For the last several weeks (actually since my trip to Arkansas in October) I've been holding my breath and praying for God to move Baby Girl's adoption along, quickly.
While I was sleeping in one morning, our social worker (not Baby Girl's original social worker or her new, adoption social worker...that's #3 are you keeping count?) called and gave us some news that if Baby Girl's adoption was not official before the birth of Baby #6 that there could be a problem. Ideally, we were hoping and praying that Baby Girl's adoption would be final and then Luke and I could voluntarily terminate our foster parent license. If that couldn't happen (because Baby Girl was not legally adopted) then our County office would have to appeal the state for a license waiver. The waiver would be to allow us to be a licensed foster home with 6 children rather than 5. Our state law is that foster homes can only be licenses for up to 5 children.
You still with me? However, since Baby Girl is legally in the custody of the state, they could say "No" to our appeal and remove her from our home. Needless to say I was quite worried. Still, I knew that if God's plans were to remove Baby Girl then all my worrying wouldn't do much to change that.
So I began to pray and I asked others to pray. God has heard those prayers and answered them in a BIG way.
I spoke with Baby Girl's adoption worker today. The BEST news is that Baby Girl's birth mother did NOT appeal the TPR (Termination of Parental Rights) order!! She had until yesterday at 5:00pm to appeal and as of 10:30am today the attorney's office had NOT received an appeal! WHOOOOOPIE!!!
Today our case should be taken to adoption committee where we would be deemed an adoptive placement for Baby Girl!
Once we are considered an adoptive placement and the placement is written on paper IT DOESN'T MATTER if Baby #6 gets here before her adoption is final! Our adoption worker told us that the only difference is that we would be considered strictly an adoptive placement and not a foster home. Once a child is placed with an adoptive family, the adoptive family does NOT have to be licensed.
In short, SHE'S HERE TO STAY!! Praise God!
There is still some other paperwork that has to be written, signed by a judge and filed. The legal father's TPR date was in early November so we are waiting on that order to be written, signed and his 30 days appeal period to lapse. But, I'm TOTALLY not worried about any of that because to date they've been unable to contact the legal father so I doubt he'd appear now and appeal his TPR.
Whew! Y'all still there?
God is so good. I would hope that we'd have Baby Girl's adoption final by mid-to-end January. But, they are moving and retraining a new county attorney so that may not happen as swiftly as we'd like.
Thank you all for praying along side us with the adoption of our children! God is just so very, very good!
While I was sleeping in one morning, our social worker (not Baby Girl's original social worker or her new, adoption social worker...that's #3 are you keeping count?) called and gave us some news that if Baby Girl's adoption was not official before the birth of Baby #6 that there could be a problem. Ideally, we were hoping and praying that Baby Girl's adoption would be final and then Luke and I could voluntarily terminate our foster parent license. If that couldn't happen (because Baby Girl was not legally adopted) then our County office would have to appeal the state for a license waiver. The waiver would be to allow us to be a licensed foster home with 6 children rather than 5. Our state law is that foster homes can only be licenses for up to 5 children.
You still with me? However, since Baby Girl is legally in the custody of the state, they could say "No" to our appeal and remove her from our home. Needless to say I was quite worried. Still, I knew that if God's plans were to remove Baby Girl then all my worrying wouldn't do much to change that.
So I began to pray and I asked others to pray. God has heard those prayers and answered them in a BIG way.
I spoke with Baby Girl's adoption worker today. The BEST news is that Baby Girl's birth mother did NOT appeal the TPR (Termination of Parental Rights) order!! She had until yesterday at 5:00pm to appeal and as of 10:30am today the attorney's office had NOT received an appeal! WHOOOOOPIE!!!
Today our case should be taken to adoption committee where we would be deemed an adoptive placement for Baby Girl!
Once we are considered an adoptive placement and the placement is written on paper IT DOESN'T MATTER if Baby #6 gets here before her adoption is final! Our adoption worker told us that the only difference is that we would be considered strictly an adoptive placement and not a foster home. Once a child is placed with an adoptive family, the adoptive family does NOT have to be licensed.
In short, SHE'S HERE TO STAY!! Praise God!
There is still some other paperwork that has to be written, signed by a judge and filed. The legal father's TPR date was in early November so we are waiting on that order to be written, signed and his 30 days appeal period to lapse. But, I'm TOTALLY not worried about any of that because to date they've been unable to contact the legal father so I doubt he'd appear now and appeal his TPR.
Whew! Y'all still there?
God is so good. I would hope that we'd have Baby Girl's adoption final by mid-to-end January. But, they are moving and retraining a new county attorney so that may not happen as swiftly as we'd like.
Thank you all for praying along side us with the adoption of our children! God is just so very, very good!