"Clip-and-Save Guide: Post-Adoption Paperwork
From name changes to Social Security numbers--everything you need to know about the paperwork you'll have to complete after you adopt internationally. "
Em looks great, especially with a stranger - Teddy would never smile in a situation like that. So thoughtful to get pictures of the social worker (SW) with Em to show him his story as he grows up. We blew it by taking no pictures because neither of us felt a personal connection to our SW even though our feelings towards her are irrelevant to Teddy.
Hope J's search is going well!
I'm soooo touched by this post K! Of course, as I avidly follow your blog- as I have throughout your whole process - you might say that you will never really be "out of sight". In approaching this adoption, you and J really and truly stepped up to the plate, took a long hard look at what you were doing, and decided how you wanted to do it. As a social worker, I couldn't have been prouder. You're doing so well in giving your son the balance that he will need in his life and the tools he will require to live in the many worlds that he will encounter.
BTW, re-adoption in NJ is way more straight-forward than what you've already been through; but you probably already know that at this point. Thanks again, L.
He looks so good in that sweater - I agree with CC - so handsome. I loved watching him pull up on our iChat - he will probably be walking by the time we see him on his birthday - can't believe he's almost a year old.
Love you,
Grandma Diane :)
I have a cute pic of Maren with Bridget on the last visit, too. Why is Betty all on her own for a while? Where's Bridget?
I keep forgetting to talk to Nick about the court stuff...I'll try to ask today.
Laura--I'd really be interested in picking your brain about the re-adoption stuff. WHFC gave us some papers about it but they are terrible (very unclear). Betty doesn't know how to do it and Bridget is leaving. Let me know if you'd be ok with me emailing you (and send me your email address).
Holly-Bridget is leaving. I don't know why. We never actually met in person. Betty explained that the agency has gotten fewer applications in NJ over the past few months b/c of the economy. However, now that they've decided not to replace Bridget, they've gotten lots of apps. Betty only works a couple of days per week!!
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