ray: My wife and I would like your prayers for an 11 year old girl we would like to adopt. After 2+ years of doing foster care, my wife and I have finally found an 11 year old girl that fits us and our life style perfectly (and she loves our 64 Wildcat :Brow. After several weekend visits we expressed our interest to adopt the child to her caseworker only to be told that our county's DSS adoption board is not open to a local adoption because her birth family resides in the same county as we do. Naturally we are devastated and trying to convince them to change their minds, but we're dealing with a government agency and reason will not likely come into play. The child is ready to move on to a forever family but has been available now for over a year with no one expressing interest (older children can be very hard to place). We have told her caseworker that we intend to enroll her into a Christain school and that we live only two miles from the county line on the opposite side of the county from where she is from. Everyone who has regular contact with the child, including her therapist, is all for the adoption. The board that decides the fate of these children never interviews the child, but only reviews their files, which is sad. Please pray that God will intervene and that the adoption board will change their minds. We have fallen in love with the child and she with us. We cannot have children and I am in my mid 40's, so the clock is ticking. It would be a glorious day if we can bring her to our home forever.
Thanks for the kind words. Even if we adopt we will continue to do foster care. It is such a rewarding experience. To see the look in the kids' eyes when we buckle them into the convertible and go cruising and look at other cars is worth more than I can say. It's our way of sharing our passion for cars, but more importantly giving the children a love for God and a stable home. I do have an update. It seems that the girls' current foster mother will be speaking at the next adoption board hearing on our behalf and possibly the therapist and caseworker as well :TU:
The current foster mother coming forward should be the catalyst the bureacrats need to steer thier decision. Sa good thang you do, KUDOS from NH. Jim
I hope the adoption board rules in your favor since they are charged with doing what is in the best interest of the child. Clearly ruling in your favor would accomplish just that.
X2. Already said a prayer for you. On another note, it looks like the avatar picture is from an overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Right?
Yes, on the leg between Balsam Gap, NC and Cherokee, NC. I can't recall the name of the overlook, however. My wife and I are very lucky to be able to live in such a beautiful area.
