Impatiently waiting

We've been licensed for a month and a week now, and we're still waiting.  Sometimes when the phone rings I get a little thrill of excitement that it might be DHW (Department of Health and Welfare) with a placement.  But we aren't waiting very patiently either.

Keegan got online last night to adoptuskids.org and was perusing profiles.  There is supposed to be an interstate compact between 4 states (ours and 3 surrounding) that makes it just as easy to adopt as if it were an in-state adoption.  Yet, we inquire on kids and hear nothing back.  Keegan sent an inquiry last night, and I told him not to.  He said it didn't hurt to try, which is true, I guess.  It's just been frustrating because, as Keegan noted, are these looking for adoptive families, or not?  If they are, it shouldn't be that hard to make an inquiry about them.  If you look at the statistics, there are about 100,000 kids who age out of the foster care system every year.  I wonder if that's partly because there are about a zillion websites featuring them, and when people are seriously interested, the inquiry doesn't get to the right person?  Regardless, we aren't being very patient.  Maybe that's the lesson in this.  I do believe there is a specific child or sibling pair that needs our family, and I'd rather wait for the right one(s) than not.

I will be patient.  I will wait for the right child.  I will continue to prepare.  I know this is what we should be doing.

Our first "CALL"

Yesterday we received our first "CALL" for placement of a 14 year old girl.  When I'm at work, I can't answer my cell, so they got ahold of Keegan, and he called me at work.  The girl's mother was going to be arrested.  I had a lot of questions (naturally), but the caseworker was going to call us back.  However, they found a relative placement.

While I'm a little sad, I think that for this particular placement, it may be better.  First off, we know that family is the best option for foster care if it's available.  Secondly,  I work in law enforcement.  Could you imagine having your mom arrested, the worst day of your life, and you're sitting in some stranger's house only to find out that the mom may have played a part in your mom's arrest?!?!  Or if the police are "the enemy" who took her mom away from her and put her in this situation, I would absolutely be "the enemy."

So maybe for this one it was better, but we are really excited to have our first placement.  Thus, we continue to wait for "the call." :)