My husband kicks ass

It's been 3 weeks since we heard anything from the state on our foster/adoption application. We've emailed and called a few times, with no response. Alan's last email specifically asked for the name of someone who would return our emails lol.

So he took it on himself to write a professional but rather scathing email to the DIRECTOR of the state's social services department and a number of other people. Within 7 minutes he had his first email response (telling him it had been assigned to someone), and within 45 minutes he had another email response and a phone call! Holy crapoly!


To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Alan _____. In the spring of 2008, my wife Sarah and I madethe decision to become foster parents. We enrolled in the state's PATH(Parents as Tender Healers) classes, finishing up Labor Day weekend. Bythe middle of September, social workers had completed their home visitsand interviews with Sarah and I, friends and family sent in letters of reference, and we submitted fingerprints for criminal background checks.Our social worker commended us on our organization and timeliness andpromised to get started on our approval right away. At this point thegreatest concern Sarah and I had was whether our first foster childwould like dogs.

In the following months our hopes began to cloud. Our case worker,never easy to get in touch with, informed us our class homework had beenshredded, and if we could do it again. Fortunately, we'd made copies which we provided. Weeks continued going by without a word. Sarah and I began a practice of contacting our worker and supervisor on a weekly basis, taking an approach of "showing interest, not insistence," hoping we could propel the process, while giving the agents time to do their jobs. Numerous times, our case worker insisted our study was on a supervisor's desk, or pending approval. The wait became so long thatwe were forced to re-submit car insurance forms, which had expired, re-submit background check approval forms, which were shredded, told the wrong background check had been requested by the state, that the department's audit was detracting from our progress, that the efforts to become accredited had led to new processes and new mistakes, and now, nothing.

We were hopeful a child would join us perhaps by Halloween, probably Thanksgiving and definitely Christmas 2008. Now on February 19th, we are convinced that, despite clean background checks, and a positive homestudy, we will never be approved. We've asked the three DCS employees who have ever corresponded with us if they can find us someone who can return a call or e-mail. That request has not been answered. We appreciate your time, and any effort you can provide to help.

Alan and Sarah _______